Visitors throng exhibition halls on the final day of Gitex Global on Friday.

Inayat-ur-Rahman, Sajjad Ahmad

Gitex Global 2023 entered its final day on Friday. A cross-section of government entities and exhibitors share their candid views with Gulf Today. Inspired by the UAE’s visionary leadership and in alignment with Abu Dhabi’s progression to digital transformation, the Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority unveiled two innovative platforms this week at Gitex Global 2023 with the aim of enabling operational efficiency, facilitating better decision-making, and enhancing executive and senior management productivity.

Innovative platforms

“Al Mersad”, born from the collaboration of elite Emirati experts and Presight.ai, a subsidiary of the UAE-based G42 group, is a platform that harnesses state-of-the-art technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics with the aim of revolutionising the audit sector, reinforcing governance, and ensuring the security of public assets.

A pioneering integrated data system auditing platform, Al Mersad is designed to utilise its precise anomaly detection capabilities and risk assessment mechanism based on intricate data pattern recognition to smartly streamline typically tedious and data-heavy tasks like audits. To achieve this, the system capitalizes on artificial intelligence complemented by expert insights, greatly enhancing the speed and accuracy of the auditing process.

Mahmoud Al Alawi, the Executive Director of the Corporate Support Sector at Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority, explained that the objective behind the creation of Al Mersad Platform stems from the dedicated endeavors of the Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority’s Emirati team. Through meticulous research and rigorous testing, the platform aims to elevate the standard of auditing in the emirate, safeguard public funds, and ensure their judicious use and preservation for future generations.

Commenting on the platform, Wael Abdulqader Mahmoud, Interim General Director of Monitoring and Audit at Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority noted: “With the introduction of Al Mersad platform, our goal was to simplify the identification of financial anomalies and offer an advanced governmental analysis tool. This platform grants our auditors easy access to financial data across all relevant entities. Furthermore, it underscores its commitment to fortify transparency, bolster trust in governmental activities, and safeguard public finances.”

Ajman Bank

Ajman Bank set new digital banking benchmark showcasing its instant bank account feature in ‘Ajman Bank Digital’ app at the Ajman Digital Government pavilion at Gitex Global 2023. The state-of-the-art Ajman Bank Digital app is available for download for both iOS and Android users and is designed to create a seamless experience for Ajman Bank customers with its user-friendly and convenient features. It empowers new customers to open their bank accounts in real-time within 5 minutes.

Commenting on this groundbreaking feature, Mustafa Mohammed Saeed Al Khalfawi, CEO of Ajman Bank, said, “Making efficient use of digital technology is a key priority for us and customers are at the heart of everything we do. Our ultimate goal is to make banking more accessible and inclusive for people. In our commitment to pushing the boundaries of digital banking, we are proud to introduce the instant account opening feature on our digital app. This is not just about speed; it’s about revolutionizing the customer experience with greater convenience and accessibility of our world-class products and services. By leveraging advanced technologies and digital processes, we’re ensuring that our customers can onboard with Ajman Bank anytime, anywhere, with just a few taps on their devices.”

HID’s sustainable solutions:

HID, the world’s leading provider of trusted identity solutions, showcased its latest innovations in secure identity issuance and identity management at Gitex Global 2023 under the theme, “Secure, Sustainable, Future-proof solutions”.

Exhibitors interact with the visitors at a pavilion during  Gitex Global 2020 in Dubai.

HID demonstrated to Gitex delegates how the company has come to power the trusted identities of the world’s people, places, and things. HID showcased HID FARGO Connect — the industry’s first cloud-native card issuance platform — paired with card printing innovations such as the HID FARGO HDP6600 retransfer card printer and the DTC1500 direct-to-card printer — to demonstrate how the solution simplifies card issuance while increasing security.

The company also introduced its HID ELEMENT UV Ink Printer and Laser Engraver card personalization solutions — specifically designed to meet the high-volume and high-security requirements of large organizations such as government entities and financial institutions.

Additionally, company experts explained how HID PIAM (physical identity and access management) solutions reduce the costs and risks associated with onboarding, badging, visitor management, access management and compliance.

Through exhibited products, HID demonstrate its dedication to developing more sustainable solutions and how product lifecycle and environmental impact considerations are central to the design of every HID solution — many of which are GreenCircle Certified for their energy-saving and other eco-friendly attributes.

 “Security and sustainability are in our DNA,” said Andrew Munnik, Segment Director, MEA, HID. “As we unveil our latest innovations at Gitex Global 2023, HID will demonstrate how we continue to lead the way in providing secure, sustainable and future-proof solutions — ensuring today’s security and technology professionals have the tools they need to create safer and more eco-friendly work environments both now and as the world moves toward a more digital future.”

Cybersecurity solution

 Mandiant, part of Google Cloud, participated at Gitex Global 2023 to guide businesses and individuals on their cloud transformation journeys. Leveraging state-of-the-art AI technologies and insights gained from frontline incident response engagements , Mandiant aims to advance cybersecurity postures for organizations, whether they operate on-premises or are transitioning to the cloud.

