MUCH TO FOLLOW
TBY talks to Tawfiq Ahmed Bin Sultan, Chairman of the Middle East Telecommunications Company (METCO), on e-government potential, the future of the economy, and the state of technology uptake in Kuwait.

BIOGRAPHY
Tawfiq Ahmed Bin Sultan is Chairman of Middle East Telecommunications Company and has been instrumental in the growth of the company. Furthermore, he serves as the Chairman of Towell International Holding.What is the scope of METCO's operations? What are the recent trends in the market in Kuwait?
METCO mainly concentrates on two arms of the telecommunications business: we provide transmission services for the operators, and we do enterprise activities, such as call centers. Of course, the technology in telecommunications changes so rapidly and the market is becoming over saturated. There are big players that concentrate on penetrating the market as much as they can with new technology. While competition is a healthy thing to have, there is certainly a high level of saturation. There is a lot of refurbished second-hand hardware coming into the gray market here and this equipment is being sold as new. Unfortunately, there are still no controls over these gray-market products.
What opportunities do you see for METCO in e-government solutions and what are the challenges for your industry?
The government has said repeatedly it wants to create an e-government system here, but it is taking a long time. Other countries have overtaken Kuwait's efforts. I hope that the government implements an e-government scheme soon because it will create transparency, better access to information, and improve official processes. For example, it takes a long time to register a company in Kuwait—the bureaucratic process is long. The new Minister of Trade and Commerce has announced that he is going to change the regulations and introduce e-registration for companies. Some of these changes have already been introduced, but we hope the rest will follow soon.
How do you envisage Kuwait transforming into a knowledge-based economy and developing non-oil revenue streams?
The fact is that Kuwait does not have any resources other than oil, so whatever we do has to be around the oil sector and its further development. The other area that was identified by His Highness the Amir many years ago was the transformation of Kuwait into a business and financial center. However, doing that will require a lot of concentrated effort and expertise to handle the development of that sector. The vision is right, but unfortunately the implementation of that vision has been slow. We need to put a complete team in place to drive this, and this has been done.
Where does Kuwait rank as an early adopter of technology compared to the other countries METCO operates in?
Kuwait is in the middle; it could be much more advanced in the adoption of new technologies given the availability of wealth and our educated people, such as our knowledgeable graduates coming out of university. Certainly the country could have done much better and we need a chance to do this. METCO is trying to drive the industry by sending our people to advanced courses outside Kuwait in places such as Europe. It is difficult to get the right people from the universities and train them up in the ICT field because most people want an easy job.
In what ways is METCO striving for innovation and what partnerships do you look for to support this process?
The area of innovation I see the whole telecommunications sector moving to at the moment is the development of applications. Applications are becoming the primary innovations of the industry. I think the old age of boxes has finished; now the aim is to have applications and those applications are really becoming the area of most interest to many people. We are actively looking for new partnerships in this field.
What characteristics does METCO look for in its prospective partners?
We look for individuals who can complement our ideas with their ideas, and we plug them together. We are in the stage of developing an application that should be very interesting, and we are collaborating with some US-based companies. This will hopefully be our contribution to innovation here.
How have you advanced with your regional expansion?
METCO operates in several countries in the region. Our headquarters are in Kuwait, and we have operations in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Sudan. We used to work in Nigeria and some other African countries, but those are on hold for the time being. We certainly hope to work in different areas, such as North Africa, but that decision will be made once political stability improves in those areas.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Prime Minister , Malaysia
TBY talks to Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, on the growing contribution that Islamic countries are making to the global economy and how Islamic financing can offer new opportunities to industry and academia.
read articleInterview
HE Khaled Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudan, Minister, Commerce and Industry (MoCI)
TBY talks to HE Khaled Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudan, Minister of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), on tools and strategies for diversifying the economy, the role of international players in supporting a wider range of sectors, and the rapidly developing food industry.
read articleInterview
HE Yousef Al-Ebraheem, Advisor , Al-Diwan Al-Amiri
TBY talks to HE Yousef Al-Ebraheem, Economic Advisor to the Al-Diwan Al-Amiri, on the need for a rejuvenation of Kuwait's infrastructure to support an economy that has come a long way and the role education will play in delivering the expertise required by the society.
