Gulf Business - 2023 GITEX Edition

STRONG SUIT

PROPCHAIN’S ROBIN UBAGHS ON HOW BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY HAS GIVEN HIM A COMPETITIVE EDGE OVER PEERS IN THE PROPERTY INDUSTRY

Gulf Business

07

The brief

An insight into the news and trends shaping the region with perceptive commentary and analysis

22 Cover story

Towering ambition: Robin Ubaghs, the co-founder of Propchain and Welfare Group, is aiming to create a revolution in the UAE’s real estate industry

28

Gitex Global 2023

The popular tech show will bring together innovators, industry leaders and tech enthusiasts from around the world to explore advancements, discuss emerging trends and shape the region’s digital ecosystem

Pic: Getty Images

Pic: Supplied

Pic: Supplied

Revolutionary, new out-of-home (OOH) advertising medium, powered by innovative technology.

This unique and globally patented Escalator Step Branding Solution that gives brands an unrivaled opportunity to connect with audiences.

Digital economies: How the UAE and other GCC countries are preparing to become global digital hubs p.40

The rise of Gen AI: Generative AI is leading us into a new era of innovation across different sectors p.44

“The intense demand for involvement in GITEX from the global tech and startup community is an acknowledgment of the strong impetus to learn, exchange, debate and challenge the recent developments in the tech sphere.”

Trixie LohMirmand, EVP of Events Management at DWTC, the organiser of GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star

Highlights of the latest phones, laptops and gizmos

Editor-in-chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer

Managing partner and group editor Ian Fairservice

Chief commercial officer Anthony Milne anthony@motivate.ae

Publisher Manish Chopra manish.chopra@motivate.ae

Editor Neesha Salian neesha.salian@motivate.ae

Digital editor Marisha Singh marisha.singh@motivate.ae

Tech editor Divsha Bhat divsha.bhat@motivate.ae

Senior feature writer Kudakwashe Muzoriwa

Kudakwashe.Muzoriwa@motivate.ae

Senior art director Freddie N. Colinares freddie@motivate.ae

Senior art director Olga Petroff olga.petroff@motivate.ae

General manager – production S Sunil Kumar

Production manager Binu Purandaran

Production supervisor Venita Pinto

Senior sales manager Sangeetha J S Sangeetha.js@motivate.ae

Group marketing manager Joelle AlBeaino joelle.albeaino@motivate.ae

Cover: Freddie N Colinares

EXCLUSIVE PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TIMEPIECES FROM AWARD-WINNING INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS

Painting by Ihab Ahmad

Photograph by Greg Newington

Data analytics as a career choice

Look before you leap

Key considerations for firms to look at when integrating artificial intelligence into their operations

In the past 72 hours, you have probably thought about artificial intelligence (AI) at least once. That assumption is not predicated upon you being a technology professional. It is predicated upon you being a professional of any stripe. Because AI is everywhere. Passing thoughts, or even obsessions, of the form, “Wow, can that thing replace me?” are springing up across the globe. ChatGPT, Bard, Microso t Bing – take your pick. They have arrived and they are here

to stay. These large language models (LLMs) use generative neural networks to compose emails, write reports and even create new art in the form of songs and images. Between ethics, logistics and legal concerns, generative AI has led to a lot of conversation among humans.

But for a moment, let’s put these issues aside and consider the potential of human-like understanding among machines in an industrial setting. The increasing popularity of the industrial internet of things has led to a merger of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). And as the region’s heavy industry sectors align themselves with initiatives such as the UAE’s Operation 300bn, they will wade ever deeper into the IT/OT crossover and expose themselves to the ravages of cybercriminals and a range of other risks.

In OT, repetition and consistency are watchwords. Duplication of inputs and outputs are bread and

Sertan Selcuk, VP – Sales, Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Pakistan, OPSWAT

butter to AI and automation. When something goes wrong in IT, though, consequences are limited to the loss of data. While this may be financially disastrous it does not compare to the potential loss of life or pollution of the environment that accompany OT errors.

DRILLS AND OTHER TOOLS

Already we see how AI’s incorporation into OT bears a risk that goes beyond classic cybersecurity. Microsoft has released a blueprint for AI governance to address such issues and the UAE’s AI ministry speaks out often on ethics as it relates to the field. Red team/blue team exercises must be deployed to find vulnerabilities and learn how to defend against them. These drills can help enterprises understand another risk AI poses: cyberattackers often use it. Red teams should leverage tools to expose weaknesses. AI could also help blue teams identify attack vectors, highlight hidden vulnerabilities, or even shut down an assault. Lessons learned during red-blue drills can be used to form new policies and target investments on the best defense tools available for protecting critical infrastructure.

Another benefit of AI to the OT security function is as an automated security operations centre (SOC) analyst. AI is a data-churner by trade, so it can review logs and real-time telemetry feeds for anomalies and assess these discoveries alongside rule sets from various OT systems. It can then flag dangers and suggest actions. There are prevailing skills gaps in OT and cybersecurity, and people who are wellversed in both are rare indeed. AI tools could be critical in minimising the white noise of alerts and in bringing much-needed asset visibility and gap-plugging knowledge to security teams. This setup makes for a much more efficient SOC, with analysts that are free to hunt threats rather than react to them.

On the benefits side of AI, industrial organisations can build intricate replicas of their OT environments. Digital twins of power plants or nuclear reactors allow human specialists to take leisurely

THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS HAS LED TO A MERGER OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE IS A DATA-CHURNER BY TRADE, SO IT CAN REVIEW LOGS AND REAL-TIME TELEMETRY FEEDS FOR ANOMALIES AND ASSESS THESE DISCOVERIES ALONGSIDE RULE SETS FROM VARIOUS OT SYSTEMS

strolls through hazardous environments. And AI can also be used to stress test or optimise the OT environment. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to experiment with, for example, a different-sized pipe in a critical infrastructure setup, but a digital twin will only fail virtually. And it will yield useful data when it does so. Over time, operations teams can find ways to increase throughput or minimise downtime.

JUDGEMENT AND TRUST

However, we must defer to the judgement of human experts. Digital twins will be a great and novel source of data and a safe way to test, but other physical tests may be required. Application of AI technology in OT will likely be on a soft basis while long-term AI governance plans and risk-management frameworks are implemented.

So far, we have dealt only with direct risks to OT, either from its adoption or from its use by cyberthreat gangs. But OT can also be hit indirectly through its convergence with IT. Incidents like the US Colonial Pipeline attack show us that IT’s compromise by ransomware can halt OT operations. This means that even if OT teams are steering clear of all things AI, they cannot ignore its impact.

AI has benefits; AI has risks. Both statements are obvious and inarguable. But we cannot jump into implementation without due regard for risk; and it would be foolhardy to eschew AI entirely just to remain safe, especially since the merger between IT and OT takes this option off the table. We must adjust to AI as an indispensable part of business in the regional industrial sector. We must tread carefully, learn, mature and eventually profit.

“ON THE BENEFITS SIDE OF AI, INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS CAN BUILD INTRICATE REPLICAS OF THEIR OT ENVIRONMENTS. DIGITAL TWINS OF POWER PLANTS OR NUCLEAR REACTORS ALLOW HUMAN SPECIALISTS TO TAKE LEISURELY STROLLS THROUGH HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENTS”

Convenience is king

The region’s digital acceleration continues. Digital natives’ preferences are the touchstone of business strategists across the Arab Gulf and beyond. The latest tastes to which businesses must cater are alternative payment methods (APMs).

Alternative payment method is a broad term, covering everything from credit cards to crypto payments. What they have in common is convenience for customers and a USP for businesses. Because it is so easy for an online customer to pivot to an alternative brand, trust plays a central role in

their conversion. If a brand does not o er the payment method preferred by the prospect, then they may depart the process. Adding APM choices, however, should be accompanied by rigorous market research to understand people’s preferences. This should be followed by a thorough analysis of what is involved in implementing the APM – infrastructure, compliance, business workflows. Only when the market demand can be weighed against the inevitable technical overheads, can a sound decision be made.

ABANDONED CARTS

When the business has opted for deployment of an APM, one of the first problems they are likely to solve is the abandoned cart. An unpurchased wish-list can o ten be explained by the absence of a preferred payment option. However, deployment of an APM may not fi x the problem on its own. The enterprise must ensure the entire

While the adage ‘cash is king’ holds true, it’s now checkout convenience that is increasingly influencing everything from sales conversions to consumer loyalty in today’s retail culture

process is as slick as other methods of payment, or complexity may simply lead to another abandoned cart.

Assuming the merchant can deliver on these make-or-break factors, APMs present many immediate benefits. Many o er an escape from high processing fees, and many providers are willing to negotiate these fees, especially if high transaction volumes are projected. Merchants should take care, however, to ensure the APM is a good fit for their accounting practices and will not impact reconciliation.

APMs can also help with compliance, as they o ten come with stronger authentication methods, including multi-factor authentication, biometrics and encryption.

EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES

Regional businesses that adopt APMs can instantly look beyond their borders to new markets. While this presents a series of challenges around currencies and local regulations, merchants who overcome them can expand globally with relative ease. In fact, APMs can o ten simplify traditionally complex and costly currency conversions by o ering the foreign exchange (FX) service as a built-in function. Local payment options are an important prerequisite for the merchant looking to expand abroad. Market research will point the way in determining the preferred payment methods in each territory, as well as revealing the most reputable APM providers.

But, of course, increased conversion rates, reduced costs, and the solution to the cart abandonment problem are all just a means to an end, as are stronger security and increased reach. What the merchant is really looking for are boosts to customer loyalty and net lifetime value. The APM is a draw to customers but is also a trust

REGIONAL BUSINESSES THAT ADOPT APMS CAN INSTANTLY LOOK BEYOND THEIR BORDERS TO NEW MARKETS. WHILE THIS PRESENTS A SERIES OF CHALLENGES AROUND CURRENCIES AND LOCAL REGULATIONS, MERCHANTS WHO OVERCOME THEM CAN EXPAND GLOBALLY WITH RELATIVE EASE

token that signals a commitment to providing a secure and convenient shopping experience.

