The opportunities and impact of the mobile industry in the Middle East and Africa region will be highlighted by a senior executive at an annual telecom event, starting tomorrow (February 24) in Spain.

A senior delegation from Etisalat Group, a leading telecom operator in the region, led by Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, CEO, will take part at the Mobile World Congress, which will run till February 27 in Barcelona, said a statement.

“Telecom is playing an increasingly important role in our societies with both financial and socio-economic benefits and helping these communities to aspire and reach forward” said Julfar.

The event will bring together manufacturers, mobile telecom operators, regulators, service providers and industry decision makers, enabling them to provide insights on the latest developments and discuss potential corporation opportunities.

Etisalat will highlight ‘Flous,’ an  industrial grade, open-loop commerce ecosystem which includes mobile payments (merchants, utility, transportation), money transfers (domestic and international), bank accounts/payment cards management, secure access, ticketing, as well as merchant payment acceptance service ‘Mobile Cashier.’

The service has been nominated again this year by the GSMA under the category of  the ‘Best NFC/Mobile Money Product or Service.’

The operator will demonstrate its ‘Mobile Cashier’ service which transforms merchant’s mobile phones or tablets into industrial-grade point of sales terminals, enabling them to accept debit/credit/prepaid cards and mobile money accounts payments in a secured and convenient environment.

It will also focus on the Weena initiative, which aims to increase the awareness of the potential of enabling communities in rural Africa. The initiative involves empowering women in rural Africa by providing them with micro-loans and training them to start businesses distributing mobile services in their communities.

The event aims to demonstrate the impact of mobile on individuals and businesses – in developed and developing markets – across a range of industries. It also seeks to educate attendees from around the globe, providing insights on the latest technological developments, market opportunities, services, and devices which are now shaping communications. - TradeArabia News Service