The UAE is among the top 20 countries in the world which use the Internet. Twenty-nine per cent of the population use the Internet, according to Minister of Communications Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer.

He yesterday inaugurated a two-day symposium on "E-Commerce Horizons and Applications." The symposium has been organised by the Cultural and Scientific Association.

The number of Internet subscribers increased last year by 57 per cent. The number of subscribers now totals 87,000.

He said the UAE has taken the initiative to launch a technical project to meet the requirements of the e-commerce market and its challenges.

Al Tayer said: "Etisalat has provided digital technology to meet the challenges of e-commerce through a project called Comtrust in January 2000.

"Comtrust is the best in the Middle East and will provide comprehensive solutions for e-commerce in a secure environment based on international standards. The determination of Etisalat and its pioneering efforts has made e-commerce possible.

"The revolution in communication and information technology is reflected in all aspects of life. In addition to the economic, it also affects our social and cultural aspects."

Ali Obaid, member of the association, said: "Last year, the volume of e-commerce was $ 354 billion. And this will reach five trillion dollars in 2005."

Experts expect that 50 per cent of international commercial transactions will be processed electronically in the next few years.