APM BEST PRACTICES

Merchants should ensure that accepted APM logos are displayed prominently everywhere the customer goes. This means in physical stores as well as on websites. Customers should be able to instantly confirm that their preferred payment methods are on o er, which will boost conversion rates. Sales data can help inform businesses when to refine the checkout process and when to add an APM. Regular reviews of processing fees are advisable to ensure the optimal deal. And decision makers should keep an eye out for developing trends and new APMs, through ongoing industry research.

ALTERNATIVE TRUTHS

APMs bring convenience, security and innovation. Methods are likely to continue springing up everywhere and merchants will be quick to adopt some and likely to ignore others. The coming years will be punctuated by increased interoperability between financial institutions and payment providers. Through this collaboration, we will see personalised and predictive payment solutions that act as digital shopping consultants for consumers. This climate will be intensified by the introduction of real-time payments, and once instantaneous fund transfers take hold, new openbanking use cases will emerge. Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology may take their place among mainstream merchants and consumers. From there, the sky’s the limit, so stay alert. Watch the industry, watch regulators, watch providers. But most of all, watch the consumers. It is their preferences that brought us this far, and their changing desires that will shape the future.

Laith Al Bazirgan, head of Retail – MENA, Endava

“ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT METHOD IS A BROAD TERM, COVERING EVERYTHING FROM CREDIT CARDS TO CRYPTO PAYMENTS. WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON IS CONVENIENCE FOR CUSTOMERS AND A USP FOR BUSINESSES”

THE COMING YEARS WILL BE PUNCTUATED BY INCREASED INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND PAYMENT PROVIDERS

Art Gilliland, Chief executive officer Delinea

Burnout: the silent threat

Here are four ways that businesses can help alleviate pressure on cybersecurity teams

IT security teams, o ering tangible support and arming them with the tools they need to stave o both cyberthreats and stress. Here are four ways businesses can help alleviate pressure on cybersecurity teams while ensuring a better security posture.

01. Automation

Routine work, although necessary, is timeconsuming and o ten stands in the way of productivity and innovation. Repetitive tasks should be automated with solutions seamlessly integrated with the organisation’s security infrastructure, reducing errors while increasing the overall process visibility.

02. Stronger authentication

Threat actors are very good at targeting sta with social engineering campaigns. Even the best-trained employees can be fooled. By implementing multi-factor authentication, enforcing least privilege and providing just-in-time, just enough access, organisations can minimise damage even if an identity is compromised.

03. Collective e ort

In the UAE, over 50,000 cyberattacks are launched daily against organisations in the banking, oil and gas, finance and healthcare sectors according to the UAE Cyber Security Council, putting a lot of pressure on cybersecurity teams.

If facing increasingly sophisticated threats wasn’t enough, our research found that 45 per cent of regional security professionals feel that cybersecurity goals are not extremely aligned with the company’s broader business goals. It also showed that the majority struggle to get adequate support and su cient funding, with only 19 per cent reporting that they are evolving to keep pace with the threat landscape.

Furthermore, there is a lingering pointthe-finger attitude when it comes to cybersecurity, with many believing employees and security teams should shoulder the blame for any cyber incidents that happen on their watch.

RECIPE FOR STRESS

To respond to internal requests and fend o cyberattackers, many professionals are forced to be “always on,” o ten to the detriment of their mental and physical wellbeing. Long hours, continuous vigilance and constant apprehension of making a mistake that can cost millions are taking their toll.

In February 2023, a Cynet survey revealed that nearly a third of chief information security o cers (CISOs) said stress was compromising their ability to do their job. In the same month, Gartner predicted that in the next two years almost 50 per cent of cybersecurity leaders are expected to change jobs, and half of them are contemplating entirely di erent careers due to unbearable stress levels.

Considering the current acute cybersecurity skills shortage, the resignation en masse of CISOs will only exacerbate a chronic problem that is already leading to understa ed and overworked security teams. It’s time for organisations to start prioritising their

Organisations should provide all employees with knowledge, training and tools, helping them do their part to help reduce security incidents. This can significantly alleviate the pressure on security teams, and they can promptly intervene where and when necessary.

04. Cyber insurance

Companies need to be aware that security incidents can still happen despite best e orts. That’s why they should complement their security best practices with cyber insurance, as it provides a safety net that can protect the business and the employees against financial losses and ensure business continuity.

THE BATTLE GOES ON…

Every day, security professionals protect the business from a barrage of threats, but it’s everyone’s responsibility to do their part in cybersecurity. Investing in automation, stronger authentication, training and cyber insurance can help any organisations empower their employees and reduce the burden on security teams.

Bernard Montel, EMEA technical director and security strategist Tenable

Training the ‘smart’

Most vendors are investing significant resources into leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to solve foundational security problems. Being able to predict the vulnerabilities likely to be targeted by attackers, crawling through millions of lines of log data to identify potential issues, automating analysis of code to find security flaws before they go live, are all being made smarter with AI.

Even with visibility of the vulnerable attack surface, it is di cult for security teams to conduct analysis, interpret findings and identify steps to be taken to reduce risk as quickly as possible. As a result, security teams are constantly in react mode, delivering maximum e ort but o ten a step behind the attackers.

EXPLOITING VULNERABILITIES

While AI is being used by threat actors to automate targeted and convincing attacks, the flaws these cyberattacks target have not changed. AI driven cyberattacks exploit the same vulnerabilities as other cyberattacks, and therefore it follows that the foundation for defending against any style of cyberattack, whether it is AI or human driven, remains unchanged.

Enterprises must learn how to reduce threats from misinformation. Usually, it comes down to educating users to never trust, always verify, especially when the content is demanding some kind of response such as clicking a link, requesting information or asking for the content to be shared with others.

There are three elements that are core to a strong enterprise defence: enterprises should implement robust multi-factor authentication to mitigate the issues around credential misuse; focus should be placed on addressing vulnerabilities and misconfigurations known to be targeted by threat actors; and good detection and response should be in place for anything that slips through.

HOW AI WORKS

Historically AI was used to analyse data. Machine learning, an application of AI, uses mathematical models of data to help a computer learn without direct instruction. Deep Learning, part of a broader family of machine learning methods, structures algorithms in layers to create an artificial neural network that can learn and make intelligent decisions on its own.

Today, with generative AI, also a subset of AI, it is possible to learn about artefacts from data and generate innovative new creations that are similar to, but do not repeat, the original.

IMPORTANCE OF DATA

Generally speaking, AI depends on the breadth and quality of data to provide clear and accurate insights. If you have unique data, then you are going to have unique intelligence guiding decisions. In addition, humans need to educate the model, and so teach the engine, as to what is correct and what is not. By tuning the algorithm, it reduces the false positives and boosts quality of response.

To be truly e ective in the practice of preventive cybersecurity, AI requires breaking down silos to enable defenders to take the data from their mix of multiple cybersecurity point solutions and use it to create something wholly new. And they have to rely on multiple systems and methods to pull all that data together: aggregation tools, internal data lake, and the old reliable multi-tabbed spreadsheet. It is important to remember that, if you fail to educate the model correctly, then the model fails to deliver reliable results.

The power of AI lies in accessing structured and unstructured data, identifying patterns, presenting results, and learning from this routine

“WHILE AI IS BEING USED BY THREAT ACTORS TO AUTOMATE TARGETED AND CONVINCING ATTACKS, THE FLAWS THESE CYBERATTACKS TARGET HAVE NOT CHANGED”

Why data analytics is a promising career choice

According to Datamites.com, data science is one of the top 10 most in-demand careers in the UAE. An IBM study showed that bachelor’s degree holders will be eligible for 61 per cent of data scientists and advanced analytic positions, while a master’s degree or PhD holders will be required for 39 per cent.

In the modern age of digital advancement, the world is awash with data. Every click, purchase, and interaction generate vast amounts of information, presenting both challenges and opportunities for individuals and businesses alike. As

organisations strive to make sense of this information overflow, data analytics emerges as a dynamic career option.

For starters, as of 2023, data analytics has become a critical tool for establishments across various industries, enabling them to gain a competitive edge, optimise operations, and fuel innovation. The demand for skilled data analysts and data scientists continues to rise, reflecting the increasing recognition of the value of datadriven decision-making. There is no doubt that the global data analytics market is projected to reach staggering figures in the coming years, underscoring the immense

opportunities available in this field.

One of the most compelling aspects of a career in data analytics is its versatility and relevance. Unlike some specialised fields, data analytics transcends industry boundaries. Its principles and techniques can be applied in diverse fields, including finance, healthcare, marketing, manufacturing, and more. This versatility ensures that data analysts have a wide array of career pathways to choose from, making it an attractive option for those seeking a field with longevity and relevance.

Data analytics is about more than just numbers and statistics. It involves extracting meaningful insights from complex datasets and transforming them into actionable information. By uncovering patterns, trends, and correlations, data analysts play a vital role in shaping strategies, driving growth, and identifying areas for improvement. This ability to make data-driven decisions not only enhances organisational performance but also empowers individuals to make a real impact on business outcomes.

The field is also continuously evolving. New technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, are revolutionising the way data is analysed and utilised. Data analysts can stay at the forefront of technological advancements, constantly learning and adapting to new tools and methodologies. The vigorous nature of the field ensures that data analytics professionals remain intellectually engaged and relevant in an ever-changing economic landscape.

The rising demand for skilled professionals, its versatility across industries, the ability to uncover actionable insights, and the constant evolution of the field makes this field a compelling choice for those seeking a fulfilling and impactful career.

As organisations increasingly rely on data to strategise their potential success, the role of data analytics professionals will only grow in importance, positioning them at the forefront of innovation and decision-making.

Embracing a career in data analytics is not just a choice for the present, but an investment in a future that is increasingly shaped by data more than ever.

Embracing a career in data analytics is not just a choice for the present, but an investment for the future

Jadd Elliot Dib CEO and founder Pangaea X

,

Revolutionising e-learning

JAN KEES DE JAGER, CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF EASYGENERATOR, SHARES HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN SIMPLIFY AND ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT IN E-LEARNING

QHow has technology and innovation impacted the workplace? What initiatives has the UAE taken to promote technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in the field of AI?

The UAE is well-positioned to become a global hub for innovation. Its various sectors are integrating cutting-edge technologies at an impressive rate, and the government leads the private sector by example with its empowering initiatives.

