By Cyber Era Reporter

The International Institute of Communications(IIC) is organizing a Telecommunications & Media (TMT)  Forum for the Middle East and North Africa region between Tuesday 23 – Wednesday 24 March, 2021 at 1100 AST / 0900 CET / 1000 EET / 1200 GST.

The theme of the forum is : Accelerating digital transformation in the Middle East & North Africa: building the regulatory/policy skillsets so that everyone benefits as we emerge from the pandemic.

According to information from the office of the IIC Director-General, Lynn Robinson, much progress with the digital agenda has been made since IIC’s last MENA event in Doha in 2017, but new challenges have of course also arisen.

Said Ms Robinson: “We are therefore looking forward to updates from regulators as they share their experiences, achievements and priorities, and discuss how their roles and policies are evolving in the face of digital transformation.”

On March, 23, 2021, the forum  will focus on the telco sector. Regulators and industry will discuss themes including next generation infrastructure, spectrum allocation, international connectivity, data sovereignty, IoT & cloud policy frameworks, cybersecurity, privacy and consumer protection.

On March 24, 2021 it will focus on the content sector, with themes including digital transition, linear to on-demand services, OTT regulation, supporting the creative economy, tackling disinformation, preserving cultural diversity and media pluralism.

Speakers for the forum include:

• Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer, Etisalat Group, Kamal Shehadi
• President HACA Morocco, Latifa Akharbach
• President, HAICA Tunisia, Nouri Lajmi
• Vice President, Regulatory and Market Access Inmarsat, Zeina Mokaddem
• Senior Director – Regulatory Affairs Ooredoo Group, Dr Bharat Vagadia

• Senior Legal Counsel, Middle East, Africa and Turkey Avaya,  Iman El Banna Kaiss