Top Regional ICT Showcase Brings Together More Than
100,000 International Visitors and World’s Leading ICT Brands
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, formally opened GITEX Technology Week today,
as the 34th edition of the leading Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) got
underway at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the show organiser.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum was accompanied on the opening tour of GITEX Technology Week by His
Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Department of Tourism
and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and CEO, DWTC, as well as a number of leading dignitaries.
GITEX Technology Week 2014, which runs at
DWTC from October 12-16, brings together more than 100,000
ICT professionals from 150 countries and 3,700 exhibiting companies from 61
countries to share transformational developments across the show’s four
knowledge themes: Smart, Cloud, Big Data and Mobility.
“We are honoured that His Highness Sheikh Hamdan
bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, has opened GITEX
Technology Week,” said His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri.“As Dubai prepares
for its transformation into a Smart City by harnessing the power of technology
to drive development and improve civic services, we welcome His Highness Sheikh Hamdan’s support for GITEX Technology Week, which once again
unites the public and private sectors by bringing the world’s technology
community together.’
“As a cornerstone of the international ICT
landscape and a centre of knowledge exchange and learning - both regionally and
beyond - GITEX Technology Week will play an important role in realising the
vision ofHis Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice
President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai,to transform Dubai into the
world’s Smartest City over the coming three years,” added Almarri.
As Dubai's Smart City roll-out is predicted
to catalyse an acceleration of Smart City initiatives in other GCC countries, GITEX
Technology Weekwill showcase a pioneering app-based Smart Journey
Tour featuring Smart technologyproduct and service insights from more than
26international companies and Dubai-based government entities.
The Big Data Conference on 14 October will
educate on how Big Data can deliver new insights and enhance ROI in a global
Big Data market poised to jump from USD 3.2 billion in 2013 to USD 15.1 billion
by 2020.
On the same day, Cloud Confex returns
as the region’s largest integrated cloud exhibition and conference. With the GCC
cloud computing market due to post seven-fold growth and expand at a CAGR of
32.8% to reach USD 668.5 million by 2020, global leadersin data storage and
management will present new cloud-based solutions at GITEX.
The Digital Strategies Forum on 15
Octoberwill help organisations use mobility to
enhance customer interactions.
Global technology company Ericsson, GITEX GulfComms MEA Headline
Sponsor, will demonstrate how mobility will enhance daily
lives in Smart Cities.
GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK 2014 will also debut a
range of innovative and exciting industry features catering to more than 1500
delegates and 150 speakers including the Cloud Confex, Big Data Conference,
and Digital Strategies Forum.
At Industry Briefings - a key
component of this year’s GITEX Trends – speakers will debate tech trends
in cutting-edge, sector-specific knowledge platforms; GITEX After 5; the
Bloggers Tweetup and Tech Talk Blogger Programme which will
double attendance from regional and international bloggers.
Expanded event features include the official
press reception ShowStoppers, online community ConneXions, live
streaming of social media, trending topics and tech news via the Content Hub,
the 2nd GITEX Hot Stuff Awards recognising top gadgets and GITEX
TV - the 53-screen in-house broadcast presence.
Enhanced interactive elements include the GSM
Exchange Zone, a platform for the mobile product industry, the C-Level
Majlis Lounge for senior executive networking, free Smart Sessions
for knowledge-sharing, the ConneXions Lounge and the SME Zone.
In addition to the GITEX Hot Stuff Awards,
the GITEX Student Lab will recognise leading students in the field of
technology innovation and connect them with industry professionals, while the
2nd GITEX Cloud Awards will identity and recognise cloud computing
excellence in the Middle East and Africa.
On
the fringes of GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK, the second edition of the GSMA Mobile 360 Series: Middle East, a
dedicated platform for senior executives from the region’s mobile industry, and
the fourth edition of InfoComm MEA,
the leading showcase of the latest professional audio-visual communications
technology in the Middle East and Africa.
On the opening day of 12 October, GITEX Technology
Week will host Google for Work, the
first time the invite-only event, billed as ‘Unleash Your Creativity – Google
Style’, will be held in the Middle East. Senior management and C-level
executives can learn how to tackle complex problems and opportunities, and
foster a culture of innovation within their organizations.
For more information on the 34th GITEX TECHNOLOGY
WEEK - running at DWTC from 12-16 October, 2014 - visit: www.gitex.com.
