When the world was hit by an invisible virus causing global disruption and significant socio-economic damage, technology united us. By enabling businesses and schools to maintain continuity and mitigate unprecedented uncertainty, it became an unsung hero on the front lines, emerging as an engine of growth, resilience and innovation. At GITEX Technology Week 2020, Dubai Internet City and its business partners will invite visitors to its pavilion to showcase how technology supported the region during recent months and how it will reshape the future of the post-pandemic world.

Running from 6-10 December, the biggest technology fair in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia will see Dubai Internet City showcase cutting-edge technologies from its business partners and startups at its pavilion located at Concourse 2 in Dubai World Trade Centre.

On the participation at GITEX, Ammar Al Malik, Managing Director of Dubai Internet City, said: “It has been a difficult year, but the importance of technology has never been more keenly felt. It is the fuel driving innovations across banking, energy, education, healthcare and manufacturing, as companies recognise how crucial it is to deliver real and comprehensive progress. In an age when resilience and revitalisation have never been so important, technology is the catalyst for Dubai’s transformation into a global hub for talent, investment and innovation.”

“Dubai Internet City is where the best minds in the region click to further develop the region’s economies and communities. At GITEX 2020, we are excited to take visitors on a journey that blends the achievements of our business partners and startups during the COVID-19 pandemic. As industry gets moving again and technological transformation accelerates exponentially, Dubai Internet City is committed to helping businesses contribute to the UAE’s vision for a sustainable knowledge-based economy. We are pleased to participate in GITEX – which we have been present at every year since 1999 – and look forward to showing how our community is at the heart of the UAE’s smart evolution.”

“The recent introduction of new golden visas for professionals specialised in innovation-based sectors such as artificial intelligence and big data is expected to add to the emirate’s economic growth, and it will help the UAE attract talent and investment, cementing the country as a hub for knowledge.” Al Malik added

Dubai Internet City’s business partners were central to efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. IBM supported mission-critical operations across various economic sectors, ensuring business continuity making real-time data available rapidly. It also created innovative solutions in its artificial intelligence laboratory and cloud factory in Dubai. US fintech giant Visa spurred the transition towards a cashless society, with its ‘Where You Shop Matters’ campaign to encourage consumers to support small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic. And technology created by Japan’s Canon facilitated remote working and distance learning, whilst supporting the healthcare sector.

Some of the other companies that supported the UAE’s technology-inspired COVID-19 response to the pandemic will be exhibiting at the GITEX pavilion. Dubai Internet City, the region’s largest business community for tech and talent, will feature a series of immersive experiences at its pavilion alongside its business partners Anghami, Zoom, HTC Vive; students from the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation; and a selection of startups from in5, an enabling platform for tech, media and design entrepreneurs.

In addition to the showcase of in5 startups at the Dubai Internet City stand, in5 will welcome visitors to its own booth in Sheikh Rashid Hall, opposite Hall 7. Here, new and aspiring startups will be able to find out more about the enabling platform’s incubation programme and how they can access its co-working spaces, prototyping labs, 3D printers and other advanced facilities. It comes after startups on the enabling platform raised a record-breaking amount of investment in the first six months of 2020.

With its state-of-the-art infrastructure, services to improve the ease of doing business and business community of more than 1,600 companies from multinational corporations to SMEs and startups employing more than 25,000 people, Dubai Internet City offers a unique platform for tech firms.