Its continued efforts in scaling the artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology, training and empowering talents for AI-enabled jobs, developing infrastructure for AI to thrive, and ensuring its strong governance and effective regulation foster a competitive economy that attracts foreign investment and enables entrepreneurship. The UAE is a model of excellence for a digital economy, with its investment in AI alone being estimated to reach more than $33bn by 2027.

Looking closely at businesses in the private sector, technology’s popularity for boosting productivity and efficiency in the workplace is unabated. Processes that were once manual and time-consuming can now be done in record time with digital tools, applications, and systems. Because of this digital shift, employees can focus on more important tasks that generate revenue and drive the company forward.

Digitally driven businesses are agile in problem-solving, processing actionable data, and implementing robust, insightbased strategies. Such companies are at the forefront of the exponential growth we have seen and continue to see in the business world. But what stands out to me is the ease and speed at which knowledge is shared due to innovation and technology.

EASYGENERATOR HELPS ANY PERSON WITHIN AN ORGANISATION TO GENERATE CONTENT EASILY AND QUICKLY. WE BELIEVE THAT KNOWLEDGE RESIDES WITH THE BUSINESS TEAMS WHO ARE DOING THE JOB DAILY; HENCE THE KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER SHALL HAPPEN FROM THERE AS WELL”

In what ways can AI revolutionise e-learning and improve the efficiency, personalisation, and engagement of the learning process?

Artificial intelligence (AI) can simplify and accelerate learning developments and empower experts in a certain field can make it easier to create courses to share their knowledge within a company. Moreover, AI can help enhance the course format and contents to ensure learners are engaged and are getting the most out of the learning experience. This enhancement includes summarisation, language translation, customised assessments and

THE UAE IS A MODEL OF EXCELLENCE FOR A DIGITAL ECONOMY, WITH ITS INVESTMENT IN AI ALONE BEING ESTIMATED TO REACH MORE THAN

$33BN

BY 2027

the on-brand design of e-learning materials, all a few clicks away. Without AI, this process would normally require hours of planning and execution when done manually.

AI helps SMEs to not worry about operative tasks and focus on sharing their own knowledge with other employees within the organisation or with relevant stakeholders. Ultimately, this act as a twofold solution, where people can become e-learning authors themselves in a very easy way and are inclined to create more content and the learners are inclined to

finish more courses, as both know it will be a quick process. This positively impacts adaptability, engagement, and retention of knowledge in any organisation.

What advantages does AI-powered learning offer to organisations?

Knowledge is a catalyst for growth. Hence, to progress, organisations must foster a culture of continuous learning and build a supportive system for the authors sharing knowledge and learners who consume it.

Efficiency and productivity gains are two of the most often cited benefits of implementing AI in the learning culture within the enterprise. The technology handles tasks at a pace and scale that manual labor can’t match. At the same time, by removing such tasks from the content creator’s responsibility, AI makes it possible for those authors to move to higher-value questions and output they want. This allows organisations to minimise the costs associated with performing mundane, repetitive tasks that technology can perform while supporting SMEs to create impactful courses.

From helping out with writer’s block by jump-starting the creation to improving courses and educational value, the objectivity and ease of AI-assisted learning can make any organisation more productive, cost-effective, and highly streamlined.

Tell us about Easygenerator. How do you pioneer the e-learning space?

Easygenerator helps any person within an organisation to generate content easily and quickly. We believe that knowledge resides with the business teams who are doing the job daily; hence the knowledge transfer shall happen from there as well. So, we created a software these subject matter experts can use to share knowledge without any instructional designer or coding experience. It is an easy dragand-drop tool that helps you create content swiftly and efficiently.

Embracing digital models

VIRGIN MOBILE’S ROB BESWICK SHARES HOW A DIGITAL FIRST APPROACH IMPACTS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

QWhat are the broader economic benefits for the UAE when businesses embrace a fully digital philosophy?

Digital adoption is no longer restricted to early adopters. Mass adoption of digital is happening quickly with customers from all socio demographic groups able to access and use digital services to enhance their lives. This is helping drive the digital economy forwards, making space not only for established digital brands to grow but also providing opportunities for new entrants

Elaborate on the key factors that contribute to a high return on brand loyalty when businesses adapt a fully digital model?

The key factors that digital business models should consider in elevating brand loyalty are simplicity, value, flexibility, consistency and service quality.

Simplicity is key, the digital journey should make it simpler and easier for customers to navigate through and get what and startup entrepreneurs to launch digital-first businesses. This dynamic situation has helped stimulate economic growth and more innovation, increasing the number of jobs and opportunities in the country. It’s an exciting time as the UAE is well-positioned globally for more growth.

Citizens and residents in the UAE are already reaping the broader benefits of the UAE’s digital-first philosophy. In fact, the Emirates’ digital economy, which is expected to grow rapidly from $38bn to

$140bn by 2031, is a benchmark for the rest of the world to follow.

“YOU HAVE LIMITED SPACE IN A DIGITAL APP ENVIRONMENT TO EXPLAIN YOUR PRODUCT, SO IT NEEDS TO BE INTUITIVE. SIMPLICITY CAN PROVIDE THAT”

they need from your product or service. This is not easy to build as simplifying the complexity takes time and consideration from your product team. You have limited space in a digital app environment to explain your product, so it needs to be intuitive. Simplicity can provide that.

Value is key for brand loyalty –customers want to know why they should buy your product above and beyond your competitors. Designing a value proposition that meets your customer needs is therefore critical. Getting that right and then consistently evolving your value proposition shows customers that you are listening and that in turn builds loyalty for the brand.

Flexibility – every customer has different needs. Allowing them to choose what is right for them and adjusting plans based on their terms keeps them loyal to your business instead of looking at other competitors for alternatives. This flexibility shouldn’t only be part of your value proposition but must be communicated clearly to the customer.

Consistency – your digital strategy front and back-end must be focused on consistent performance. Your digital estate will have multiple touch points that you can track – whether it be through automated quality assurance or through good old-fashioned customer listening. Ask your product team to talk to customers –the feedback they bring is invaluable. The closer your team is to the customer, the more likely they will innovate and drive a customer-first approach in your business. We don’t always get it right and when we do have a challenge, it’s imperative

that we apologise, are transparent and set expectations on how we can fix the problem. Customers need to know that you are a human brand too, and that you will strive to improve. A simple apology goes a long way in building brand trust.

How does a digital first approach impact customer experience and what strategies have you implemented to enhance this experience?

A digital-first approach is ever evolving, so you need to build an operating model

around that. For example, our agile product development cycles allow us to identify customer needs, develop solutions rapidly, upgrade the service with new features, and bring them to market quickly. A digital strategy should allow you to be quick to market. Often, we launch a minimum loveable product, understand the customer usage and feedback, and then decide whether we push on with further phases of its development. Our team will A-B test multiple journeys and communications within the app, allowing us to build up a clear picture and a digital recommendation of how we can improve the journey. This insight allows us to move beyond our own referencing of what’s right or wrong to meet that customer need.

All our strategies are positioned to meet the evolving expectations of consumers. We have a Business Intelligence team that gathers comprehensive data on an ongoing basis to produce insights that reveal the actual needs and convenience that a user is looking for. This allow us to develop digital products and services that bring the best value to our customers, and that fits their existing lifestyles.

We also believe that a digital-first approach can also be a more sustainable approach, allowing us to cater to consumers who are more conscious of their environmental impact. We’ve been delivering innovative initiatives, such as removing all single use plastic, launching bio-degradable SIMs, as well as giving customers the opportunity to offset their ‘mobile service’ carbon footprint by contributing to sustainable initiatives through our app. This also forms a key part of our overriding purpose to make mobile better for our customers, people, and wider society.

A DIGITAL STRATEGY SHOULD ALLOW YOU TO BE QUICK TO MARKET. OFTEN, WE LAUNCH A MINIMUM LOVEABLE PRODUCT, UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER USAGE AND FEEDBACK, AND THEN DECIDE WHETHER WE PUSH ON WITH FURTHER PHASES OF ITS DEVELOPMENT”

Rob Beswick, managing director, Virgin Mobile UAE

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is given a hero’s welcome on his arrival at the International Abu Dhabi Airport on September 18. Al Neyadi is the first Arab to serve on the International Space Station as part of a six-month mission with an international crew. He also made history as the first Arab astronaut to perform a spacewalk. Al Neyadi landed back on Earth on September 4.

PHOTO BY WALEED ZEIN/ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES

PIONEERING PROPTECH

ROBIN UBAGHS, CO-FOUNDER OF PROPCHAIN

AND THE WELFARE GROUP SHARES HOW HIS VENTURES ARE CREATING A REVOLUTION IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY

The Covid-19 pandemic stood out as one of the most significant challenges of the decade. However, amidst its adverse impact, a prominent silver lining emerged in the form of

accelerated digital transformation. This unforeseen shi t towards the adoption of technology led to the rise of numerous success stories, and among them, one noteworthy example is Propchain, a blockchainpowered proptech ecosystem.

THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS CONCEPT WAS THE BELIEF THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE THRIVING DUBAI REAL ESTATE MARKET. REAL ESTATE HAS LONG BEEN A PROVEN WEALTH CREATION AND PRESERVATION ASSET CLASS”

Propchain, led by 26-year-old Robin Ubaghs, primarily focuses on proptech and fintech aspects of the real estate industry. “We are mainly creating a blockchain-based ecosystem where we develop and use various proptech-related concepts. One of these concepts is a fractionalised real estate investment platform, allowing people to buy fractions of global real estate assets,” explains the co-founder.

“Within our blockchain ecosystem, we are also working on a vertical that empowers home ownership within challenging markets such as the UAE, where the market is mainly investment-driven, and around 80 per cent of its residents are renting their primary home. We believe that people should have a more convenient opportunity to build a legacy for themselves, hence why our solution is allowing tenants to build equity in the homes they are living in by reserving a percentage of the rent toward the future home purchase. This perfectly aligns with the UAE government’s goals of establishing family-based home ownership and significantly reducing the rental-driven nature of the market, further stabilising the real estate market and the economy,” says Ubaghs.

Looking back on a successful three-year journey, Ubaghs reminisces about his decision to relocate to Dubai six years ago. He was captivated by the city’s culture, which encouraged his ambitious goals. This vibrant and entrepreneurial environment starkly contrasted with what he had experienced before, but he found it incredibly stimulating.

