The OECD breaks new ground in the Middle East in January, co-hosting with the Dubai government an emerging market forum on electronic commerce.

Though not a member of OECD, Dubai is a logical venue for the Forum, according to Michael Oborne, deputy director of the OECD’s directorate for science, technology and industry: “It is broadly recognised to be the Middle East’s centre for information technology.”

The conference on January 16-17 will be held in Dubai Internet City, a technology, e-commerce and multimedia free zone set up by the Dubai government to promote the emirate as a regional hub for information technology. The conference is expected to attract some 450 delegates from government, international institutions and the private sector, while civil society organisations will be offered a platform to express their views at a special one-day meeting on January 15.

E-commerce remains high on the OECD agenda in the run-up to the Dubai meeting, notably with a two-day conference on dispute resolution mechanisms in e-commerce, co-hosted with the Dutch government in The Hague on December 11-12. 

©OECD Observer November 2000