From Emirates News Agency
Dubai – The accelerated momentum of the Lebanese software industry will be demonstrated at Gitex Dubai through the participation of 15 Lebanese ICT companies under the umbrella of Professional Computer Association (PCA).
Growing at an annual rate of 10% to 20%, the Lebanese software industry is estimated to be worth more than US$ 165 million, inclusive of related services such as consultancy, training, implementation, imports and exports.
Market research indicates that over the past five years Lebanon has achieved an impressive growth of between 10% to 20% in the software development sector. "The dramatic developments in the field of IT across the Middle East have fuelled the demand for Lebanese software products, as this region represents our largest customer base, due to geographical proximity and competitive pricing," said Jalal Fawaz, president, PCA.
"This will be our sixth consecutive year at Gitex, as it has proved to be the most significant platform for us to display our software capabilities. We are positive this participation will open new doors for Lebanese software companies as a result of networking with high end users and forging new alliances with dealers looking for innovative products to launch in the region."
"The Lebanese software industry has been a front-runner in the regional IT revolution. Over the years, we have honed our IT skills to produce software that has a high demand at the regional and international level," added Fawaz. "We are eyeing the promising Middle East markets, because most countries in the region are witnessing increased IT penetration which, we are sure, will create increased demand for Lebanese software products."
"The participating companies are keen to utilize Gitex Dubai 2003 as a platform to forge stronger links with the UAE and other Gulf countries in the field of ICT to find new markets for their innovative products and solutions in the region. The UAE, which has emerged as the IT capital of the region, is indeed a major focus area for Lebanese ICT companies," said Michel Nseir, in charge of the export software activities.
"The tough economic situation in Lebanon which has resulted in a drop in domestic demand has compelled Lebanese software companies to explore new markets. Many of the companies are opening offices in the Gulf markets as part of their expansion strategy. Gitex provides us the right platform to seek out partners for boosting our export potential," said Nseir.
The participating Lebanese ICT companies will use GITEX 2003 to display their world-class applications and programmes as well as highlight their competitive pricing, estimated to be 3 to 5 times lower than the European counterparts.
