Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 37 | Page 10

NEWS Ministry promotes Digital Transformation at summit Saudi Telecom Company elected to GSMA board G SMA, the world’s largest mobile operators’ organisation, has announced the election of the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) as a member of its board after the company won the board’s election to join the top 25 mobile operators in the world. With more than 1,100 members from the global mobile ecosystem, the number of customers benefiting from the organisation’s policies and guidelines is more than 7.5 billion. The GSMA organises the most important mobile events in the world, such as the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, the Mobile World Congress in the Americas and the Mobile 360 Series conferences. STC Group CEO, Nasser Al-Nasser, described the success in this election to join the GSMA board as an important achievement for the company, as it reflects the potential and value of STC locally, regionally and globally. T he Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has promoted Digital Transformation at the Digital Drive Summit. This occurred under the patronage of His Excellency Eng. Haitham Al-Ohali, Vice-Minister of Communications and Information Technology, as part of the ministry’s efforts to promote Digital Transformation at the APEX Convention Center. The two-day event, organised by Google and INSEAD Business School, brought together local and international business leaders across the Kingdom to enhance networking and exchange experiences, discuss the biggest challenges facing companies and leverage the tools available digitally. The first day featured 200 people, representing several 10 INTELLIGENTCIO international and local companies in the Kingdom, from different sectors to learn about the benefits of establishing and managing business’ digital presence. Several topics relating to Digital Transformation were discussed, including e-commerce and retail, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, smartphone marketing, website administration, data analysis, and Google tools to help companies manage their marketing campaigns. It also reflects the advanced position reached by the Kingdom’s telecommunications sector with the support of the Ministry of Communications and Technology Information and Communications and the Information Technology Commission to achieve the targets of the national transformation plan 2020, and the Kingdom’s vision 2030. Al Nasser said that the GSMA has an important role to play on the global stage, and that STC’s victory in this election strengthens its position as an active member of the global mobile industry, as well as supporting opportunities to build alliances and partnerships with big international players. The summit was attended by a number of local and international representatives from all over the Kingdom, with the aim to enhance networking opportunities and share experiences, discuss the major challenges facing companies and make best use of digital tools. www.intelligentcio.com