MENA Overview
Introduction
Countries in the Middle East and North Africa continue to invest in information technology infrastructure and media projects as part of their strategies to develop local
economies and create employment. Among the major examples is Jordan’s plan to
establish a free IT zone in Amman, which will give sales and income tax breaks to the
software companies and business development firms based in the zone. The zone is
part of a strategy designed to increase the number of Internet users from 26 percent to
50 percent of the population. It aims to increase employment in the IT sector and to
boost the sector’s revenues from USD 2.2 billion in 2009 to USD 3 billion by the end
of 2011. 1
In addition to existing regional hubs Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City, the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched a new content-creation zone to support media
content creators in the Middle East and North Africa. The new Abu Dhabi–based zone
aims to employ Arab media professionals in film, broadcast, digital, and publishing.
Among the partners of the zone are CNN, the BBC, the Financial Times, the Thomson
Reuters Foundation, and the Thomson Foundation. 2
Introduction
Countries in the Middle East and North Africa continue to invest in information technology infrastructure and media projects as part of their strategies to develop local
economies and create employment. Among the major examples is Jordan’s plan to
establish a free IT zone in Amman, which will give sales and income tax breaks to the
software companies and business development firms based in the zone. The zone is
part of a strategy designed to increase the number of Internet users from 26 percent to
50 percent of the population. It aims to increase employment in the IT sector and to
boost the sector’s revenues from USD 2.2 billion in 2009 to USD 3 billion by the end
of 2011. 1
In addition to existing regional hubs Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City, the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched a new content-creation zone to support media
content creators in the Middle East and North Africa. The new Abu Dhabi–based zone
aims to employ Arab media professionals in film, broadcast, digital, and publishing.
Among the partners of the zone are CNN, the BBC, the Financial Times, the Thomson
Reuters Foundation, and the Thomson Foundation. 2