Gitex 2020: Everything you need to know

In a year that has been all about distancing, the region’s biggest tech event is bringing people together again – with all the Covid-19 precautions in place.

Set to be held from December 6-10 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Gitex will be the world’s only major live, in-person technology event of 2020, and represents Dubai’s huge progress in restarting the city’s events sector.

The 40th edition of Gitex Technology Week will lend its support to the international efforts to relaunch economic and investment activities around the world, as well as to reactivate vital communication channels.

It will bring together influential stakeholders from technology and business sectors to set growth strategies and achieve a set of ambitious objectives in the decade ahead.

Showcasing some of the most significant emerging technologies across enterprise IT, 5G, cloud and AI, Gitex this year will also be held along with Gitex Future Stars, Gisec, Future Blockchain Summit and Marketing Mania.

As its organisers say, Gitex will be different this year. “But different doesn’t mean compromised in any sense; different means a new way of networking, watching, testing, procuring and experiencing.”

The event will enable participants to connect with over 50,000 global peers through its AI enabled app; provide access to global tech enterprises and startups from 12 sectors; and explore groundbreaking pre- and post-pandemic technologies and the pioneers behind them.

Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority and Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing said: “Gitex has received outstanding support from the global technology community to realise the only live technology event of the year. It’s an unequivocal testament to the wider confidence that our business partners have in Dubai and the UAE.”

Conference topics

Artificial intelligence (AI) – One of the most disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world order – socially, economically, politically and culturally. Gitex will look at how we can harness key future technologies for the betterment of people and the advancement of society.

Smart cities and 5G – By 2050, more than two thirds of the planet’s population will live in cities. Strengthening community resilience and improving business efficiency has become an even bigger priority as the world changed in 2020, with 5G at the core of leveraging connectivity. This conference looks at meeting and exceeding these expectations to deliver the smart cities of tomorrow.

Startups – Covid-19 has created a new reality and with a global economic value of nearly $3 trillion, the startup economy has proven its outsized worth. There has never has there been a time more prevalent than now for this global community to work together to shape their new reality.

Fintech – Gitex will explore the emerging opportunities that fintech offers to evolve business models, create new services and deliver more value. Topics covered include open banking, AI, paytech, regtech, insurtech, lendtech, financial inclusion, e-commerce and more.

Healthcare – The Covid crisis has revealed how the digital preparedness of health care systems influenced their ability to respond. Speed, service and innovation are the key drivers during a public health emergency. It appears like the pandemic has transformed the healthcare system by years within a matter of weeks.

Education – Physical closure of educational institutes in over 177 countries around the world has affected nearly 1.3 billion students, thus disrupting traditional learning methods. The pandemic has also shocked the global economic and labour market. This conference will look at the new future of work and how he education system needs to evolve and respond.

Future mobility, transport and supply chain – Every aspect of modern mobility is currently under re-evaluation in the wake of the pandemic. Much will change for how we look at transport, but the aim remains the same: moving people and goods faster, safer and in a more cost-, energy- and space-efficient manner. This conference explores the transformation of travel and making it better through technologies.

Marketing Mania – The role of a modern-day marketer is cross-functional and multidisciplinary, defying traditional or straightforward classification. These multifaceted demands and forces of change have brought out the best in many marketing leaders, who have found ingenious and creative ways to cut through the clutter. Marketing Mania will see creative geniuses meet the world’s tech geeks.

Future Blockchain Summit – Public administration, education and healthcare sectors will be the biggest beneficiaries of blockchain. Explore how blockchain can enhance cooperation and partnerships between the various government, federal and local entities with international companies and startups across sectors.

Gisec Conference – A recent study by Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that cybercrimes will cost the world $6 trillion a year by 2021. It is critical to prepare and defend unknown areas of vulnerability, cyber threats, and survive in this new age of information warfare post pandemic. This conference will shed light on how security professionals are reviewing their cybersecurity strategies to avert cyberattacks.

Safety precautions

Dubai World Trade Centre has taken several steps to create a global safety standard for the event. It strictly adheres to all rules and regulations laid out by government authorities, including Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Municipality.

The venue is also certified with the Bureau Veritas SafeGuard label, which attests to its compliance with the highest hygiene standards. Detailed audits are carried out to ensure that safety measures are implemented across the venue efficiently.

Measures in place: 

• Registration/tickets will only be sold online. There will be no registration/onsite ticket sales.
• Badges will have to be printed at home and will not be issued onsite.
• Badges are non-transferable and badge-holders are required to show valid identification. Penalty of Dhs3,000 will be applicable to violators, who will be denied entry.
• Wearing of masks is mandatory. A penalty of Dhs3,000 will be applicable for non-compliance.
• Contactless temperature screening will be done at designated entry points.
• Visitors will have to maintain 2 metres social distance at all times. Conference chairs are also set 2 metres apart from each other.
• Conference chairs are protected with an antimicrobial shield and will be sanitised regularly.
• Sanitisers will be available at multiple locations.
• Disinfection protocols will be adhered to in all public areas, F&B outlets and restrooms.
• There will be real time monitoring of crowd density and venue capacity.
• Air extraction in the halls is pre-scheduled and all hall shutter doors will be kept open both before and after the event to assist with air circulation.
• Exhibition halls shall close at 10pm for daily sterilisation and sanitisation.
• Isolation rooms have been set up at the venue for suspected Covid-19 cases at Sharjah A meeting room above Hall 5. They will be managed with Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
• A PCR testing clinic managed by DHA is available onsite, located at Sharjah D meeting room (above Hall 5).

For more information, visit www.gitex.com