Page 107 - SAMENA Trends - August 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

with the UN. Every time we find progress that requires raising the and strategies." He added that the telecommunication sector is
threshold of expectations, it encourages us to move forward, and playing a vital role in the battle of life. "We have lived this great
we are happy with this meeting that reflects the UAE’s willingness transition to virtual space as a kind of adjustment to crises, so
to benefit from the study." The e-Government Development Index we turned our attention to communication through the available
consists of three sub-indicators: Online Services Index, OSI, digital channels, and applied remote work and distance learning, as
Telecommunication Infrastructure Index, TII, and the Human well as the commerce activities whose digital platforms flourished
Capital Index, HCI. It also includes the e-Participation Index as during the last months." The meeting reviewed the conclusions
part of the OSI. The UAE seeks to achieve global leadership in OSI of previous meetings, the circulation of the unified draft law
and other indicators. (August 3, 2020) wam.ae/en regulating the activities of private companies and institutions
working in express mail and parcels, by the Secretariat General, to
The UAE, represented by the Telecommunications Regulatory the heads and postal entities in the GCC states. This move aims
Authority, TRA, has chaired the 28th Meeting of the GCC Committee to obtain the approval of Member States, in preparation for the
of Postal and Telecommunications Under-Secretaries. The draft law's submission to the Ministerial Council. The meeting
meeting discussed a number of topics, including the unified draft touched upon the report submitted by the Kingdom of Bahrain
law regulating the activities of private companies and institutions regarding a study of reducing the cost of interconnection between
working in express mail and parcels. The meeting also discussed the GCC states, highlighting the importance of this topic. It also
a study to reduce the prices of interconnections between the GCC suggested the formation of a team to prepare a study on reducing
states. In his opening speech, Majed Al Mesmar, TRA Deputy the prices of international connections between the GCC states.
Director-General for the Telecommunication Sector, said, "This The committee recommended the formation of an interim team to
meeting is held in exceptional circumstances which necessitates study the current situation in relation to the prices of international
constant comprehensive review of plans, projects, programmes connections. (July 19, 2020) wam.ae

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