Ubaghs’ entrepreneurial spirit was evident from a young age, as he already owned shares in an asset management company in London when he was just 17 years old. His ventures took him to destinations worldwide, including Dubai, where he discovered the promising atmosphere the UAE o ered young entrepreneurs like himself.

Encountering challenges

Meanwhile, like any new business, Ubaghs faced several challenges. As a newcomer, establishing the brand and products was a fundamental task, as it is for most companies. Additionally, since they introduced revolutionary concepts in the proptech and fintech domains, they had to navigate regulatory challenges. The regulators’ perspectives on their innovative concepts and how they fit into existing rental regulations were key considerations.

“Regulatory hurdles are a common obstacle for startups, which was our second major challenge. The third challenge involved building a solid foundation for the business, including finding the right people, partners, and suppliers. These aspects were crucial for ensuring the company’s success and growth,” he says.

Ubaghs explains how Propchain’s initial idea was to use blockchain technology to create a fractionalised investment platform for the real estate market. “The driving force behind this concept was the belief that everyone should have access to the thriving Dubai real estate market. Real estate has long been a proven wealth creation and preservation asset class. However, despite its reliability, it has remained largely inaccessible to many. So that was our key driver to make it more accessible to democratise real estate investments.”

Furthermore, he adds that Propchain allows users to invest across borders. “And it also o ers an opportunity to diversify

better, and because you have a lower entry barrier, it becomes a lot easier to spread your money over multiple properties, buying a fraction of it, rather than to have a way higher capital requirement to apply diversification.”

The firm’s most notable listings include a downtown triplex penthouse in Dubai, which was sold to European investors during its private MVP (minimum viable product)launch. Additionally, they are currently accepting investments for a completed 12-villa project in Tulum, Mexico, another sought-a ter location; these projects are available for sale on the company’s private platform and will soon be available to the general public.

“Apart from these, we are currently actively working on developing our Dubai-based real estate portfolio that presents significant (valueadd) opportunities. Our focus is not solely on acquiring aesthetically pleasing properties; we are committed to generating the highest value for our investors on the platform. To achieve this, we explore various strategies with our partners, including value-added redevelopment and, sometimes, ground-up developments. Our pipeline is already filled with exciting prospects that promise excellent returns for our investors,” adds Ubaghs.

Use of blockchain in real estate

The application of blockchain technology in the real estate industry is driven by the belief that the sector operates with outdated and cumbersome principles. These traditional practices o ten make it challenging to facilitate e cient trades and liquidity. “We address these issues by leveraging blockchain, particularly through tokenisation technology. We convert property fractions into security tokens, each representing a unique set of ownership rights in the property. This approach o ers several advantages, such as placing property fractions on the blockchain, which makes the entire property history easily accessible on our platform. This transparency benefits investors and stakeholders by clearly recording the property’s journey,” explains Ubaghs.

“Meanwhile, multiple stakeholders and participants are involved within our blockchain ecosystem, including investors, property owners, administrative companies responsible for rental management, and valuation companies. By centralising data storage and access, our ecosystem facilitates value capture for all these participants.

“Through blockchain, we also ensure that information trends are readily available, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions

THE FIRM’S MOST NOTABLE LISTINGS INCLUDE A DOWNTOWN TRIPLEX PENTHOUSE IN DUBAI

WHICH WAS SOLD TO EUROPEAN INVESTORS DURING ITS PRIVATE MVP LAUNCH

THE DIGITAL ASSET MOVEMENT PRESENTS AN INTRIGUING OPPORTUNITY DUE TO THE EMERGENCE OF DECENTRALISED FINANCE, WHICH ALLOWS FOR CONVENIENT LENDING AND LEVERAGING OF ASSETS THROUGH SMART CONTRACTS, ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR THE CUMBERSOME CREDIT CHECKS ASSOCIATED WITH TRADITIONAL BANKING PROCESSES. THIS EASE OF ACCESS TO CREDIT FACILITATES PORTFOLIO BUILDING, AKIN TO HOW MORTGAGES OPERATE IN THE REAL WORLD”

and stay updated on the latest developments,” he states. Ubaghs also notes that the rising popularity of digital assets is driven by a desire to move away from traditional and cumbersome processes. For example, the digital asset space is gaining traction because it offers greater convenience in trading illiquid real-world assets, making markets more liquid. This trend particularly appeals to the younger generation seeking rapid access to their funds.

“The digital asset movement presents an intriguing opportunity due to the emergence of decentralised finance, which allows for convenient lending and leveraging of assets through smart contracts, eliminating the need for the cumbersome credit checks associated with traditional banking processes. This ease of access to credit facilitates portfolio building, akin to how mortgages operate in the real world. In summary, the increasing popularity of digital assets is attributed to their advantages, such as streamlining processes, enhancing liquidity, and enabling straightforward digital asset-backed lending through decentralised finance,” observes Ubaghs.

Another successful tale

In addition to his achievements, Ubaghs co-founded another highly successful firm – Welfare Group. His entrepreneurial competence has played a key role in the success and growth of both ventures. Welfare Group, also the owner of Propchain, or at least one of its subsidiaries within Welfare Group, named Welfare Ventures, has been actively involved as the incubating entity. Generally, Welfare operates primarily in the real estate sector, encompassing the entire supply chain. Under its umbrella is Welfare Capital, which is focused on real estate-focused investment management, trade, and capital placements for real estate development projects. Additionally, the company actively engages in real estate development; Welfare provides attractive investment opportunities for high-net-worth clients seeking to invest in real estate assets globally.

“One of our most remarkable accomplishments is the successful establishment of our property development subsidiary known as Welfare Developments, which operates under the umbrella of the Welfare Group. Surprisingly, this venture was initiated just three years ago. Yet, we have already introduced it to global markets, with projects in Dubai, Tulum (Mexico), the UK, and Spain. This rapid expansion is truly an exceptional journey for such a short time frame.

“During this time, we have built an impressive real estate portfolio and have a substantial pipeline of projects in progress. This achievement not only sets a significant milestone for our company but also aligns well with the success of Propchain. Witnessing such extraordinary growth in the past few years is truly astonishing. I am convinced that combining these two ventures will create a formidable force in the industry by its ‘full supply chain’ and ‘renewing technological’ approach,” believes Ubaghs.

Onwards and upwards

Moving forward, Ubaghs says that the company has successfully established its presence in the European markets with its fractionalised investment platform. “We are gearing up to introduce the home-ownership model to the UAE market. Once we secure alignment with the regulator and the appropriate regulatory sandbox, we also intend to launch our fractionalised investment platform in the UAE. These expansion strategies are the key focus for the next two years and will allow us to enhance our market presence and opportunities further,” he says.

THE COMPANY IS GEARING UP TO INTRODUCE THE HOMEOWNERSHIP MODEL TO THE UAE MARKET. ONCE IT SECURES ALIGNMENT WITH THE REGULATOR AND THE APPROPRIATE REGULATORY SANDBOX

Before the closing note, Ubaghs seizes the opportunity to impart valuable advice to aspiring young entrepreneurs. With wisdom gained from his journey, he encourages them to embrace innovation, persevere through challenges, build strong networks, and remain passionate about their endeavours to achieve lasting success in business.

“The primary advice I offer is to stay focused on your own journey. Identify a market, a business model, and a product that addresses a specific problem that is serious enough. This is crucial for creating a unique and successful business. You must develop an innovative idea to captivate others and convince

them to buy into your vision. For this reason, it’s essential to have a clear and well-defined vision, which you can effectively pitch to experts who understand your business model better than you do. Once you’ve gathered the right people around your vision, ensure they have all the necessary resources to execute your crystal-clear objectives effectively. Afterward, you let them do their magic without micromanaging them. This valuable lesson results from my experiences and learnings over time,” he concludes.

THE COMPANY ALSO INTENDS TO LAUNCH ITS FRACTIONALISED INVESTMENT PLATFORM IN THE UAE

Pics: Getty Images

The 43rd edition of Gitex Global, the UAE's annual technology event, is making a grand return from October 16-20. This year, the event is expanding significantly across two massive venues: the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Dubai Harbour.

While DWTC prepares to host more than 6,000 exhibitors, Expand North Star, the startup tech event hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, will kick o its edition from October 15-18 at the Dubai Harbour venue, featuring 1,800 startups from over 100 countries.

Gitex Global's comprehensive ecosystem comprises 10 co-located shows: Gitex Global, Ai Everything, Gitex Impact, Future Urbanism, Global Devslam, Superbridge Summit Dubai, Expand North Star, Fintech Surge, Future Blockchain Summit, and Marketing Mania. It will cover 41 exhibition halls, spanning 2.7 million square feet of exhibition space – a 35 per cent increase over the previous year, hosting leading technology giants and startups specialising in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, mobility, sustainable tech and more.

Over five days, attendees can look forward to a jam-packed schedule featuring conferences, live workshops, exclusive networking opportunities, and the chance to explore the latest technological innovations in action.

GITEXGITEX

WORDS: DIVSHA BHAT

THE MIDDLE EAST'S POPULAR TECH EXPO RETURNS ON OCTOBER 16, BRINGING US

THE LATEST INNOVATIONS AND REDEFINING THE NEWEST TRENDS

GLOBAL 2023 GLOBAL

WHAT’S NEW?

GITEX CYBER VALLEY

The event will discuss how cybersecurity can mitigate rising cyberthreats.

It will cover key components such as: Gitex CISO Lounge: A platform where the top 150 chief information security o cers from various industries will discuss, exchange industry insights, and address common challenges alongside their peers.

Cyber Workshops: The workshops will provide visitors with insights into proactive strategies for combatting modern cyberthreats, o ering an understanding of e ective approaches to safeguarding organisations.

Collaborative Hackathons: It will also feature hackathons involving tech companies. With over 500 participants participating in five challenges, the objective will be to address global tech issues and find solutions to combat cyberthreats.

AI EVERYTHING

Led by the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and the O ce for Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications in the UAE, the fi th edition of Ai Everything will serve as a global gathering, uniting the AI community, including major enterprises, public sector representatives, and AI professionals, as they navigate

the intricate landscape of technology reshaping both business and society.

GLOBAL DEVSLAM

Supported by Coders HQ, an initiative of the UAE government and endorsed by the Python So tware Foundation, Global DevSlam grants exclusive access to C-level visionaries, government dignitaries, and a diverse international coding community. The event will continue to o er scholarships to support talented individuals from across the globe in coding and development.

