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28 March 2024

135 new firms in Internet City

135 new firms in Internet City. (AFP)

Published
By Wam

Dubai Internet City (DIC), the region's premier ICT cluster and a member of Tecom Investments, said 2009 proved to be a successful year with the addition of 135 new companies.

There was expansion of business partners within the cluster and a flurry of industry-related milestones including mergers and acquisitions, it said.

The region's biggest ICT cluster attracted Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions. The firm established its regional headquarters in DIC to use the base to cater to the region's IT industry.

Among the big names that set up operations at DIC in 2009 were US telecom major AT&T, India-based Tata Communications, Norway headquartered Telenor Global Services, KDDI Singapore and Sophos Middle East.

Communications leader Nokia Siemens Networks expanded on its existing facilities at the cluster, as did Qualcomm, McAfee and Research in Motion – the maker of Blackberry. Since its inception in 2000, DIC has been able to attract more than 1,200 firms.

Malek Al Malek, Executive Director, Dubai Internet City, said: "The trying times during the year following the onslaught of the global economic crisis brought unpredictable consequences to companies globally and regionally.

"Yet the region's ICT industry weathered the storm as regional government spending on IT infrastructure continued, while the entrepreneurial spirit of the region played a crucial role in pulling the industry through the crisis, giving the much-needed impetus to continue with our decade-old growth."

He said DIC has once again sustained its annual growth with the addition of the new business partners. "We are delighted with our continued success as a major destination that attracts large corporations, SMEs and technology start-ups. But the tenacious success of our business partners amidst challenges further strengthens our confidence and we believe they are delighted to be part of a cluster that remains the key engine for growth in the region's ICT sector."

Cementing its position as a driver of the region's ICT industry and as a destination that aids companies to grow and develop, DIC also witnessed key acquisitions within the industry during the year. In one of the biggest deals of its kind, Yahoo! acquired DIC-based Maktoob, providing further incentive to IT start-ups in the region.

 

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