GITEX 2019: bridging the gap between showcase and use case in MENA

Featuring 4,500 exhibitors from over 140 countries, the size of the recent GITEX conference in Dubai provided a clear indication of the growing interest in the Middle East among global companies. The event, which represents the Middle East’s biggest tech expo, comes at a momentous time for the region because of its advanced position in 5G deployments. This is supported by commitments from Gulf state governments that are aiming to be global leaders on the digital front by transforming their otherwise oil-rich economies. Although societal digitisation was an overarching theme of the event, a conspicuous gap remains between the hype around technology and the business models in place to realise new use cases.