GITEX IMPACT

Gitex Impact will foster advancements in climate solutions, ESG investments, sustainable finance, and collaborative public-private ventures. Attendees can explore the globe’s most influential tech communities driving progress in Sustainability Tech, ESG Strategies, AI, robotics, HealthTech, DeepTech, EdTech, FinTech, Metaverse, Web3, coding, future mobility, and many other transformative domains.

FUTURE URBANISM

Future Urbanism takes centre stage in propelling the urban revolution and shaping the cities of tomorrow. It assembles urban visionaries, developers of megacities,

and sustainable technologies to create a global hub for sourcing solutions to construct intelligent, sustainable and resilient urban communities.

SUPERBRIDGE SUMMIT DUBAI

The SuperBridge Summit will establish connections and foster unity among leaders from the world’s most rapidly expanding economies. “As the UAE forges ahead with its visionary economic agenda via advanced collaborations and enduring strategic partnerships, the SuperBridge Dubai Summit will create new opportunities for innovation and co-creation in emerging global economies, said Helal Saeed Al Marri, director–general, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism and DWTC. “This powerful

summit alongside Gitex Global and Expand North Star will be the new cornerstone of an international investment roadmap by accelerating entrepreneurial innovation across government, business, society, and culture,” he added.

EXPAND NORTH STAR

Across four days, Expand North Star will present some of the top startups from over 100 countries and welcome 1,000 VCs.

The event will deliver a content programme debating the big stories of 2023, including a fl ash storm of generative AI startups, and more than 70 unicorn founders on stage give their opinions. This platform allows startups to shine as well as grow through

THIS POWERFUL SUMMIT ALONGSIDE GITEX GLOBAL AND EXPAND NORTH STAR WILL BE THE NEW CORNERSTONE OF AN INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT ROADMAP BY ACCELERATING ENTREPRENEURIAL INNOVATION ACROSS GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE"

mentorship, product showcases, meetings, pitch competitions and conference sessions.

FINTECH SURGE

With a strong emphasis on embedded finance, enhancing customer experiences, and setting benchmarks for global fintech strategies, the Middle East and North Africa will host a gathering of international fintech leaders. This event promises to unveil the technological advancements in paytech, insurtech, regtech, wealth and asset management and digital banking, presented by more than 100 global financial services firms. With over 100 thought-provoking discussions featuring global regulators, financial institutions, and unicorns, this summit will redefine fintech strategies within the region. Additionally, targeted meetings will involve over 1000 startups, tech buyers, and investors.

FUTURE BLOCKCHAIN SUMMIT

The Future Blockchain Summit, the blockchain event, is relocating to Dubai Harbour and will take place from October 15-18, 2023. During the four-day event, industry leaders will have networking opportunities, access to valuable insights, the chance to compete for growth

This event promises to unveil the technological advancements in paytech, insurtech, regtech, wealth and asset management and digital banking, presented by more than

funding in the Supernova Challenge, participate in the Investors Program & Forum, enhance their expertise through Academic Masterclasses, and engage in a Web3 Gaming Showdown.

MARKETING MANIA

Marketing Mania is the sole marketing and creative technology trade exhibition in the MENA region that unites marketing experts seeking the latest technologies and strategies to elevate their marketing endeavours.

GLOBAL FINANCIAL SERVICES

QUICK SHOWCASE

Avaya

Avaya will showcase a range of vertical-specific use cases that highlight the power of artificial intelligence (AI) in delivering outstanding experiences across the customer journey. Throughout the week of the event, Avaya will demonstrate solutions that harness AI to reimagine the way customer and employee experiences are delivered. The solutions on display will also show how organisations can chart their own path to delivering these AI-enhanced experiences without disrupting existing operations. “No two words capture the current business zeitgeist better than ‘artificial intelligence’. The capabilities being delivered by AI are supercharging organisations’ ability to innovate with their customer experiences,” said Nidal Abou-Ltaif, senior vice president – global head of sales, Avaya and president, Avaya International.

Pure Storage

Pure Storage will demonstrate new additions to the portfolio such as FlashArray//E, the latest addition to the company’s flagship FlashArray family of products, which delivers the efficiency of flash for all file and block data repositories, from content libraries to backup sets to active archives. It will also showcase FlashBlade//E, a storage for unstructured data repositories. “Customers come to us for infrastructure which supports their business needs and frees up teams to focus on strategic tasks. At Gitex Global, we will be showcasing solutions which are unique in helping customers to implement the most modern, simple storage delivered with a cloud operating model and via flexible consumption,” commented Omar Akar, regional vice president – Middle East and Emerging Africa, Pure Storage.

Cloud Box Technologies

Cloud Box Technologies will present its solutions portfolio that enables digital transformation among customers across various industries, including healthcare, banking and finance, retail, manufacturing and education. The company will highlight its specialised capabilities in on-premise digitisation, its

NOC and its pre-emptive managed detection and service capabilities. Ranjith Kaippada, managing director at Cloud Box Technologies, stated: “This year at Gitex Global, we will also showcase our complete cybersecurity solutions, including our latest addition – a security operations centre (SOC). We have set it up primarily as a watchful custodian of our customers' digital assets. With our SOC, we can now support our customers in fortifying their cybersecurity defences and protecting against growing cyber threats in the fast-changing digital ecosystem.”

Liferay

Liferay’s platform facilitates organisations in building, launching and managing custom digital solutions. This approach propels data-driven tailored experiences across stakeholders – B2B, B2C, B2E, G2G or G2C – through digital channels. It o ers the flexibility to streamline applications, and with Liferay Experience Cloud, organisations can create a broad range of custom solutions, including customer experiences, employee portals and solutions for suppliers, distributors and retailers. Moussalam Dalati, general manager – Middle East and Africa, Liferay, highlighted, “We firmly believe in equipping businesses with the tools to build and deliver exceptional experiences while capitalising on existing skills, proficiencies and deep industry expertise. We focus on creating opportunities for organisations to cra t their applications and systems on a robust platform, thereby eliminating the need for extensive investments.”

Sophos

Sophos will showcase its advanced cybersecurity solutions including its managed detection and response at Gitex Global. The company will also highlight its incident response retainer, which provides organisations with speedy access to its fixed-cost incident response services. Harish Chib, VP – MEA at Sophos said: “We recently released the Active Adversary Report for Tech Leaders 2023 which mentions that it took on average less than a day – approximately 16 hours – for attackers to reach active directory (AD). It typically manages identity and access to resources across an organisation, meaning attackers can use AD to escalate their privileges

on a system to log in and carry out a wide range of malicious activity. At Gitex, we look forward to sharing insights on the challenges faced when it comes to targeted, active attacks that are planned and carried out by human operators as adversaries are constantly modifying and evolving their toolkits to stay one step ahead of cybersecurity professionals.”

SolarWinds

SolarWinds will present its product portfolio at Gitex Global, alongside it’s value-added distribution partners in the region – CyberKnight and Spire Solutions. Among the products presented include its full-stack observability products, comprehensive database management portfolio and IT service management solutions and AI-powered product innovations. “We help companies to manage increasingly complex hybrid and multi-cloud environments to accelerate digital transformation, drive automation, modernise applications and migrate to the cloud. By enabling IT teams with increased visibility, intelligence and e ciency, we are making it easier for them to manage their environments faster, and they are better equipped to maximise the overall value IT provides to businesses. We invite visitors to join SolarWinds' top executives and engage with our engineering, product and sales teams who will also be on hand to guide visitors through the live product demos at the boot,” said Abdul Rehman Tariq Butt, regional director – Middle East, SolarWinds.

SentinelOne

SentinelOne will highlight its solutions and demonstrate their e ectiveness in combatting the increasing number of malware attacks in cloud environments that organisations around the world face. The company will showcase cloud data security product lineup, including the recently launched, Threat Detection for Amazon S3 and Threat Detection for NetApp. These solutions are specifically designed to address the growing complexities of malware attacks in cloud ecosystems, providing robust protection to businesses operating in cloud spaces. During the event, the company will host live demonstrations of the advanced threat detection technology deployed in these products

OUR PRESENCE WILL UNDERSCORE THE PIVOTAL ROLE THAT SENTINELONE PLAYS IN REDEFINING CYBERSECURITY AND SAFEGUARDING BUSINESSES AGAINST EMERGING THREATS, AND WE ARE KEEN TO SHARE INSIGHTS AND BEST PRACTICES TO HELP LEADING ORGANISATIONS PREVENT THREATS, REDUCE RISK AND KEEP THEIR SYSTEMS AND DATA SAFE"

and their e ciency and e ectiveness in automating malware scanning in NetApp and Amazon S3 storage environments. “Our presence will underscore the pivotal role that SentinelOne plays in redefining cybersecurity and safeguarding businesses against emerging threats, and we are keen to share insights and best practices to help leading organisations prevent threats, reduce risk and keep their systems and data safe,” stated Meriam El Ouazzani, regional director – META at SentinelOne.

ManageEngine

ManageEngine will showcase its entire suite of IT solutions, which include a portfolio of over 60 products that addresses a variety of IT market segments such as IT service management, operations management, endpoint management and security, advanced analytics and

more. “Since 2005, ManageEngine has conducted business in the Middle East, which is now one of our most important global markets. We have participated in every edition of Gitex Global since 2007. The tech show has proven to be a terrific platform for us to expand our brand to a much wider audience in that region. Gitex Global is very important to us, and we expect that this year's event will give us more opportunities to interact with our customers, partners and prospects which will enable us to better understand and meet their IT needs,” commented

Sujoy Banerjee, associate director – Sales and Business Development –

UAE, ManageEngine.

