ICT is one of Palestine’s fastest-growing industries, making up 5 percent of Palestinian GDP and indirectly employing more than 10,000 people. But the industry has yet to gain traction outside the West Bank and Gaza, despite average annual growth of 5 percent over the last decade.

EDIP (Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion) is helping link Palestinian ICT to outside markets through a multilayered strategy that includes international trade shows, B2B’s—and direct connections with global computing giants for pilot programs. For example, in April, EDIP signed a contract with the Palestinian IT Association (PITA) to help two Palestinian IT companies develop technology solutions, such as iPhone applications, to be used by Hewlett-Packard in over 170 countries.

EDIP has also enlisted two US-based ICT companies with a philanthropic and development mission, Salesforce.com Foundation and Idealist Consulting, to partner with newly established Palestinian companies who would tailor “cloud computing solutions” (i.e. Salesforce.com and Google Apps) for Arabic-speaking enterprises.  

Published April 2010

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