According to an article on Zawya, Dr Walid Moneimne, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai-based Nuratel, told Emirates Business that the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) is expected to make up a significant chunk of the worldwide internet population by 2015.

According to InternetWorldStats.com, internet usage in the Middle East currently stands at nearly 42 million users or three per cent of the worldwide total of 1.4 billion. The website mentioned, however, that over a period of eight years (from 2000 to 2008), the Middle East’s internet penetration jumped by 1,176.8 per cent, as against a combined global performance of 281.8 per cent.

He thinks that with the advanced telecom infrastructure in place in most parts of the region, internet subscribers are likely to reach 1.3 billion in the next seven years, or 26 per cent of the targeted global penetration of five billion users.

Behind this forecasted growth he cites:

• The region going directly to developing wireless technology with high bandwidth capability, instead of fixed network as developed countries did