‘Huawei is committedto strengthen Qatar’sICT talent ecosystem’

Tribune News NetworkQatarIn line with Huawei’s commitment to enhancing Qatar’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) talent ecosystem, the company recently hosted its ICT Talent Summit to discuss opportunities in talent development, skills gaps, and challenges with academic experts and industry leaders.The summit brought together several experts, academics and ICT leaders from the private and public sectors to discuss overcoming the gap challenges in ICT talents which are essential to driving innovation and social and economic development through advanced solutions and technologies. Participants also discussed the best practices in partnerships and cooperation between sectors to provide ICT training for students, government employees, and other stakeholders who can play a key role in adopting advanced technologies to develop different sectors and industries in Qatar.Huawei highlighted the various programmes it has launched to develop and support local ICT talent in Qatar as well as the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region including Seeds for the Future programme, ICT Academy, ICT competition, Huawei Talent platform, Huawei certification and government training.The summit also saw the keynote speeches of Liam Zhao, CEO of Huawei Gulf North; Captain Engr. Abdulrahman Mosfer Al Dawas Al-Hababi, LTE Core Officer – Wireless Services Section, Ministry of Interior - Telecom Department; and Eng Hussain Abdullah Salatt, PR and Communications Unit Manager, Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA). In addition, a panel discussion was organised on the topic of ‘Bridging ICT Talent Gap: Challenges and Solutions’, which saw the participation of deans from various universities based in Qatar, representatives from government entities, and regulators, sharing valuable opinions on developing a better ICT talent ecosystem."We are delighted to participate in Huawei’s ICT Talent Summit as we have always been interested in engaging with stakeholders, discussing challenges and opportunities related to the development of local talents, and finding ways to jointly enhance them. Nurturing and strengthening their abilities will give them a chance to play an active role in the field of ICT, as Qatar is moving rapidly into a digital economy and all efforts are channeled to promoting national development and achieving Qatar’s National Vision 2030,” said Eng. Hussain Abdullah Salatt.Captain Engr. Abdulrahman Mosfer Al Dawas Al-Hababi said: "Considering the rapid growth of technology around the world and Qatar’s ambition to become a digital hub in the region, we need these types of initiatives to gain insights into the ICT sector, assess any opportunities as well as challenges so we can enable it to reach its full potential in the future.”Liam Zhao said: "ICT has long been considered an enabler of improvements in economic productivity and growth. Investing and growing an innovative ICT talent ecosystem is fundamental to digital transformation. At Huawei, we understand that digital technology can contribute to more open, flexible, and connected higher ecosystems, and therefore we are pursuing to bridge the digital divide and develop a talent ecosystem through our many efforts.”Digital technologies are becoming increasingly important for addressing global challenges and creating new development opportunities. This makes ICT talent key to driving digital transformation and economic growth. In line with Qatar National Vision 2030, the recently launched National Skilling Program recognizes this key trend and therefore aims to train 50,000 people across all demographics by 2025 and empower them with the advanced digital skills they need to drive innovation and contribute to boosting the country’s regional and global competitiveness.