The Middle East is primed to become a global driver in Internet of Things (IoT) connected innovations, as the GCC’s cloud market is set to grow from USD 118.5 million in 2014 to USD 668.5 million in 2020[1], industry experts announced today in the build-up to GITEX Technology Week 2015.

Connected cloud technology such as mobile apps, e-government, drones, 3D printing, and robotics will form the foundation of the region’s rapidly-growing Future Cities – a key spotlight at the landmark 35^th GITEX Technology Week, running 18-22^nd October. By 2025, the global Smart Cities market will reach USD 3.3 trillion, with nearly half of the world’s 26 Smart Cities arising in emerging markets such as the Middle East.[2]

“Spearheaded by regional investment and development, the Middle East continues to be a significant pace setter in driving forward innovative discussion, implementation and knowledge exchange around IoT agendas. In testament to this, the 35^th anniversary of GITEX Technology Week will be our most expansive and international edition to date. Our roster of world-renowned thought leaders and global technology companies reflect the strong demand for how Internet of Things technologies such as drones, robotics, and 3D printing can impact daily lives and every industry vertical in the Middle East and beyond,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Dubai World Trade Centre, organisers of GITEX Technology Week 2015.

Celebrating transformative technology in the build-up to UAE Innovation Week and in line with the UAE’s Year of Innovation, GITEX Technology Week 2015 will be held under the theme of “The Internet Future of Everything,” revolving around the pillars of Innovation, Connected Cloud, Big Data, Mobility, and Security.

Focusing on driving collaboration and next-generation agenda setting, a host of new initiatives are being spearheaded for the 2015 event.

In tandem with the Year of Innovation, the GTX Horizons Zone will showcase leading edge demonstrations of next generation disruptive technologies across 3D Printing, Autonomous Vehicles, Drones and Robotics. Innovation, Interoperation and Disruption will continue as themes across the GTX Ignite conference, a powerhouse of global thought leadership, and GTX Innovation Tech Talks, free to attend sessions, that will host over 100 sessions with 150-plus global futurists, including the Prime Minister of Estonia, ICT ministers from Egypt, Kenya, and Nigeria, and senior executives from Accenture, BP, Boeing, and Facebook.

In partnership with the UAE Drones for Good Award, GTX Horizons’ Drones Zone will host a selection of this year’s award winners, and drones from top manufacturers such as DJI, the world’s largest manufacturer of drones.

The GTX Hub will form the umbrella of industry vertical-focused digital transformation, providing new research, networking, and solutions for the key verticals of banking, construction, education, healthcare, retail, and oil and gas. This is being driven by reports that the GCC’s vertical specific software market is set to nearly double from USD 756 million in 2014 to USD 1.45 billion in 2020.[1]

At the Robotics Zone, sponsored by DigiRobotics, attendees can learn how to enable robotics for the IoT era and witness the latest robotics across industry verticals.

The event’s first-ever 3D Printing area, sponsored by Jacky’s Business Solutions LLC, will showcase 3D printing across a variety of materials, and how it can impact fields such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing.

Additional new and expanded GITEX Technology Week features include the world’s largest Google CSI Lab, All Night Hackathon, Hot Stuff Awards, Student Lab, and networking platforms the Connexions Majlis, Connexions Lounge, and Connexions Online.

Co-located events include the GSMA Mobile 360 Series, the region’s leading mobile community conference, and InfoComm MEA, the Middle East and Africa’s leading audio visual technology event.

Reinforcing GITEX Technology Week’s standing as the largest ICT exhibition in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, and the third largest in the world, the show is expecting more than 130,000 visitors from over 150 countries, with more than 20,000 C-level executives, and more than 3,600 exhibiting brands from 62 countries.

Global interest in the event is being further driven by the growth of Future Cities initiatives, which in the UAE is being spearheaded by the Smart Dubai Initiative and UAE Vision 2021 – key drivers of the country’s digital transformation.

“Dubai is committed to becoming a global benchmark for Smart Cities of the future. We are collaborating with leading public and private organizations to meet the needs of all residents and visitors, from government to education and healthcare, through a connected and responsive citywide infrastructure. Together with our partners, we are enabling smart economic conditions driving entrepreneurship and global competitiveness that will serve as a model for emerging nations. We are continually reviewing and refining the latest technology innovations, from mobile apps to drones, to understand how we may adopt these tools to make city experiences more seamless, safe, efficient and impactful for all,” said Dr. Aisha Butti Bin Bishr, Assistant Director General of The Executive Office and SmartDubai Taskforce leader.

As a marker of the strong Middle East adoption of IoT technologies, and the rise of the four technologically-advanced Economic Cities, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will serve as the Official Country Partner of GITEX Technology Week 2015, represented by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Interior.

“As the Official Country Partner for GITEX Technology Week 2015, the Kingdom will use this global platform to demonstrate best practices in government-led innovation to boost economic diversification, while encouraging foreign direct investment in the Kingdom’s ICT sector and supporting home-grown technology entrepreneurs to expand beyond our borders to deliver transformative services,” said Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Asiri, Official Spokesperson, National Information Center, Ministry of Interior, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

SAP, as Strategic Partner, will help guide digital transformation at GITEX Technology Week with the regional debut of the Run Simple Truck and demos of Big Data analytics solutions. SAP speakers at GTX Ignite include Jonathan Becher, Chief Digital Officer, SAP, and Oliver Bierhoff, General Manager of the German National Football Team, on how SAP solutions helped the team to win the 2014 World Cup.

“In order for Middle East organizations to succeed in the Internet of Things era and remain competitive in the Digital Economy, they must embark on a complete reimaging of their business across three dimensions: Business Models, Business Processes and how to organize Work within their organization. The most pressing issue facing Middle East organizations today is business complexity, which is causing organizations to lose 10 percent of their annual profits. With the regional Digital Economy set to double to USD 30 billion by 2018; real-time analytics of data will allow companies to reduce business complexity and run simple. At GITEX Technology Week, we will showcase roadmaps to support the digital transformation and demonstrate the power of Big Data analytics for real-time insights as the immediate entry that can drive digital growth and simplify business processes, from re-imaging the boardroom to Smart Cities and connected sports,” said Hannes Liebe, COO, SAP Middle East and North Africa.

Accenture, as the event’s Exclusive Digital Transformation Partner, will deliver compelling, industry-leading insights on how digital technology and the Internet of Things is transforming businesses and governments in the region, as well as globally. It will unveil the Middle East findings of its flagship Technology Vision research program and help facilitate a ‘digital discussion’ through social media wall installations at this year’s event. Its global thought leaders will also present on the Industrial Internet of Things and Smart Cities. Paul Daughtery, Chief Technology Officer, Accenture will be among the company’s thought leaders at GTX Ignite.

“Digital transformation can boost competitiveness and economic growth, and our research shows that unlocking this potential can add trillions to the GDP of top global economies. This region’s appetite for innovation makes it uniquely positioned to take advantage of the digital opportunity and we’re delighted to be at the heart of this conversation at GITEX,” said Omar Boulos, regional managing director of Accenture in the Middle East and North Africa.

IBM returns to GITEX Technology Week as a Lead Smarter Cities Partner, under the theme “Welcome to the Cognitive Era”.  At GITEX, IBM will be sharing its industry leadership on how can companies, leaders and cities take this journey with IBM to become cognitive by capitalizing on all the work they’ve done to deploy cloud, mobile, analytics, social and security.

IBM will also focus on how cities can implement cognitive solutions to enhance its citizen services and experience such as building safer communities, providing cleaner water, more efficient transportation systems, healthier neighborhoods and smarter buildings.