GITEX Technology Week and GITEX Future Stars Opens Today

The worlds’ most global and disruptive technology events, GITEX Technology Week and GITEX Future Stars will bring together a world-class gathering of industry innovators, government leaders, technology creators, and future-forward thinkers beginning today, October 8, until October 12 at Dubai World Trade Centre. With a spotlight on frontier technology that will transform corporations into global powerhouses, visitors will experience the latest in blockchain, artificial intelligence, robotics, and the Internet of Things at the 37th GITEX Technology Week.

In a regional first, Dr Werner Vogels will anchor the event with a keynote on day one that will focus on how Amazon scaled growth to transform from a bookstore to one of the world’s fastest growing enterprise IT providers. The disruptive company is on-track to achieve a market capitalisation of US$1 trillion, by 2027.

Building on its unprecedented success last year, GITEX Future Stars has seen a 65 percent increase in participating innovators this year. Startups at GITEX Future Stars are on the cutting-edge of the technology development field, with water-powered flying taxis, avatars that can translate speech into sign language, and smart palm trees designed to boost public WiFi access, as only a few of the many innovations on showcase at the event.

Throughout the week, GITEX Future Stars will give innovators once in a lifetime opportunities to accelerate their products and startups with access to AED 1.2 million in cash and prizes through competitions all week. Startup hopefuls will be able to engage with startup success stories, investors and fellow entrepreneurs at fireside chats, workshops and challenges.

The most global GITEX Technology Week ever will attract over 4,100 exhibitors from over 70 countries. Businesses from Finland, Georgia, Guatemala and Syria will make their debut at GITEX this year. Spread over 1.4 million sq. ft., this year’s events are expected to receive over 100,000 visitors with country delegations including China, Nigeria, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Bahrain, Oman, KSA and UAE. 

“As we open the 37th edition of GITEX Technology Week, and the second year of GITEX Future Stars, our ambition is to create a holistic innovation ecosystem with a focus on enabling the future of technology. The technologies on display at our show, will unlock opportunities for the businesses of tomorrow. From the UAE and around the world, we look forward to welcoming, partners, visitors, investors, and disruptors, who are leveraging innovation to achieve first-mover success,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, organisers of GITEX Technology Week.

Highlights from the opening day of the worlds’ most global and future-forward technology exhibition include a keynote speech from Mike Sutcliff, Group Chief Executive of Accenture Digital; a fintech spotlight for startups with Wamda Capital’s Managing Director Fadi Ghandour and; face-to-face meetings between startups and world class investors that may change the future for best-in-class innovators.

Emerging technology will be on show throughout the week, from startups that are testing the boundaries of technology, to multinational firms unveiling their latest equipment and technology solutions. Artificial intelligence, AR/VR, robotics and other frontier technologies will take centre stage throughout the week.

“Artificial Intelligence has evolved to a stage where it can offer simple solutions to sophisticated problems. Today, AI is being used in myriad ways across diverse industries like automotive, manufacturing and even retail—a development that was unfathomable a few years ago. We expect AI to take an increasingly central role in many organization’s digital presence - companies must therefore embrace this technology, and their competency in this discipline, seriously” said Mike Sutcliff, Group Chief Executive of Accenture Digital ahead of his keynote address.

GITEX Technology Week’s Vertical Days Conferences will feature over 126 speakers, 230 sessions with experts from 8 key industry verticals featuring experts from across health, retail, smart cities, finance, transport & logistics, education and digital marketing and will feature speakers from around the world.

GITEX Technology Week 2017 will run from 8-12 October 2017 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. For more information, visit the expo’s website at www.gitex.com.