The fourth edition of India Global Forum’s Middle East and Africa 2024 came to an end in Dubai on 27 November with Disruptors in the Desert, a signature gathering hosted at the private residence of Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
The exclusive session brought together 50 handpicked leaders from across industries to deliberate on trends and emerging technologies poised to shape the decade ahead.
Six key themes
The event featured discussions across six key themes, including the future of digital finance, the impact of emerging tech on wealth management, sustainable infrastructure and mobility, consumer behaviour, healthtech and skilling the workforce.
Speaking at the event, IGF Founder and CEO Manoj Ladwa said: “His Excellency Omar Al Olama has graciously hosted us for the third edition of the Disruptors in the Desert series, bringing together brilliant minds from India, the UAE, and beyond.
Our goal is to strengthen the UAE-India relationship and the UAE-India Technology Bridge, creating opportunities for Indian tech companies to use the UAE as a launchpad for global expansion while fostering collaborations with local enterprises. This journey, envisioned four years ago at IGF, is now focused on exploring how we can go beyond the obvious to support startups in their global ambitions.”
Taking Indian startups global
The evening witnessed attendees break off into smaller sector-specific groups for 30 minutes of high-level dialogue to deliberate on how the UAE can create opportunities for Indian startups looking to leapfrog their journey to becoming global powerhouses. Across six critical sectors, attendees spoke of innovation, AI, and supply chain resilience in a post-COVID world, capping off the impactful conversations held at IGF over the previous two days.
Under the theme ‘Limitless Horizons,’ IGF ME&A convened business leaders, policymakers, investors and innovators from India, the Middle East, and Africa to unlock new opportunities for collaboration across sectors.
The inaugural day of IGF ME&A was dedicated to conversations covering geopolitics, wealth management, fintech and investment strategies for emerging economies.
The second day of the event was dedicated to technology, sustainability, women’s empowerment, healthcare, culture and sport.
Featuring more than 200 speakers and 1,000 participants across nine streams, IGF ME&A 2024 included exclusive networking opportunities, engaging panel discussions, and keynote speeches.