Mandiant’s participation in GITEX 2023 aligns with Google Cloud’s ongoing investment in the Middle East and Africa, following the launch of Google Cloud instances in Qatar and upcoming launches in Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Mandiant plays a crucial role in securing customers’ cloud journeys, making its presence at GITEX 2023 a strategic move for both Mandiant/ Google Cloud.

At the exhibition, Mandiant focus was on the pressing cybersecurity issues of today , including supply chain vulnerabilities, ransomware, and geopolitical threats. The company showcased its Mandiant Advantage      Platform, an integrated solution covering Threat Intelligence, Attack Surface Management, Security Validation, and Breach Analytics.          .

Visitors to Gitex engaged with Mandiant consultants and experienced the Mandiant Advantage platform firsthand. The company has been involved in mitigating some of the world’s most high-profile cyber-attacks.

Renze Jongman - Threat Intelligence Advisor (MEA), Mandiant said,” Mandiant is a cybersecurity company specialising in incident response and threat intelligence. At Gitex 2023, we emphasise our commitment to enhancing cybersecurity through innovation and collaboration. With a core focus on incident response, where we conduct thousands of investigations annually, we gain invaluable insights into threat actor tactics and vulnerabilities. Our mission is to equip organizations with the knowledge and tools they need to prepare for, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity incidents effectively. We bring this wealth of experience and intelligence to our customers, empowering them to bolster their defences and stay ahead of cyber threats.”

He added, “We’re extending our capabilities to Google Cloud. This collaboration ensures secure-by-design cloud platforms by combining Mandiant’s security expertise with Google Cloud’s technology. It enhances organizations’ cloud security and aligns with Google Cloud’s substantial investments in the Middle East and Africa region, reinforcing our commitment to the region and building security by design into our products. This strategic alliance underscores Mandiant’s dedication to staying at the forefront of cybersecurity, helping organizations navigate the evolving threat landscape.”

The Expand North Star 2023 exhibition, a remarkable event showcasing cutting-edge technology with a distinct South Korean influence in Dubai. This gathering is set to unite established South Korean companies and emerging enterprises, with a strong focus on mobile games and artificial intelligence, underlining the incredible strides made in these fields. The event will span several days, featuring participation from over 1,000 investors from 70 countries who collectively manage assets worth a trillion US dollars, with the goal of fueling venture capital investments in burgeoning projects.

The exhibition will host a select group of companies that promise to offer a wide array of programs, humanitarian services, and technologies that bring hope and opportunities to millions across the globe.

Mand Robotic, one of the standout participants at the exhibition, has made remarkable strides in the field of artificial limbs, rekindling hope and joy for thousands who have suffered accidents resulting in limb loss. This innovative technology has been a beacon of hope for individuals who had been on the brink of losing faith in life.

The Expand North Star exhibition has also witnessed the introduction of innovative technologies from various South Korean companies, showcasing the remarkable strides made in AI and related fields.

Braindeck has unveiled high-quality AI technology in sound, allowing users to sing in any language after just a three-minute voice recording.

DeepBrain A.I. has presented a technology capable of transforming written text into video content in a mere five minutes. It can also turn any person into a virtual character capable of various online activities, including presenting programs in multiple languages.

HAEGIN Advanced Games Company, the creator of the globally successful “Play Together” game, is a mobile gaming company from Korea with a staggering 170 million downloads.

IGIS Limited has introduced advanced drone technology solutions and geographic information systems.

Pixel Ro has launched groundbreaking vision measurement applications, simplifying vision tests that can be conducted at home.

TmaxMetaverse has made 3D content creation accessible to ordinary users, eliminating the need for extensive software knowledge.

Tripbtoz announced its platform which revolutionized global travel through Web 3, connecting over 1.1 million users worldwide who share their journeys through more than 500,000 videos.

All these companies eagerly anticipate showcasing their latest innovations at Expand North Star, highlighting South Korea’s relentless technological progress.

Zoho Corp

Zoho Corp., a leading global technology company, revealed that it has invested Dhs 43 million into local partnerships since the pandemic started to help UAE businesses digitise their operations. To date, the company has helped close to 5,000 small, medium and large local businesses move their operations to the cloud, and transition to a more efficient and effective digital workflow.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of Gitex, the region’s biggest technology conference. Since 2022, Zoho’s partnerships with government entities in the UAE have resulted in a 36% increase in a number of businesses benefitting from the perks programme.

“Zoho’s offerings have enabled enterprises to take advantage of the digital revolution and stay ahead of the competition. As part of our transnational localism strategy, we have set a long-term vision with the support of the relevant UAE government departments to help businesses in their digital transformation journey,” said Hyther Nizam, President of Middle East and Africa (MEA) at Zoho. “In the coming years, we will double down on this investment, and continue to assist businesses in adopting cloud solutions and thriving in the digital age.”

Over the past years, Zoho has consistently exhibited at GITEX, and seen a rise of 125% in terms of revenue generated from the event and a 65% rise in the footfall.  The engagement has largely come from the Education, IT Services & IT Consulting, and Pharma Manufacturing sectors.