GITEX PROVIDES THE IDEAL STAGE TO BROADCAST OUR MESSAGE OF FINANCIAL ETHICS AND INCLUSIVITY INLINE WITH ISLAMIC LAW. WE AIM TO SPOTLIGHT ISLAMIC COIN’S ETHICAL AND PHILANTHROPIC FEATURES TO ALIGN WITH THE UAE'S ENTREPRENEURIAL VISION AND REGIONAL ECONOMIC GOALS, AND DEMONSTRATE HOW OUR UNIQUE FRAMEWORK SEEKS GLOBAL MUSLIM ADOPTION, AND COMMUNITY GIVEBACK"

Minnapad

Backed by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Minnapad is set to make its mark at Gitex Global, where it will showcase it's innovative solutions and demonstrate how blockchain can revolutionise the IP industry. In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, Minnapad, a blockchain company has garnered recognition for its commitment to utilsing blockchain technology to benefit intellectual property creators from creation to monetisation and intellectual property protection. Vesper Qin, co-founder at Minnapad stated: “The integration of blockchain technology into the intellectual property industry is a momentous game-changer, leading to unparalleled e ciency and transparency. At Minnapad, we wholeheartedly believe in empowering creators by harnessing innovation. With our unwavering commitment, we are determined to revolutionise the way creators exercise their rights, ensuring their intellectual property receives the recognition and protection it deserves.”

Extreme Networks

Extreme Networks will discuss data sovereignty and how being able to manage your network your way whether that’s through its regional data center or public, private or hybrid cloud scenarios, will improve data transparency and transmission for customers in META. The company also has an interactive experience planned for its stand featuring the Manchester United football club as it showcases how it has changed the fan experience at Old Tra ord, using its wi-fi and cloud management solutions. The company will further be demonstrating it’s ExtremeCloud IQ solution that includes explainable ML/

AI to help reduce mean time to resolution, distinguish network anomalies and help IT and network administrators see, verify and trust proactive insights. “We believe that Gitex Global 2023 will be the launchpad for innovations and discussions around AI and its integration across industry touchpoints and modern governments’ and enterprises’ operations. As a leader in the enterprise networking space, we see a significant advantage here, as the network is the foundation of all of these new tools and applications. We’re excited to show booth visitors just how powerful that can be when it comes to creating more operational e ciency across an entire organisation,” said Maan Al-Shakarchi, regional director – META at Extreme Networks.

Islamic Coin

The Sharia-compliant, ethics-first cryptocurrency Islamic Coin is set to make an appearance at this year’s Gitex Global. “It’s not the first time we’re attending Gitex, and we’re expecting something huge this year,” said Islamic Coin co-founder Mohammed AlKa AlHashmi. “Gitex provides the ideal stage to broadcast our message of financial ethics and inclusivity inline with Islamic law. We aim to spotlight Islamic Coin’s ethical and philanthropic features to align with the UAE's entrepreneurial vision and regional economic goals, and demonstrate how our unique framework seeks global Muslim adoption, and community giveback.”

With a dedicated booth and a hackathon at Future Blockchain Summit, Islamic Coin aims to solidify its unique position in the market. By aligning blockchain's disruptive potential with faith-based financial tenets, Islamic Coin is charting a course towards creating an ethical financial ecosystem that has the potential to redefine the crypto space.

One to watch as the technology world gears up for GITEX GLOBAL 2023

Every year in October, leading firms, top executives, government officials, as well as technology experts descend on Dubai for GITEX Global, driven by the opportunity to tap into the region’s dynamic technology market and actively contribute to its growth and development. Unsurprisingly then, leading technology firms such as HP are excited to use the global platform to showcase some of the company’s most recent innovations across its future-proof portfolio of services, and solutions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will take centre stage at this year’s GITEX Global. As a technology leader, HP is thrilled about the immense possibilities that generative AI opens up, especially when it comes to personal systems.

Excited about the potential of AI and being at GITEX Global 2023, Peter Oganesean, managing director at HP Middle East, maintained: “AI is an exhilarating frontier for us, and this year’s theme of ‘AI Everything’ signifies a transformative journey where AI

transcends boundaries, reshaping our approach to work, connecting and innovating. At HP, we are fully embracing AI as an accelerant for our digital transformation and driving operational efficiency. Globally, our extensive partnerships with the industry’s visionaries including silicon and software firms, contribute to an exciting pipeline that promises continuous innovation in this field.”

On the product-side, HP will be showcasing its revamped Future Ready Portfolio, featuring solutions and services meticulously crafted to revolutionise the hybrid working experience and to promote workplace equity across diverse workstyles, setups, and locations.

Ushering a new era of hybrid work, HP’s portfolio encompasses robust and security-focused collaboration and productivity tools. From commercial PCs, workstations, and peripherals to its sustainable printing solutions and services, HP provides exceptional work experiences to its customers.

Those workplace solutions are reinforced by HP’s Poly collaboration, integrating cutting-edge video conferencing systems, speakerphones, headsets, and more. Meeting room solutions are pivotal in supporting hybrid work, and Poly’s expertise in this domain empowers customers to excel on their hybrid work journey.

As a critical element of hybrid working, HP also places significant emphasis on cybersecurity. Drawing on its expertise in developing the world’s most secure PCs, HP will showcase the latest in software and service development, providing businesses of all sizes access to advanced malware protection and security scans. This includes HP’s Wolf’s Connect – which is a part of the HP Wolf Security suite – the world’s first software service capable of locating, locking, and erasing a PC remotely, even when powered down or disconnected from the Internet.

Furthermore, at this year’s GITEX Global, technology aficionados will be getting first-hand accounts on why sustainability remains a top priority for HP and what it means for the company’s commitment to combating climate change, protecting human rights, and accelerating digital equity.

Visitors are invited to explore HP’s comprehensive lineup of future-proof solutions and services, tailor-made for hybrid adaptability by visiting HP at GITEX Global 2023 at Booth A10 in Hall 21 or explore the Poly offering at Booth E20 in Hall 7

Ushering a new era of hybrid work, HP’s portfolio encompasses robust and security-focused collaboration and productivity tools”

HP’s solutions and services fuel sustainable growth while nurturing a flourishing hybrid world for work, fun and life

A GAME-CHANGER FOR BUSINESSES

CONSTRAINTS OF REAL-WORLD LIMITATIONS

The metaverse has had some of its thunder stolen by the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as the latest tech craze, however, the immense value that the metaverse has to offer is only now starting to truly come to light.

Businesses in particular have the opportunity to benefit substantially, by reaching new audiences in exciting and creative ways. With the metaverse now more accessible in its fledgling adoption stage, there is no better time than the present for brands to become first-movers in this expansive, era-defining space.

There are numerous possibilities to explore within the vast scope of the metaverse. It offers a unique platform for deeply immersive, fully interactive engagement, without the constraints of real-world limitations such as gravity, no geographical boundaries, and so on. Because of this, the metaverse presents the opportunity to get creative in ways we have never seen before.

With a little bit of imagination and a pioneering attitude, the limit goes beyond the pixel sky - as is the case with Everdome, the world’s first hyper-realistic metaverse where players journey beyond Earth to civilise Mars. Businesses can create virtual experiences that not only mirror or complement

real-world possibilities, but dramatically exceed them.

Brands can develop virtual showrooms, explore innovative advertising avenues, create non-fungible tokens (NFTs), buy and sell virtual metaverse land plots, and so much more. There is the potential to offer real-world-like experiences without customers having to visit a brick-and-mortar outlet.

They can also go way beyond the real world, making extraordinary experiences available for all. Want to race a Ferrari on Mars? Fly a rocket across the solar system? Visit ancient civilisations? Create interactive brand experiences in amazing locations. The only limit of the metaverse will be your imagination.

The flexibility of the metaverse also makes it the ideal space for businesses to experiment and innovate with their products and services. For example, a newly developed product can be created and tested in the virtual world. Users can offer real-time feedback. Adjustments can be made within the metaverse, resulting in an improved product-market fit, a faster time to market, potentially more cost-effective testing processes, and a strong competitive advantage within the digital and physical landscapes.

Brand visibility is another strong bonus of the metaverse. Early adopters

in particular will stand out as innovators, with the advantage of being first into what will become a heavily populated space - both in terms of brands vying for space and users. Businesses can leverage the metaverse in a similar way to how they would the real world, by collaborating with influencers, developing and implementing immersive marketing campaigns, and positioning themselves in front of a global audience. Naturally, the metaverse creates access to new revenue streams, too. Virtual commerce, real estate, advertising and asset sales are just a handful of the opportunities within this space. New revenue streams unlock additional growth potential as well as portfolio diversification, enabling stronger, more sustainable growth, which leads to the last but by no means least point, which is that the metaverse can help businesses to become more future-proof.

The metaverse is the future of digital interaction. Consider how the internet triggered an evolution for the commerce sector, and how many purchases today are made online versus in person. Now imagine how the metaverse, a much more deeply engaging, interactive and virtually unlimited platform, will revolutionise industries. Getting involved in the metaverse today will trigger greater business innovation while positioning brands as forward-thinking and at the forefront of digital age developments.

As a forerunner in the metaverse space, Everdome works with businesses to help them take full advantage of everything it has to offer, to drive brand growth and success by leveraging cutting-edge technology. Our expert team supports the realisation of hyper-realistic immersive experiences, access to a growing user base, monetisation, collaborative opportunities, and much more.

The possibilities to captivate and engage audiences are truly limited only by the imagination. And with a techsavvy generation leading the way into life within the virtual world, now is the time to take advantage of all it can offer to increase brand awareness, loyalty, and customer satisfaction, to build a solid and sustainable business - regardless of sector or industry.

JEREMY LOPEZ, COO OF EVERDOME, SHARES WHY THE METAVERSE OFFERS A UNIQUE PLATFORM FOR DEEPLY IMMERSIVE, FULLY INTERACTIVE ENGAGEMENT, WITHOUT THE

THE GLOBAL DIGITAL RACE

WHY DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE STANDS AS A CORNERSTONE FOR THE BURGEONING GROWTH MARKETS IN THE REALM OF TECHNOLOGICAL SOVEREIGNTY

The recent media discussions surrounding the origins of semiconductor chips used in the Huawei Mate 60 Pro handset have intensified the global conversation about the need for technological sovereignty. This device represents a burgeoning symbol of the steadfast journey towards technological self-sufficiency. Amid economic uncertainty, there is an aspiration that these advanced hi-tech devices will spur domestic consumer consumption, highlighting the critical importance of national technological sovereignty in the modern era. The drive towards self-reliance in technology underscores the broader, global imperative for nations to develop robust digital and blockchain infrastructures, pivotal in enhancing security, innovation and economic resilience.

