Gitex 2021: Digital transformation efforts put UAE on global map

The UAE’s vision towards digital transformation has put the country on the global map, and its various smart city initiatives have accelerated its drive towards a knowledge-based economy, experts said at the Gitex Global x Ai Everything exhibition.

The 41st edition of the event opened on Sunday morning at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and will run until October 21, 2021. The event has drawn the participation of over 4,000 exhibitors from more than 140 participating countries, as well as over 200 government ministries. It is set to be the world’s most complete, experiential technology event and will unite international innovators in artificial intelligence, 5G, cloud, big data, cybersecurity, Blockchain, quantum computing, Fintech and immersive marketing.

These themes will be explored across six events – Gitex Global, Ai Everything, Gitex Future Stars, the Future Blockchain Summit, Fintech Surge and Marketing Mania – which will collectively create an unrivalled global tech spectacle.

Firas Saifan, managing director of Technology Strategies Middle East (TSME), explained that given the fact that cities today operate in knowledge-rich environments, the demand for knowledge-based resources is rapidly increasing.

“We have been constantly working with nations in the region to drive their digital agenda,” he said. “At TSME, our partnerships spread across initiatives that drive innovation to cultivate new talent among university students, enhance competencies and build knowledge-based societies with an aim to build future cities. Additionally, empowering human workers to exponentially become more productive in a world where business leaders are clamoring for operational excellence is another area where TSME works closely with the ecosystem in transitioning to a competitive knowledge-based economy.”

Similarly, Moussalam Dalati, general manager at Liferay, said that digital experience platforms are the frontal façade of overall customer experiences. “It could be called as the proof of the pudding. It is how audiences and customers perceive their experience while interacting with an organisation and rate its services.”

Hence, there is clearly a credible sense of urgency by small, medium and large businesses to prioritize customer experiences and highlight the best practices that organisations must follow to maximize success, he explained. “In a world where technology is empowering customers to create highly personalized experiences and as end users are becoming more and more comfortable and capable with technology, it is high time for organisations to have an ‘outside in’ approach using a customer’s perspective to build digital strategies that will yield the desired success.”

He also added that with many corporations going the digital only approach and the fast-approaching smart cities life for everyone, it is important for companies to build and provide assembling capabilities for emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) for chat boxes, Big data, and Machine Learning (ML) for upgradation in the future to constantly accommodate changing tastes and create an innovative environment for the customer. This will facilitate a homogenous framework and consistency of digital experiences across multiple applications and devices.

rohma@khaleejtimes.com