DUBAI, UAE — GITEX, a premier gathering for technology enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, has officially started today in Dubai. This event is set to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of technology and its applications across a myriad of sectors.
Now in its 43rd iteration, “GITEX Technology Week” is being hosted at the Dubai World Trade Center from October 16 to 20.
Year after year, GITEX has consistently outdone itself, offering attendees a sneak peek into the next wave of technological evolution. As we dive into GITEX 2023, the buzz is undeniable. There’s a whirlwind of excitement and curiosity surrounding the innovations, trends, and breakthroughs that are sure to steal the spotlight. This year’s event stands as a convergence point for groundbreaking ideas, transformative technologies, and dynamic collaborations, solidifying GITEX’s stature as a guiding light for a tech-centric future.
GITEX 2023: The AI epicenter With over 1,800 startups from more than 100 countries and over 900 investors, GITEX stands as the region's premier tech event. The choice of "AI Everything" as this year's theme is apt. 2023 is heralded as the year AI truly permeated global industries, igniting a fierce competition for AI dominance and capturing the undivided attention of tech aficionados worldwide.
Prepare to navigate the epicenter of innovation as GITEX upholds its legacy of spotlighting the tech realm’s most exhilarating advancements.
Moreover, GITEX champions technology startups, showcasing the latest inventions and state-of-the-art innovations in information technology from around the globe. This year’s exhibition features a lineup of prominent, established, and budding tech companies operating across 26 distinct sectors. Attendees can also look forward to modern workshops and training sessions spanning various areas of deep learning, GITEX presentations, and other significant events.
Spotlight on cyber resilience
In an interview with TRENDS, Ashraf Daqqa, Regional Director, META at Illumio, shed light on the company’s theme for GITEX 2023: “Breach Containment.” Illumio is shifting the narrative from merely preventing attacks to surviving and boosting cyber resilience. Attendees can look forward to demonstrations on how Illumio prevents breaches from spreading, with use cases spanning ransomware containment, IT/OT convergence, and cloud security. The star of the show? Illumio’s Zero Trust Segmentations Platform – a pioneering platform for breach containment. This platform offers continuous monitoring across all workloads, from endpoints to servers and the cloud, ensuring comprehensive protection.
Illumio is set to unveil its new Microsoft Azure Firewall solution, a game-changer for businesses. This solution empowers businesses to utilize the Microsoft Azure Firewall as a Zero Trust enforcement point, bolstering the protection of Azure deployments. The result? Enhanced security for hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, and a smoother transition to the cloud.
Trevor Dearing, Director of Critical Infrastructure at Illumio, will be taking the stage with presentations on “How Illumio Protects Against AI Attacks” and “Understanding and Combating Ransomware Capabilities.” Additionally, Illumio’s technical experts will delve into securing hybrid multi-cloud networks and the challenges of cybersecurity in the IoT era.
Ashraf Daqqa, Regional Director, META at Illumio, highlighted the event’s theme, “AI Everything.” He emphasized the potential of Generative AI tools in creating malware and the increasing use of AI by attackers to bypass security tools. Daqqa’s solution? Limit the AI-powered attacks’ reach by controlling their environment access.
Daqqa is optimistic about GITEX 2023, stating, “Micro-segmentation is now globally recognized as essential for mitigating cyberattacks. Gartner predicts a surge in its adoption by 2026, marking its transition from a ‘nice-to-have’ to a ‘must-have’.”
The AI data foundation
Haider Aziz, Managing Director META at VAST Data, introduced the company’s theme centered on the data foundation of AI. He believes that AI’s true potential lies in machines recreating the discovery process, synthesizing, and learning from data at unprecedented speeds.
VAST Data will be showcasing its VAST Data Platform at GITEX 2023. This platform is engineered to propel AI-assisted discovery, addressing global challenges from healthcare to climate change. It features the VAST DataStore, a storage architecture that simplifies data access, and the VAST DataBase, which combines the benefits of a database with an exabyte-scalable data warehouse. The platform also introduces the VAST DataEngine, streamlining AI pipeline management, and the VAST DataSpace, a global namespace facilitating data storage, retrieval, and processing from any access point.
Aziz, reflecting on the central theme of GITEX 2023, “AI Everything,” remarked, “The true promise of AI is far greater than current manifestations. Realizing this potential necessitates a reevaluation of traditional data management concepts.”
He anticipates an AI-centric GITEX this year. As a result, VAST is honing in on the data foundation essential for AI. Aziz emphasized VAST’s commitment to the Middle East region, highlighting collaborations with regional giants like G42 Cloud, Beyond ONE, and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. “We’re excited to showcase our innovative solutions in partnership with these companies at our GITEX booth,” Aziz shared.
Zoom: Practical AI for the modern workforce
Zoom, a global leader in unified communications, is setting its sights on the pragmatic applications of AI. Sam Tayan, Head of Middle East, Africa, Turkey & Pakistan at Zoom, expressed enthusiasm about showcasing how advanced AI can elevate the customer experience. Zoom’s GITEX lineup includes AI-driven solutions like the Intelligent Director, Zoom AI Companion, Zoom Virtual Agent, and Zoom Revenue Accelerator. These tools underscore how generative AI can bolster real-time collaboration and productivity.