Technological sovereignty underscores, the imperative for comprehensive control across three fundamental layers: the physical layer surrounding infrastructure and technology, the code layer covering standards, rules and design, and the data layer relating to ownership, flows and utilisation. It aims to shield individuals by enhancing data protection, bolster the competitiveness of domestic enterprises through local content requirements or diverse industrial

policy considerations, and safeguard strategic public interests.

In the realm of digital governance, especially data governance, escalating tensions are palpable. The critical question is who lays the foundation for the global digital economy’s basic infrastructure, extending even to third countries worldwide. Amid the concerted efforts by various economic, innovation and technology policies to establish economic sovereignty, the allure of technological sovereignty is intensifying. This attraction parallels the exploitation of raw materials and the strategic positioning of economic actors in global production and value chains.

Technology sovereignty is intrinsically intertwined with innovation sovereignty, serving as a vital conduit to achieving the latter. Achieving both short and long-term economic objectives relies on innovation sovereignty, necessitating the cultivation of local technological advancements. The dual attainment of technology and innovation sovereignty is realised by creating pertinent scientific and technological knowledge. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that such knowledge holds tangible economic impact only when supported by essential resources and preconditions, including a robust regulatory framework and substantial infrastructure.

Numerous developing nations grapple with the challenge, of independently constructing digital hardware and software. The predominant advantage within the digital economy for these countries lies in adeptly harnessing available technologies to amplify output and productivity across agricultural and manufacturing value chains. Nevertheless, realising this advantage necessitates tailored digital industrial policies that encourage local innovation and stimulate demand within the domestic private sector, considering the hurdles of absorptive capacity.

The evolution of digital infrastructure stands as a cornerstone for the burgeoning growth markets in the realm of technological sovereignty. The advent of Web3 and blockchain technologies presents an opportunity in this endeavour. As decentralised and open-source platforms, they provide robust frameworks that can catalyse comprehensive development.

The technology’s inherent decentralisation emboldens the enhancement of regulatory frameworks, reinforcing information security and ensuring transparency via the secure dissemination of encrypted data within peer-to-peer networks. In the quest to optimise the manifold benefits of blockchain for surmounting developmental obstacles, the expeditious establishment of a supportive environment is crucial for developing nations. This commitment includes the meticulous crafting of an organisational structure paired with the augmentation of digital infrastructure. Such an initiative is vital to unlocking the economic prospects offered by blockchain, all while navigating the potential risks within the expanse of the digital economy.

Paul Lalovich , managing partner, Agile Dynamics

Dubai: Unlocking the full potential of the digital world

Dubai is laying the groundwork for what is to be done in the coming decade for the city to become a leading global digital economy hub

The advancement of a country’s technology ecosystem has thus become a yardstick of its ability to compete on the global stage. To further Dubai’s digital infrastructure ambitions and become a global hub for a digital economy, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council launched the city’s new cloud technology project in July.

Dubai Digital Clouds is the latest in a series of initiatives that are being

implemented in the emirate to create a world-leading, efficient, agile and reliable digital infrastructure. Digital economy is an integral part of the $8.7tn Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), a strategy that was unveiled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum to mark his 17th anniversary as ruler of the emirate.

From flying taxis to self-driving to crypto regulation, Dubai is laying the groundwork for what is to be done in the coming decade for the city to become a leading global digital economy

hub. Its shorter-term ambitious strategy includes attracting more than 300 new digital businesses by 2024 and becoming home to over 20 unicorns by 2030.

A PIONEERING INITIATIVE

Dubai’s economy has thrived over the years, driven by strong digital strategies that are being implemented by the government. The city’s strategy on digital transformation is getting noticed.

Central to Dubai’s future is longterm strategic planning and ambitious visions powered and driven by a high-skilled workforce, technology, and innovation.

Dubai’s Digital Strategy, which aims to bring in a new era of digital transformation

in the emirate was launched in June. The city’s new Digital Strategy is based on a vision to digitalise all aspects of life in Dubai and establish a reliable, robust digital system that enhances the digital economy and empowers a digitallydriven society.

Sheikh Hamdan said, “The period ahead calls for intensifying efforts, strengthening cooperation, and promoting proactive thinking and innovation to achieve major goals.”

The city’s shorter-term ambitions include attracting more than 300 new digital businesses by the end of 2024, to become home to over 20 unicorns by 2030 and have a digital economy worth well over $140bn annually by 2031.

Dubai is offering funding in several formats, including equity, direct lending and loan guarantees to startups and entrepreneurs to nurture a thriving digital economy. In March, the Dubai Future District Fund set a $1.7bn target for assets under management by the end of 2025, a fourfold increase since its founding in 2021, to invest in technology startups.

A UNIFIED ECOSYSTEM

Digital government is considered the path toward enabling national agendas, fostering a digital economy and developing a more sustainable future. From

THE CITY’S SHORTER-TERM AMBITIONS INCLUDE ATTRACTING MORE THAN 300 NEW DIGITAL BUSINESSES BY THE END OF 2024, AND HAVE A DIGITAL ECONOMY WORTH WELL OVER $140BN ANNUALLY BY 2031

automation and digital government platforms to an Internet-of-Things smart city, Dubai Government is leveraging innovative technology to improve services and the lives of citizens and residents alike.

The city’s digital journey started with the launch of MENA’s first e-government in 2001, which was followed by a smart government initiative in 2013 and then the government-wide digital transformation, which culminated in fully eliminating paper transactions by the end of 2021.

The growth in super apps, platforms that offer an enormous network of services such as Careem, has spread to Dubai’s public sector with numerous e-government super apps emerging in the city.

DubaiNow, a government mobile app, gives access to more than 130 public and private sector services from over 30 entities in the emirate. Since launch, the government app has processed 20 million digital payment transactions worth more than $2.7bn (Dhs10bn), including four million payments worth Dhs2bn that were processed in 2022.

DubaiPay, a shared payment service allows government entities and service providers to offer payment facilities to their customers. The mobile app allows citizens, residents and visitors to pay

Words: Kudakwashe Muzoriwa

DUBAINOW, A GOVERNMENT MOBILE APP, GIVES ACCESS TO MORE THAN 130 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR SERVICES FROM OVER 30 ENTITIES IN THE EMIRATE

using various payment options conveniently and securely.

In April, Sheikh Hamdan unveiled the Hub Nub app, a new communications mechanism that facilitates instant and effective communication between Dubai Government leaders and decision-makers.

Government apps possess potent advantages in the public sector: for citizen end users, they can increase e-government inclusion by unifying services under one credible brand while revolutionising efficiency for government entities.

CITY IN THE CLOUD

Cloud computing is one of the most important underlying technologies for digital transformation. Dubai adopted a cloud first approach for governmentaffiliated entities to consider cloud computing solutions as a primary part of their information technology planning and procurement.

Consultancy firm OliverWyman said the cloud will be a critical enabler of the new platforms, services, and infrastructure that governments and enterprises seek to activate as Dubai forges ahead with its Digital Strategy.

The Dubai Digital Clouds project was unveiled earlier in July. The project seek to establish a world-leading efficient, reliable, and agile digital infrastructure that leverages the most advanced cloud technologies and enhance the efficiency of government services.

“ THE PERIOD AHEAD CALLS FOR INTENSIFYING EFFORTS, STRENGTHENING COOPERATION, AND PROMOTING PROACTIVE THINKING AND INNOVATION TO ACHIEVE MAJOR GOALS”

A BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE

GCC countries – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain – have made no secret of their ambitions of becoming leaders in driving digital transformation in the world.

The region has realised the importance of embracing digital government transformation and the authorities are implementing initiatives as part of their national plans.

The authorities have made clear emphasis on accelerating digital transformation to meet ambitious national digital agendas and rising citizen expectations, and to rapidly address lingering digital government maturity gaps.

Global consultancy firm Strategy& projected that for every $1 invested in generative AI (GenAI), the GCC region could expect around $9.9 of economic growth, with the overall economic impact of GenAI expected to reach $23.5bn per year by 2030.

GCC governments are increasingly investing in innovative technologies as part of their broader economic diversification strategies, from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025 to Qatar National Vision 2030.

The UAE unveiled a guide for government entities to adopt AI technology and use it in vital sectors in April to further augment government work models. The country’s national strategies such as ‘We the UAE 2031’, are expected to double the contribution of the digital economy to the GDP from 9.7 per cent to 19.4 per cent over the next decade.

Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in its digital transformation strategy as the kingdom expects the development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution solutions to accelerate its shift towards

It also aims to implement strict cybersecurity standards and policies, creating an enabling environment to support Dubai’s digital economy and aid decision-making processes.

Digital Dubai is working to support government entities to prioritise

an innovation-driven, knowledge-based economy.

The National Transformation Program’s 2022 report, shows that Saudi Arabia leads regionally and ranks third globally in the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index 2022. The kingdom aims to train 20,000 data and AI experts, launch more than 300 active AI startups, and attract $20bn in foreign investments by 2030.

Global technology companies such as Google, Huawei, Oracle and SAP are also investing extensively in Saudi Arabia. Qatar Digital Government Strategy 2021/26 is fostering the adoption of AI, blockchain, smart digital services and innovative technologies to boost the digital economy.

Similarly, the governments of Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain Kuwait have updated their respective e-government programmes to promote digital transformation in the public and private sectors.

To this end, countries in the Gulf region are harnessing and applying the latest technologies such as big data and analytics, blockchain, augmented reality, virtual reality, AI, 3D printing and robotics to modernise, centralise and streamline government service delivery.

the transition towards the Dubai Digital Clouds project and select authorised service providers based on the requirements and objectives of each entity.

As Dubai continues to deliver more advanced services to a growing population, the agility, capacity for

innovation, and economies of scale afforded by the cloud are critically important. The city will likely double its investments in cloud technologies, including software-as-a-service and infrastructure-as-a-service to meet the growing demand.

Harnessing the power of generative AI

Envision a force so versatile that it optimises processes across a wide range of sectors, from government institutions to fledgling startups, enhancing both efficiency and e ectiveness. That’s the exciting promise of generative AI. Expected to skyrocket the market to a remarkable $109bn by 2030, its potential applications appear infinite. From refining customer service experiences to igniting groundbreaking advancements in healthcare and medicine, generative AI is leading us into a revolutionary era of extraordinary innovation.

