Global players flock to cash in on Region's ICT boom
Growth rate of 8% is one of the highest in the world
Dubai: Gitex this year is expected to provide much-needed respite for global information and communication technology (ICT) industry players looking for growth avenues.
The region's almost exclusive position as a growing information technology market is attracting global ICT companies and some firms are even inclined to rework their budgets to take advantage of the eight per cent growth reported by the research house International Data Corporation (IDC).
"Before the economic downturn, the region was around number six in terms of global importance. Now, we've moved up in importance. The eight per cent growth is one of the highest in the world," Helal Al Marri, chief executive of the Dubai World Trade Centre, said at the launch of the technology exhibition.
"The event has already seen 15,000 to 20,000 visitors pre-register, a 30 to 40 per cent increase over last year's numbers," said Trixie Loh, senior vice-president of exhibitions and events management at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The total number of visitors is expected to hit 100,000 this year.
Steven Guggenheimer, corporate vice-president of the Original Equipment Manufacturer Division at Microsoft, will deliver a keynote speech focusing on the company's latest software.
Gitex, which will run from October 18-22, is expected to feature over 3,000 companies from 65 countries. Some of the newcomers include the UAE Ministry of Economy, Dubai Internet City, Vodafone Essar and Yahoo! Maktoob.
Spread over 72,000 square metres, the Gitex venue this year will use the new Shaikh Saeed Hall to host the Consumer Electronics section.
While some companies were conspicuous by their absence last year, such as Acer, IBM and Sony, some retailers have decided to return. They include Plug-ins and Sharaf DG, electronic consumer retailers.
"The increased space at the venue allows the event to grow and extend its content offerings to create more forums for knowledge-sharing and exchange, a strategy that was previously not possible," Al Marri said, adding that the conference was able to expand to over 40 sessions this year.
The shopper's haven, Gitex Shopper, will run from October 17 to 24 with over 160 companies involved. "One of the biggest advantages this year is that it is much cheaper," Al Marri said, mentioning lower airfare and hotel rates.
"The hotels are playing a volume game and not taking advantage of the exhibition like they used to before," he said. The lower costs are expected to attract more visitors and business.
