Dubai Internet City (DIC), one of the largest managed ICT clusters in the world and a member of TECOM Investments, announced 112 new companies have chosen to locate their operations at the cluster during 2007. This translates to 33 per cent growth over 2006.

The new entrants include global companies such as British Telecom, Qualcomm, Google, Layton International, Telecom New Zealand, Dimension Data, Logo Business Solutions and VeriSign, top-tier names in the ICT sector.

Malek Al Malek, Director of Partner Relations at DIC, said: “Since inception, Dubai Internet City has played a critical role in actively developing the regional ICT industry. Through our initiatives, we have successfully taken a lead in bringing knowledge and expertise to the region in collaboration with our business partners. The direction that Dubai Internet City moves reflects the rate that our business partners are also growing in the region. Together we have put DIC in the forefront of this region’s ICT industry maintaining consistent growth while enriching the business community with international companies.” Several reasons have fuelled the region’s ICT sector’s growth in the last year including increased government spending on IT, a highly advanced infrastructure, availability of qualified cadres and the UAE’s political stability and security – a key factor for attracting foreign direct investments and international companies.

Many of the existing companies in the ICT cluster have doubled or expanded their premises, resulting in 84 per cent growth rate for rented area in 2007 against 2006. Dubai Internet City has facilitated the set up of over 1000 IT companies in the free zone offering a plethora of business benefits for its business partners including a platform for networking, partnerships and business developments.

Riding the crest of success, Dubai Internet City’s parent company TECOM Investments developed the SmartCity concept to take the successful model beyond Dubai’s borders in partnership with Sama Dubai, a Dubai Holding international property development entity. The alliance has resulted in the establishment of self-sustained townships in two crucial locations - SmartCity Malta, and SmartCity Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala – with more in the pipeline.

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