Doha, 20 Jan. 2019

The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) will conduct a focus group discussion meeting under the title 'Information Technology (IT) Sector Challenges' tomorrow January 21, 2019 at the City Centre Rotana Doha. , local stakeholders will be participating. CRA is conducting this meeting to solicit feedback from major players in the IT sector as it develops its comprehensive Sector Strategy for 2019-2023, which will include CRA’s goals and the mechanisms to achieve it.

Representatives from around 50 specialized local IT companies and entities will attend the meeting along with local stakeholders. A discussion will take place about expectations and needs in the field, share their experiences and opinions, and discuss on current challenges being faced.

“This meeting is an important step towards developing CRA’s IT strategy, as it is an opportunity for CRA to better understand the status of this sector, by engaging directly with stakeholders and taking their opinions into account. The strategy is in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, as it supports CRA to enforce its mandate in a transparent and predictable manner, which contributes towards the sector’s sustainable development and growth,” said Mohammed Ali Al-Mannai, President of CRA.

The IT Sector Strategy development will go through multiple steps starting with a sector review carried out by CRA to analyze regional and international trends and best practices in the field, leading to a public consultation where CRA will consider stakeholders’ responses during the final development of the strategy. The new strategy is planned to be published alongside a related work plan by the second quarter of 2019.