Gitex, the Middle East's largest technology exhibition, came to a close yesterday. Several hundred thousand visitors attended the show at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Some of them might have left wondering if the exhibition and convention had lost some of their pizzazz.
The 32-year-old Gulf Information Technology Exhibition does not appear to be pulling in the big names these days, and is increasingly being overshadowed by other events in the region and elsewhere.
This year, about 130,000 visitors and 3,500 suppliers from 144 countries took part. Those are impressive numbers. But where were Apple and Google? These are arguably the two most important technology companies in the field.
Previously, the event was an important platform for showcasing new products, making global announcements and striking big deals in the region. In 2009, Microsoft launched the Windows 7 Operating System (OS) at Gitex. This year, however, we only got a preview of Windows 8, the new OS intended to bring Microsoft back to its former glory. The official worldwide launch is October 26, a Friday and the first day of Eid Al Adha. (Perhaps the Middle East is not so relevant after all to Microsoft? One can only guess why it chose the date.)
The bigger let-down in this regard, though, was Nokia's presentation. The Finnish company had a substantial stand at the event to showcase its latest Lumia phone that runs on the Windows 8 OS.
But since Windows 8 has not been officially launched, visitors were able to only touch the phone, not play with it as you would expect at such an event. It was strictly "look, but do not touch" - perhaps the technological equivalent of attempting to read a comic book still in its plastic wrapper.
On the other hand,there were headphones aplenty.
50 Cent launched his SMS Audio headphones to rival those of Dr Dre's Beats. The battle for the Middle East ears has begun. Even Ferrari was in on the action. But, hmm, maybe cue a host of hearing problems among the region's youth?
Gone, at least for now, are the days of big-name chief executives giving keynote speeches, addressing topical issues, launching and announcing the latest in hardware, software and services. These have been replaced by local managers announcing their commitment to the Middle East and the growth potential of the region. Worthy, but not so exciting.
Two years ago, Research In Motion's co-chief Jim Balsillie came to Gitex to announce the launch of BlackBerry's latest phone amid the BlackBerry Messenger furore that the company suffered in several markets, including the UAE. Mr Balsillie may not have addressed the BBM issues directly on stage, but at least he was around to be questioned on the matter.
This year, by contrast, the biggest-name speaker was Jonathan Labin, manager of Facebook's Middle East and North Africa region, extolling the virtues of social data. The audience at Gitex did not seem to need persuading about this, though.
Even Google decided to forego a stand this year, only contributing by lending speakers to some of the panel sessions. By comparison, at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Google installed a playground slide and handed out free ice cream and smoothies while showcasing all its products and services to visitors eager to get a first-hand account and insight into the technological wonders of the company.
Gitex, by steering the official exhibition towards the enterprise market, became the older, more staid brother of Gitex Shopper, now set to take place twice a year to meet considerable demand and popularity. The United Nations ITU Telecom World conference did not help matters, either.
It ran parallel to Gitex, not in partnership with the event. And the topics discussed at ITU roundtables and sessions turned out more interesting and stimulating. Government ministers, chief executives and innovators were present to give insights on matters ranging from ownership of online data to the realities of cyber-warfare.
Here's hoping the next edition of Gitex manages to return it to its former self.
thamid@thenational.ae
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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On sale: Available for preorder now
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5