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Smart Handheld Summit 2011convenes in Dubai on 5-6 Dec in a time of enhanced adoptionof smartphones across the Arab regionTeletimes ReportGhassan HasbaniCEO - International STCArab Advisors Group’sSmart Handheld Summit2011 set to take place inDubai on December 5 & 6 2011at the Crowne Plaza Hotel,comes at a time where thenew and evolving landscapeof broadband enabled devicesis of paramount importanceto operators, content owners,broadcasters and publishers,according to regional researchhouse and summit organizerArab Advisors Group, a memberof the Arab Jordan InvestmentPiracy hijacks growth of pay-TVThe growth of pay-TVsubscriptions in the Arabworld is being held back bywidespread piracy, which coststhe industry an estimatedUS$500 million (Dh1.83 billion)a year.Of all Arab households thathave television service, just 8per cent pay to receive broadcasts,in a market dominatedby free-to-air channels such asthose operated by MBC.The proportion of payinghouseholds is expected togrow - but to just 10 per centby 2016, translating to just 5.3million pay-TV subscribers."We don't expect a stellar riseNayla KhawamCEO - Jordan Telecom GroupBank Group.Over the summit’s two days,delegates will interact withan impressive array of speakersthat include Ms. NaylaKhawam (CEO, Jordan TelecomGroup), Mr. Osman Sultan(CEO, DU), Mr. GhassanHasbani (CEO International,STC, Dr. Abdul Malek Al Jaber(Founder and Chairman, MENAApps), Mr. Rashid Al Ballaa(CEO, N2V), Mr. Tom Erskine(Director of Smart Devices,Nokia), Mr. Gustavo Fuchsin pay-TV. It is a slow, steadygrowth," said Nick Thomas, aprincipal analyst at Informa.Al Jazeera, which holds regionalbroadcast rights to theFIFA World Cup among othersports tournaments, is said byInforma to remain the largestpay-TV operator in the region,with 1.85 million subscribersforecast for 2016.The OSN Network, based inDubai, has 552,000 subscribers,and this is forecast to growto 995,000 by 2016.Pay-TV subscription is "veryuneven" in the region, Mr.Thomas said. "We see reallyhigh penetration of pay-TV inOsman SultanCEO - duQatar and the UAE," he said."And right at the bottom wecan see many countries whereit really is a niche product andwill remain so for the foreseeablefuture." One factorimpeding the economic growthof pay-TV is endemic piracy inthe region, experts say."Tackling piracy is important.And the lack of clear legislationin some territories is ahindrance," Mr. Thomas said.Ali Ajouz, a media consultantbased in the UAE, said theArab pay-TV industry losesup to $500m a year becauseof people paying to receivecheaper, pirated access toJawad AbbassiFounder & GM - AAG(Director, Mobility, MicrosoftMiddle East & Africa), Mr. FadiGhandour (CEO, Aramex), Mr.Nick Dimarzo (CEO, SaleCo),Mr. David Ashford (GeneralManager, AppsArabia), Mr.Mohamad Mourad (RegionalManager Gulf, Google), Mr.Hosam El Sokkari (Head ofAudience, Yahoo), Mr. MohammedAl-Mefleh (Director,Product Management MiddleEast, Research In Motion), Mr.Basel Tutunji (Chief OperatingOfficer, nPARIO), Dr. AmmarBakkar (Director of NewMedia, MBC), Mr. Fawzi Rahhal(Regional Digital Director,Grey) and Mr. Jawad Abbassi(Founder and General Manager,Arab Advisors Group).Saudi Telecom Company (STC)is the Strategic Summit Partnerof Arab Advisors Smart HandheldSummit 2011.The Smart Handheld SummitMedia Partners include;Teletimes International, DVVMedia, ITP CommsMEA, MediaMeand Telecom Watch.Nick Thomasbroadcasts. "In Lebanon[there] is 99.9 per cent piracy… $123m is paid to pirate operatorsevery year. So that's$123m that the pay-TV ownersdon't see, the rights ownersdon't see," Mr. Ajouz said."Egypt is estimated to havearound 10 million householdsreceiving illegal cable," he said."I'd say around $500m todayare not being recognised dueto piracy." Steps have beentaken to address the problemof piracy. OSN recently securedits network with an anti-piracysystem, which means thatonly legitimate subscribers canreceive its channels.42 www.teletimesinternational.comDecember 2011