History will earmark 2022 as a pivotal juncture in the fourth industrial revolution, when generative AI transitioned into the mainstream. Each industrial revolution has had its defining moment – the first harnessed the power of water and steam to mechanise production, the second tapped into electric power to initiate mass production and the third exploited electronics and information technology to

automate production. Now, the fourth industrial revolution, building on the digital breakthroughs of the third, stands at a critical crossroads.

A key turning point was the launch of the open-source language model, ChatGPT, which signalled a new era in artificial intelligence (AI). Generative AI today stands at the edge of a transformative leap, ready to reshape the contours of digital transformation.

However, with all the enthusiasm and buzz, it’s easy for employees to devote time in AI tools that compromise confidential data, or for managers to choose shadow AI solutions that haven’t been subjected to security, data governance and other compliance evaluations.

SPEED VS SECURITY

To strike the correct balance between speed at adoption and security, a thorough understanding of the organisation’s risk tolerance and the potential impact of security breaches

From refining customer service experiences to igniting advancements in healthcare and medicine, generative AI is leading into a revolutionary era of innovation

on operational e ciency is required. The current AI systems can seamlessly outperform manual labour, producing accurate results quickly and e ciently, assisting with monotonous tasks – thereby freeing up to 40 per cent of the workforce’s time. However, the automated nature of AI-generated information or solutions makes it capable of bypassing traditional security measures, opening the door to exploitation.

When it comes to security, generative AI can also play a critical role in bolstering defense mechanisms and proactively identify emerging threats. Through its ability to analyse vast amounts of data and simulate potential attack scenarios, generative AI can identify the ever-evolving vulnerabilities in networks, applications, and systems. Furthermore, generative AI facilitates the creation of highly realistic cyber-attack scenarios for training cybersecurity professionals. This enables security teams to practice responding to diverse threats in a controlled environment, refining their incident response strategies and ensuring preparedness for real-world attacks.

Despite these advantages, it’s important to acknowledge that generative AI

itself can introduce security challenges. Ensuring the resilience of an AI-powered system demands thorough testing, continuous monitoring, and ongoing vulnerability assessments. A strategy that integrates robust security practices into the AI development lifecycle is what enables businesses to stay ahead in the competitive landscape and meet evolving customer expectations.

PIONEERING AI SOLUTIONS REQUIRES EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

With all the tools available today, it’s fairly easy for organisations to capitalise on the footprint that generative AI leaves in the digital world. However, valuable change comes in when leaders step in to ensure task e ciency and computational seamlessness, which can potentially revolutionise global AI advancements in healthcare, energy, and climate action – giving organisations access to vast and updated information.

The UAE’s active approach to leveraging AI across various sectors here is commendable. Led by the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, AI adoption in government services is accelerating at a steadfast rate. The nation is leading by example with the recent launch of a comprehensive generative AI guide that sets out the ways in which these rapidly emerging technologies can be leveraged to benefit key sectors including education, healthcare, automotive and media, while also focusing on addressing several important issues in

THE CURRENT AI SYSTEMS CAN SEAMLESSLY OUTPERFORM MANUAL LABOUR, PRODUCING ACCURATE RESULTS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY, ASSISTING WITH MONOTONOUS TASKS –THEREBY FREEING UP TO 40 PER CENT OF THE WORKFORCE’S TIME

EXPECTED TO SKYROCKET THE MARKET TO A REMARKABLE $109BN BY 2030, GENERATIVE AI POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS APPEAR INFINITE

the context of these digital advancements, like data privacy protection, reliability, and quality control of AI outputs.

The challenge most organisations face is to find a realistic strategy which focuses both on growth and operational e ciency, while also prioritising resiliency, and technology debt reduction programmes.

Leaders in technology must learn to thoughtfully integrate AI to drive digital transformation in a balanced way that prioritises generative AI initiatives, including defining governance, identifying shortterm e ciencies, and seeking longer-term transformation opportunities.

A successful approach requires a multidisciplinary e ort that encompasses robust security practices, agile adaptation to evolving threats, employee education, ethical considerations, and strategic decisionmaking. By addressing these challenges with a holistic perspective, enterprises can harness the power of generative AI while safeguarding their operations and ensuring a resilient and secure future.

“A KEY TURNING POINT WAS THE LAUNCH OF THE OPEN-SOURCE LANGUAGE MODEL, CHATGPT, WHICH SIGNALLED A NEW ERA IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI). GENERATIVE AI TODAY STANDS AT THE EDGE OF A TRANSFORMATIVE LEAP, READY TO RESHAPE THE CONTOURS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION”

Ronald Powell, director – Digital Transformation Engineering, Injazat

ACER PREDATOR TRITON 16 A

cer has announced the new Predator Triton 16 (PT16-51), the latest addition to its powerpacked gaming line. This laptop for gaming and work is equipped with the latest 13th Gen Intel Core processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU and up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM. The Predator Triton 16 will be available starting at $2,299. Exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region.

INCLUDES ONE MONTH OF XBOX GAME PASS ULTIMATE

KEY FEATURES

• Is 19.9mm (0.78 inches) sleek and has a metal casing topped off with a silver finish

• Features up to 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processors, supported by a new hybrid core architecture with a 5.4 GHz max turbo frequency

• Can be configured with up to 32 GB of DDR5 5200 MHz memory and up to 2 TB PCIe M.2 SSDs in RAID 0 configuration

• Includes one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

• Has 16-inch (16:10) WQXGA 2560 x 1600 IPS

display, 500 nits peak brightness and a 240 Hz refresh rate

• Offers a DCI-P3 100 per cent colour gamut

• Leverages thermal capabilities, highlighted by a dual-fan system with custom-engineered 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D metal fans

• Runs on Windows 11, comes with Intel Killer DoubleShot Pro

• Includes two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, HDMI 2.1, a Type-C USB port with Thunderbolt 4 and a Micro SD card reader

AMAZON ECHO POP

Amazon has introduced the all-new Echo Pop in the UAE. Since its launch, Alexa in Khaleeji Arabic has become a reliable companion with hyper-localised experiences for customers across spirituality, smart home, music, entertainment, gaming and more.

Echo Pop is a new addition to the Echo family with a semi-sphere form factor and comes with the new Lavender

Bloom and Midnight Teal colour options, and the standard Glacier White and Charcoal colour options, for Dhs189.99. It features a custom-designed front-facing directional speaker to deliver full sound that’s great for bedrooms, dorm rooms, apartments, or any small space in the home. Users can ask Alexa to read audiobooks, track the record of a favourite sports team, control smart lights and plugs or reorder household essentials.

ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT TV LISTING, TADAWUL STOCK, CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES, NAME MEANINGS AND MORE

KEY FEATURES

• Easily compatible with smart home devices like plugs, lights and even to adjust air conditioning temperature

• Can play music, and podcasts from providers like Anghami, Spotify and more

• Can be asked to recite the Holy Quran, set prayer time reminders

• Can set timers, check the weather, read the news

• Answers questions about TV listing, Tadawul Stock, currency exchange rates, name meanings and more

• Alexa doesn’t begin listening until your device hears ‘Alexa’ and the light bar turns blue

• Includes a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the microphones

• Its fabric is made from 100 per cent post-consumer recycled yarn

• 99 per cent of its packaging is made of wood fibre-based materials from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources

NOTHING PHONE (2)

The highly anticipated secondgeneration smartphone, Nothing Phone (2), recently went on sale. It has the new Glyph Interface at the rear, which allows users to minimise screen interactions by quickly accessing important information. Additionally, it has an updated Nothing OS 2.0 rooted in utility and created to reduce distractions. The smartphone comes in three different configurations: 8GB/128GB ($599), 12GB/256GB ($699) and 12GB/512GB ($799). It is available in both white and dark gray.

EQUIPPED WITH 32MP FRONT CAMERA, AND A DUAL REAR CAMERA SYSTEM

KEY FEATURES

• Features a 6.7–inch LPTO AMOLED display, weighs 201.2g

• Is equipped with 32MP front camera, and a dual rear camera system that has 50MP sensors

• Has an advanced 18-bit image signal processor, it has the ability to process camera data up to 4,000 times more than its predecessor

• Elevates video recording capabilities with 4K resolution at 60fps on the main rear camera

• Is powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform and 4700 mAh battery

• Reaches 50 per cent power in under 20 minutes of fast wired charging

SONY WF-1000XM5 WIRELESS EARBUDS

Sony’s WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds is the latest edition of the 1000X series and offers the noise cancelling as well as immersive sound. The earbuds are said to raise the bar for distraction-free listening and clarity. It will be available in selected countries from August. The WF-1000XM5 feature cutting-edge technology to deliver premium sound quality and noise-cancelling performance on the market. Realtime audio processors and high-performance mics power the specially designed driver unit Dynamic Driver X, for wide frequency reproduction, deep bass, and clear vocals.

KEY FEATURES

• Has an ergonomic design that ensures a secure and stable fit

• Features three microphones on each earbud, including dual feedback mics

• The earbuds tips feature a polyurethane foam material that reduces noise in the high frequency range

• Offers clear highs and deep, rich bass sound with low distortion, features 360 Reality Audio

• Is equipped with head tracking technology that automatically adjusts sound fields to compensate for head movement

• Features an AI-based noise reduction algorithm

• Are approximately 25 per cent smaller and 20 per cent lighter than their predecessor

• Uses new sensors and spatial sound technology to deliver immersive sound for augmented reality games

• Provides up to eight hours of battery life and a quick three-minute charge gives up to 60 minutes of play time

• Is water-resistant with an IPX4 rating

IS EQUIPPED WITH HEAD TRACKING TECHNOLOGY THAT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTS SOUND FIELDS TO COMPENSATE FOR HEAD MOVEMENT

Celebrate Saudi’s Creative Legacy

Athar - Saudi Festival of Creativity is the Kingdom’s platform for the creative marketing community. In honour of Saudi’s creative excellence, the Athar Festival will culminate with an exclusive awards night and gala dinner.

Meet the who’s who of the Kingdom’s creative marketing industry in an informal setting, see the winners of the agency, brand and network of the decade as verified by Cannes Lions and Dubai Lynx, witness the reveal of special awards for the most creative marketers & agencies, and recognise young talent in the region.

Be part of a night to remember!

BOOK YOUR TABLE NOW - ATHARFESTIVAL.COM/AWARDS

AWARDS NIGHT & GALA DINNER

CROWNE PLAZA RDC BALLROOM, RIYADH

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