January 21, 2010
Washington, D.C. — Eleven Palestinian entrepreneurs from the West Bank and Gaza specializing in software development, outsourcing, factory automation, and other facets of information and communications technology (ICT) will explore partnering opportunities with U.S. companies during a roundtable and a business to business (B2B) conference sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2010.
“Enhancing U.S. ICT Companies’ Competitiveness through Partnerships with Palestinian Companies” will feature representatives from Cisco, CSC, Avasant and the Palestinian Information Technology Association (PITA). The Palestinian delegation will present their core competencies and meet one-on-one with U.S. firms.
The ICT industry in the Palestinian territories is booming, growing an average 8% a year, with individual years experiencing up to 50% growth. In 2008, the sector contributed $250 million, making up 5% of the Palestinian GDP. Companies attending the event are already working with global industry leaders including CISCO, Microsoft, Oracle, HP, Red Hat Linux, Cateris, Alcatel-Lucent, Fujitsu Siemens, and Sun Microsystems. Several firms have established offices outside the West Bank and Gaza serving customers in the Gulf region, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and South Korea.
Palestinian firms offer American companies an opportunity to work with a highly educated, bilingual, tech savvy workforce that can provide U.S. business partners creative software solutions, an expanded footprint in the Middle East, and competitive outsourcing solutions. Additionally, this encourages private sector growth and economic prosperity in the Palestinian Territories.
The event is being sponsored by USAID and its implementing partner, CARANA Corporation, in collaboration with PITA, the Palestinian Investment Fund (PIF), the American Federation of Ramallah Palestine and the Palestinian Liberation Organization Mission to the United States, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce. |