read articleInterview
Dr. Khaled A. Mahdi, Secretary-General , Supreme Council for Planning & Development (GSSCPD)
TBY talks to Dr. Khaled A. Mahdi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning & Development (GSSCPD), on the breakdown of Kuwait's long-term economic plan, the KPIs that will benchmark its success, and what Vision 2035 means for the nature of the economy.
read articleInterview
Sheikh Dr. Meshaal Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, Director General, Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA)
TBY talks to Sheikh Dr. Meshaal Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, Director General of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), on launching an investment promotion conference, attracting the right partners for PPP, and expectations for the year ahead.
read articleInterview
HE Dr. Mohammad M. Al-Zuhair, Executive Chairman, Kuwait National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development
TBY talks to HE Dr. Mohammad M. Al-Zuhair, Executive Chairman of the Kuwait National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development, on empowering young Kuwaitis, IT and entrepreneurialism, and the growth of fintech.
read articleFocus: Still all in the family?
Merchant families in Kuwait
Family-owned businesses play a major role in the Kuwaiti economy. However, with many approaching the third generation of management, they are starting to come across unique problems that may pose issues for the greater economy.
read articleInterview
HE Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, Director, Environmental Public Authority (EPA)
TBY talks to HE Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, Director of Environmental Public Authority (EPA), on how oil companies can contribute to Kuwait's vision on sustainability and the various projects that are coming to fruition.
read articleInterview
Dr. Samira S. Omar Asem, Director General, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR)
TBY talks to Dr. Samira S. Omar Asem, Director General of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), on commercializing the green innovations coming from R&D initiatives, the role of collaboration across multiple sectors, and projects that we should expect to see more of in the future.
read articleInterview
Khaled Abdulrazzaq Al Khaled, Vice-Chairman and CEO, Boursa Kuwait Company
TBY talks to Khaled Abdulrazzaq Al Khaled, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Boursa Kuwait Company, on the takeover of the Kuwait Stock Exchange and the role the bourse plays in both the privatization of government entities and as a source of capital for family businesses.
read articleInterview
HE Essam Abdul Mohsen Al-Marzouq, Minister, Oil & Minister of Electricity and Water
TBY talks to HE Essam Abdul Mohsen Al-Marzouq, Minister of Oil & Minister of Electricity and Water, on cooperation with other ministries, the private sector's role in energy, and upcoming regulations.
read articleInterview
Ghalib Shlash Safouq, Assistant Undersecretary for the Construction Projects Sector, Ministry of Public Works
TBY talks to Ghalib Shlash Safouq, Assistant Undersecretary for the Construction Projects Sector at the Ministry of Public Works, on Kuwaiti companies, the country's healthcare facilities, and the role of international companies.
read articleInterview
Khaled K. Al Mashaan, Vice-Chairman & CEO, ALARGAN International Real Estate Company
TBY talks to Khaled K. Al Mashaan, Vice-Chairman & CEO of ALARGAN International Real Estate Company, on drivers of growth, operating throughout the region, and real estate prices in Kuwait.
read articleInterview
Tawfiq Ahmed Bin Sultan, Chairman, Middle East Telecommunications Company (METCO)
TBY talks to Tawfiq Ahmed Bin Sultan, Chairman of the Middle East Telecommunications Company (METCO), on e-government potential, the future of the economy, and the state of technology uptake in Kuwait.
read articleInterview
Sheikh Yousef Abdullah Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, Director General, Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA)
TBY talks to Sheikh Yousef Abdullah Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, Director General of Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA), on his operational plans for the near future and turning Kuwait into a regional logistics hub.
read articleInterview
HE Khaled Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudan, Acting Minister, State for Youth Affairs
TBY talks to HE Khaled Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudan, Acting Minister of State for Youth Affairs, on e-platforms and blended learning programs, developing ICT skills, and preparing young people for tomorrow.
read articleInterview
Eng. Ali Hussein Al Youha, Secretary-General, National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters
TBY talks to Eng. Ali Hussein Al Youha, Secretary-General of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, on the activities of the Council and works to preserve and enhance Kuwait's cultural heritage.
read article