SUPPLEMENT / OCTOBER 2022 Meet the industry leaders who are supercharging the technology sector in the region and beyondThrough its subsidiaries Hypermedia and DigitAll, W Group exceeds global standards in OOH Media Technology & Communications, leading the digital transformation in the region. The Dubai-based management holding provides more than 800 strategic partners and clients with a holistic range of innovative communication tools & services, to maximize their reach for greater business impact through interactive DOOH media experiences, smart solutions, digital engagement, and content management, empowered by data analytics and real-time measurements. Meet Us at SHEIKH RASHID HALL STAND # SR-B20 EXPERIENCE MEDIA TECHNOLOGYarabianbusiness.com 3 Contents October 2022 www.arabianbusiness.com SUBSCRIBE NOW +971 4444 3000 www.itp.com/subscription arabianbusiness#arabianbusinessarabianbusiness E VENT S Dubai’s GITEX 2022 to see record capacity The event will see participa- tion from 250 government entities and over 800 start- ups from the Middle East and around the world 08 FIR S T WORD qThe inexorable march of transforma- tive technology has changed the way we live, work, and play” 11 Matthew Amlot Managing Editor matthew.amlot@itp.com a- e TELE C OMS Du to exhibit interactive technology at Gitex UAE telco aims to capitalise on digital transformation in industries such as finance, education, healthcare and retail ONLINE SE C URITY Cybersecurity threats We talk about how enterprises in the Middle East can get ahead with Amir Kanaan, Managing Director for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Kaspersky 14 / GITEX 2022 SUPPLEMENT4 Vol. 23/10, October 2022 SUBSCRIBE NOW www.itp.com/subscriptions +971 4 4443000 EXPER T VIEWS EXCLU SIVE INTERVIEWS INDEP TH NEWS Dubai Riyadh Mumbai London New York AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION #23/09 September 2022 UAE: AED 15 KSA: SAR 15 BAHRAIN: BHD 1.500 OMAN: OMR 1.500 KUWAIT: KWD 1.200 Meet the 50 business leaders that are propelling the Middle East towards a bright future PUBLISHED BY AND © 2022 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC. 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Visit us at Trusted by Top 5 airlines 6 of the biggestTop 10 ksFIR S T WORD / Matthew Amlot, Managing Editor 6 Vol. 23/10, October 2022 T echnology has infiltrated every part of our lives. The inexo- rable march of transformative technology has changed the way we live, work, and play. Today, it’s almost inconceiva- ble to be out of contact, with our attention constantly divided among hundreds of numerous notifications calling for our focus. Businesses over the last two years have been forced to increase their adoption of technology. We began to be faced with the unusual prospect of employees working together that had never spent time with one another in person. While this trend had already begun in some industries, the long-term impact on anachronistic office practices cannot be understated. Consumer perceptions have shifted as this exposure has increased. Now, customers demand more security, more speed, and more personalisation – a tall challenge for any business. At Arabian Business, we have long advocated that increasing industry collaboration is key to the long-term success of adapting to change, and so it is perhaps no surprise that this month we have featured Dimitrios Dosis, President of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) for Mastercard on the front cover. The interview, which begins on page 14, provides a masterclass for businesses in how to navigate a digital transformation, the importance of embracing financial inclusion, and what companies need to do to protect their customers from cyberthreats and main- tain high levels of trust. This month, the annual Arab Youth Survey was unveiled. Among many of the insights the survey included that most young Arabs prefer Sharia law over conventional law, that the UAE is the country that Arab youth most want to live in, and that unemploy- ment and cost of living are the two biggest issues facing young Arabs. The survey also found that the number of Arab youth saying they shop online has nearly doubled in five years, and almost all young GCC citizens say they shop via a social media app or website at least a few times a month. This factor coincided with an increase in Arab youth stating that they increasingly consume social media for news, and with the vast majority stating that they find it extremely difficult to disconnect from social media. Our coverage of all of survey’s find- ings begins on page 22. Our focus on technology this issue also coincides with this year’s edition of GITEX. The annual technology event, taking place in Dubai, will bring together the largest, and most influential play- ers in the technology space, with startups and giants debating the power of futuristic technologies on the business ecosystem. Given the importance of the event to unpacking the impact of technology such as 6G and the metaverse on businesses, we have chosen to include a special supplement with this issue covering the event. Finally, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is fast approaching. The sporting mega-event is set to transform the Middle East with football mania over the next couple of months, with cities across the GCC preparing for an enormous influx of fans. With the huge impact that this is likely to have on businesses, as well as the opportunity it represents, Arabian Business has also included a special supplement on the World Cup with this issue. We hope you find this useful in your business activities throughout the sporting season. Until next time. $2.5bn The projected total public cloud spending in the GCC by 2024, according to management consulting fi rm Oliver Wyman Building the world of tomorrow Digital transformation has changed the way we work, but what does the future hold? MATTHEW AMLOT @MatthewAmlotGITEX S UPPLEMENT 202 2 / 8 Vol. 23/10, October 2022 u Anticipation Gitex aims to present the benefi ts of technology and how it is creating unimaginable opportunities in a constantly evolving world GITEX 2022, which is set to run from October 10 to 14, will host over 4,500 companies and 100,000-plus attendees from 170 countries, the event’s organisers said in a statement. The 42nd edition of the event, which will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), will see partic- ipation from 250 government entities and over 800 startups. “As the curious audience attempts to make sense of the real versus virtual world we are creating, GITEX Global takes the helm in partnering with global tech leaders to empower, The event, which will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from October 10 to 14, will see participation from 250 government entities and over 800 startups Dubai’s GITEX 2022 to see record capacity: AI, metaverse, coding to theme the eventarabianbusiness.com 9 / INTRODUCTION 100,000+ The expected number of attendees from more than 170 countries at Gitex this year u Big event Gitex is a comprehensive show of global products and solutions with diverse industry applications u Head Trixie LohMirmand, EVP of events management at DWTC enlighten and enthuse everyone on the metamorphosis of the digital economy,” executive vice president of events management at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) Trixie LohMir- mand said. Spread across 26 halls, the annual five-day event, will see no less than 1,400 new exhibitors demonstrat- ing innovation across the metaverse, AI, Web 3.0, blockchain, 6G, cloud computing, fintech, and big data The event, which spans two million square feet (matching the scale of 33 football fields), has already sold out three new halls across multi sector tech wonders, the statement said. LohMirmand added: “GITEX Global will cut through the hype and emotions, gathering the best minds in all businesses around the world to debate, challenge and rationalise the impact of this tech fusion on society and our future. This is Gitex 3.0.” Two new events will also be launched this year, selling out to a global audience within two months – Global DevSlam, and X-Verse. The former will be the region’s first-ever event, allowing public and private enterprises with technology transformation projects to engage, identify and hire top coding and devel- oper talent from the world over. This will be the largest coding recruitment drive in the region, according to Global DevSlam. X-verse will also be the world’s larg- est curated Web 3.0 immersive experi- ence, the statement said, and will be in collaboration with Decentraland. GITEX 2022 presents its third edition with AI Everything, North Star Dubai (formerly GITEX Future Stars), Fintech Surge, Future Blockchain Summit and Marketing Mania, the statement said.Next >