Dubai Internet City Profiles Region’s Top Tech Talent at Gitex 2013

DIC partnered with industry giant HP, as well as leading online travel players and the region’s brightest start-ups, for GITEX 2013

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Thursday, October 24th 2013 [ME NewsWire]
Dubai Internet City (DIC) was the strategic partner for GITEX Technology Week for the 14th consecutive year. DIC played a leading role in the event, demonstrating its commitment to the ICT industry as well as to promoting Dubai as a knowledge-based economy.

As part of DIC’s ongoing support for its business partners, Majed Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource Zone, signed an MoU between in5, the innovation hub launched by DIC earlier this year which provides infrastructure and a dynamic working environment for tech entrepreneurs and start-ups, and Microsoft, to support entrepreneurship in the UAE. The partnership will involve Microsoft enrolling in5 into its Start-Ups Network Partner Program, allowing in5 members to benefit from Microsoft BizPark, an innovative service offering free software, support and visibility for start-ups, and its products.

Meanwhile, HP reiterates its on-going close partnership with DIC as the company underlines its dedication to seizing and preventing counterfeit products and components from entering the UAE market. During simultaneous raids on five premises across Ajman and Dubai in April 2013, officials confiscated around 150,000 laser print cartridges, 100,000 fake cartridge boxes, nearly 50,000 security labels and over 750,000 empty print cartridges. Through its Anti-counterfeiting Program, HP actively educates its customers and partners to be vigilant against fake printing supplies. It also cooperates closely with local and global law enforcement authorities to detect and dismantle illegal operations that produce counterfeit HP printing components.

In line with the growth of the online travel industry in the UAE, which according to global travel market research company PhoCusWright is projected to reach $9.5bn globally in 2014, leading online travel companies Wego, Cleartrip and Traveller VIP each participated at the DIC pavilion, where they showcased their latest apps and technologies.

Majed Al Suwaidi said:

‘The ICT market in the UAE has seen huge growth in recent years and according to Markaz, ICT spending from 2013 – 2015 is expected to reach about $40 billion. The UAE has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the world, and has an extremely young and dynamic population, which is largely driving internet usage as well as tech start-ups.

‘GITEX 2013 provided an ideal platform for industry leaders as well as local talent and entrepreneurs to come together to share ideas and gain a further insight into the industry. This year, DIC’s pavilion was a hub of activity, with the latest technology and apps being showcased throughout the duration of the event. ’

DIC's pavilion also highlighted the latest tech start-ups including Snapp, Doctorized, Shop2Go, Tawwar, El7esab, Database Aided Design and Votek in addition to the Higher College of Technologies, who showcased their m-Government projects.

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About Dubai Internet City

Dubai Internet City (DIC) is the Middle East and North Africa’s largest ICT hub. Since the year 2000, DIC has successfully developed a prosperous ecosystem for technology organisations and today is home to Fortune 500 listed companies and multinationals as well as some of the region’s most dynamic and successful technology SMEs and start-ups from all elements of the ICT value chain.

DIC provides a wide range of facilities including state-of-the-art offices, a robust IT infrastructure, 24-hour security, retail services and hotels, spread across the business park’s unique and tranquil landscape; an environment that helps ICT businesses develop, innovate and grow.

For more information, please visit: www.dubaiinternetcity.com.

About In5

The In5 innovation hub, launched by Dubai Internet City, aims to foster and promote entrepreneurship and innovation in order to further develop the technology start-up ecosystem in Dubai and the region. In5 provides infrastructure, support and a dynamic and engaging working environment to entrepreneurs from the early stages of idea creation through to idea implementation and the commercial launch of a product or service. It provides entrepreneurs with mentoring, training, networking opportunities and access to funding and is open to entrepreneurs of all nationalities wishing to start-up in the areas of ICT, mobile and digital media.

For more information, please visit: www.in5.ae

Contacts

Alexa Hooft Graafland

AHooftGraafland@bell-pottinger.co.uk

+971555597404