Sheikh Hamdan being briefed during the opening ceremony of Gitex at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Sunday. WAM

Inayat-ur-Rahman, Business Editor

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, officially opened the 41st edition of Gitex Global x Ai Everything, coinciding with Expo 2020 Dubai at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Sunday.

The Crown Prince said: “Dubai and the UAE continue to demonstrate their commitment to supporting the global technology community in accelerating growth and innovation, boosting resilience and driving its transformation agenda in the post-pandemic phase.

In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai continues to provide a high-powered platform for the international technology industry to network, explore partnerships and share ideas that can shape a new future for the sector. The 41st Gitex Global x Ai Everything is one of the few international industry events that features such a vast scale and diversity of technology professionals, companies and solutions. The strong response the event has drawn from the global sector is testament to the trust the sector places in Dubai as a safe destination for international trade shows.”
Sheikh Hamdan during his visit to Gitex event in Dubai. WAM

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed later went on a tour of the event accompanied by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council; Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum; and a number of dignitaries, including Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) and Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

The technology showpiece encompasses six co-located shows: Gitex Global, Ai Everything, Gitex Future Stars, the Future Blockchain Summit, Fintech Surge and Marketing Mania - that collectively creates an unrivalled global tech spectacle hosting more than 3,500 exhibitors from over 140 countries.

Sheikh Hamdan stopped to visit some of the global industry’s most transformational technology companies, including Huawei, Dell Technologies, Avaya, Cisco, Intel, Ericsson, TeamViewer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Microsoft, Dubai Internet City and Etisalat.

Gitex Global x Ai Everything is the only major tech event in the world in 2021 that features every major technology player, trend and vertical, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Huawei, Dell Technologies, Ericsson, Intel, Avaya, Honeywell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Red Hat, Etisalat, du, Lenovo and Cisco, spanning myriad sectors including smart cities, cybersecurity, the data economy, mobility, healthcare and telecoms among others.

Gitex Global x Ai Everything 2021 will take place amid strict COVID-19 prevention protocols, which have enabled DWTC to prove its capability to curate the safest in-person business environment and deliver world-class events with the highest health and safety measures.

 On the inaugural day of Gitex Technology Week 2021, Dubai Customs launched I-Box smart lockers for storing commercial items or valuable cargo carried on by inbound transit passengers.

The initiative enables travelers to keep their valuable goods in the airport customs centre on arrival without paying duty and collect them through self-clearance service on departure from the country.

Under the theme “Digital Trade for Safe, Sustainable Supply Chains”, Dubai Customs is taking part in this year’s Gitex with eight cutting-edge smart initiatives.

The participation highlights the goals of the organisation’s strategic plan 2021-2026 towards leading sustainable customs globally by furthering digitisation of services to facilitate trade, protect society and economy, and enhance people’s experience of customs as a service.

The I-Box smart lockers project is set to speed up logistics and handling services for valuable cargo at the airport. The advanced initiative has cut down the process time for delivery of valuable items from 30 minutes to 1 minute only. The passenger can simply scan the QR code on the locker and use the OTP code sent to his phone number to unlock the locker and pay storage fees online without any paper work. These fireproof lockers boast high-end security systems and are easy to move from one place to another within the airport terminals.

“Dubai has established its global distinction and leadership on building innovative projects that ensure sustainable development in all fields, following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai,” said Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Director-General of Dubai Customs. “His Highness’s forward-looking vision of digital transformation and ongoing disruption of the way the government works has reinforced Dubai’s leading position as a global incubator for innovators and an attractive environment for businesses and investments.”

Ibrahim Al Kamali, Director of Passenger Operations Department at Dubai Customs, on his part said, “Dubai Customs seeks to make travelers happier by offering them quick and easy services that expedite entry procedures and enhance their experience, especially in light of the increasing numbers of traders transiting through Dubai.”