AMMAN — Mobile application start-ups in the Arab world should focus on high-quality apps to penetrate regional and international markets amidst fierce competition in the industry, IT experts said Tuesday.

Experts urged telecom companies across the region to support mobile app start-ups, which will help them grow their businesses.

"Mobile app start-ups face many challenges, but the major issue they face is that they need funding and investments to grow their businesses, otherwise, their situation will be difficult," Tarek Mansour, CEO of iphone Islam, said at a session during the Arab Advisers Group's 10th Convergence Summit, which concluded on Tuesday.

"Telecom operators can cooperate with mobile app developers. They can be the main supporters of this industry," said Mansour.

Samer Abdin, co-founder of Istikana, said very few telecom companies in the region adopt mobile start-ups.

"Telcos should open up to mobile app start-ups and provide payment methods that make it easier for app developers to monetise their apps," argued Abdin.

Telecom experts in Jordan have repeatedly stressed that partnering with a single app developer exclusively is not feasible, as they might miss out are on a huge market.

The experts said developing high-quality apps can play a key role in attracting telecommunication companies to cooperate with app developers.

"Although mobile penetration is very high in the region, there aren't many high-quality apps," Ihsan Jawad, partner in Honeybee Tech Ventures Ltd., said during the session.

He said the Arab region is a lucrative market for app developers, adding that there is a need for apps that can be "game changers" in the industry.