Zoom’s versatility will also be on display, demonstrating how its products seamlessly integrate into various sectors, from education and government to events and hospitality. In line with the event’s “AI Everything” theme, Zoom harnesses AI to streamline data processing, enhancing user interactions and communication. Features powered by AI, such as virtual backgrounds, avatars, gesture recognition, and background noise suppression, are just the tip of the iceberg.
Network security
“At GITEX 2023, our theme highlights our dedication to enabling enterprises to flourish in an ever-evolving business environment. NETSCOUT’s goal is to provide enterprises with the tools and strategies they need to confidently navigate today’s dynamic digital terrain,” said Gaurav Mohan, VP for SAARC & Middle East at NETSCOUT.
For CISOs, threat detection and response are at the forefront of their concerns. NETSCOUT’s newest solutions and services pave the way for proactive network security and performance management.
During GITEX 2023, NETSCOUT will introduce advanced cybersecurity solutions that emphasize visibility, threat detection, swift response, and cutting-edge innovations. These solutions leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to promptly counter threats in real-time.
Simultaneously, NETSCOUT will unveil its Adaptive DDoS Mitigation, designed to shield networks from targeted DDoS attacks. Additionally, the spotlight will be on Arbor Edge Defense (AED), a recent offering that features machine learning-driven Adaptive DDoS Protection.
NETSCOUT will also display the Omnis Cyber Intelligence Solution (OCI), granting teams access to real-time packet-level insights.
At GITEX, NETSCOUT’s booth will host a variety of executives discussing a range of subjects, from the newest trends and breakthroughs in AI and cybersecurity to progress in digital transformation, cloud computing, and beyond.
Among the global executives in attendance will be Tony King, NETSCOUT’s Senior Vice President of International Sales, who will team up with the local management at GITEX.
Mohan opines that the “AI Everything” theme for GITEX 2023 is pivotal. In a conversation with TRENDS, he remarked, “Grasping the advantages of AI and its influence on 5G technologies will guide governments and businesses in making informed decisions about the scale and nature of investments in both technologies and their synergy.”
Mohan also observes that the GCC has been focusing on enhancing both innovations. Yet, only by harnessing the synergy between AI and 5G technologies can the GCC continue to lead and progress as a technological powerhouse in the Middle East.
GITEX is the region’s largest technology event for startups, with more than 1,800 startups from more than 100 countries around the world joining it this year and more than 900 investors.
Tayan elaborated on Zoom’s AI-driven innovations, “Our new AI Companion is designed to help businesses and employees save time, elevate work quality, and foster connections—all harnessing the might of AI.”
The “AI Everything” theme was chosen for the exhibition because 2023 is widely recognized as the year in which AI became pervasive, sparking a worldwide arms race for AI supremacy and focusing the attention of specialists on the topic.
GITEX 2023 Agenda First Day * Data Science Course * Bacon and Data Science * Entrepreneurship and Investment Ecosystem * Digital Assets and Regulations * Generative Artificial Intelligence Experts Courses * GITEX Youth X Unipreneur 2023 * Global Strategy and Governance * Web 3 Games * Marketing Obsession Second Day * Marketing Obsession and Editorial Remarks * Leaders of Influence Summit * Ministerial Announcement * Trading and Investing in Cryptocurrencies * Championing Boards of Directors: Leading the Transformation Toward Sustainability * Digitization and ESG Trade Finance * The Artificial Intelligence Revolution and Leadership in the Future of Healthcare * Web 3 Music and Movies * Trading Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets: Overcoming the Blockchain Triple Dilemma * Sustainable Branding and Financing in the MENA Region Third Day Highlights * Certified Metaverse Developer Course * Deep Dive into CyberSec First Responder Course * Industrial Metaverse: Augmented Reality for Enterprises * Leadership in an Evolving Technological Landscape * Building Tech Companies & Teams from Scratch * The Future of Retail: AI & Smart Payment Technologies * Rethinking Smartphone Design * AI in Education: The Next Frontier * Sustainable Smart Cities: A Vision for the Future * Blockchain's Role in Climate Change * Fun with Python: Testing for Profit Fourth Day Lineup * The Impact of Technology on the Brain * Cybersecurity Trends: A Panel Discussion * Serverless Python Web Applications: A New Era * Engaging Citizens in Digital City Building * Neural Computing: Building an Artificial Brain * Global Sustainable Investment Forum * AI's New Landscape: Large-Scale Models * Clean Mobility: Electric Vehicles & Beyond Fifth Day Agenda * Face-to-Face with Urban Leaders * Infrastructure Engineering with Pulumi * Leading Organizational ESG Assessments * Youth Circle by the Ministry of Energy & Dubai Electricity and Water Authority * Piracy Workshop: A Deep Dive * Open Source Variants for Stable Deployment * Financial Sector Leaders on Sustainability Commitments