A delegation of Irish officials was in Dubai on 30th March as part of the Dubai government’s efforts to highlight its objectives in the ICT field as well as to promote its Dubai Internet City. Headed by Tom Russell, Ambassador of Ireland to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the delegation met with Abdullatif Al Mulla, TECOM Deputy CEO and Jamal Abdul Salam, DIC Executive Director. The Irish delegation included Noel Dempsey, Minister for Communications, Marina & Natural Resources, and Peter O’Neill, Assistant Secretary, Communications and Broadcasting.

The Dubai hosts led the Irish delegation on a tour through DIC and offered a presentation on DIC’s role in supporting the ICT industry in the region. The presentation was followed by a discussion on a possible Irish-DIC collaboration to work on mutually beneficial projects.

Speaking during his visit, Russell said, “We are keen to reach out to leading ICT centres around the world to establish interaction and collaboration with them. Dubai Internet City is one of the shining examples of an initiative that can accelerate development through the creation of an environment and infrastructure that supports ICT growth”.

Speaking on a potential collaboration, Al Mulla stated: “DIC can benefit greatly through a partnership with Ireland, given its position as a leading player in ICT. Such a relationship would be based on common ground, considering both DIC and Ireland are keen to serve the communities in which they operate and to create new opportunities to benefit their society.”

In addition to the Irish delegation, DIC has welcomed a number of other delegations from Afghanistan, New Zealand and Singapore.