Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed opens Gitex 2020

Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai on Sunday opened the 40th Gitex Technology Week at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The event this year hosts international technology visionaries, industry innovators and global investors as the tech world finally resumes in-person interaction.

Announcing the launch of Gitex Technology Week on Saturday, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: “Gitex will be the most important technology event in 2020 ... The UAE will be the fastest country in the world to recover and our institutions have proven their ability to adapt,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.

“We will conclude 2020 with a global event and we will start 2021 with a series of projects and major initiatives. 2021 our fiftieth year and our golden jubilee, and it will be different from all years,” he said.

Global showcase

Gitex Technology Week will showcase the diversity of the global technology industry, hosting over 1,200 exhibitors, including over 300 startups, from over 60 countries.

"After a year of missed business opportunities, Gitex will unite all corners of the global technology industry as the only major technology event to go live in 2020, providing the world’s only opportunity for in-person networking at a major tech event this year," Dubai World Trade Centre said in a statement.

Gitex will host pavilions from some of the world’s most innovative technological nations, including Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, France, Israel, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as a conference lineup of over 350 in-person speakers, who are flying into Dubai from 30 countries.

Internationally recognised technology experts will travel to Dubai to share their vision of tomorrow, including maverick hacker, inventor and entrepreneur Pablos Holman and US Secret Service and FBI hacker Bryan Seely, while Gitex’s conference agenda will be headlined by arguably the most influential comedian alive, legendary actor, writer, and comedian John Cleese.

Gulf News
Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News