The silver jubilee edition of Gitex lived up to its reputation as one of the leading IT exhibitions in the world by attracting a record number of trade visitors from across the globe.The event, which attracted 127,724 trade visitors, registered a 9.77 per cent increase over the previous edition announced organisers Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
"The significant increase in the number of visitors has proved once again that Gitex is the most important platform for industry professionals and businesses to network," said Helal Saeed Khalfan Al Merri, DWTC director-general.
"Sizeable deals were concluded during the five-day event and potential business prospected during Gitex are expected to generate millions," he said.
Product launches by IT majors, a marked increase in the number of deals and visits by corporate VIPs were the hallmarks of the show which has made IT history in its 25th edition.
"Gitex has proven to be an important factor in promoting IT in the Middle East specifically and across the Middle East and Africa in general for several reasons," said Jyoti Lalchandani, director, IDC Middle East and Africa.
Dubai World Trade Centre also signed an MoU with the state government of Andhra Pradesh for the Gitex India 2006. The show is now in its fifth edition. This is another clear indication of the success of the Gitex brand that is definitely crossing geographical borders to reach people in the neighbouring regions.
Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat) included an array of impressive futuristic technologies and applications in the "Future" section of their Gitex 2005 stand. Much like science fiction, these technologies propel telecommunications and entertainment options into a whole new era, and an already tech-savvy population in the UAE can look forward to being even better connected.
eCompany, Etisalat's one-stop e-powerhouse business unit, announced new enhancements to its SecureAccess package meant for large enterprises and SME customers at Gitex.
A wide range of new products were launched by British companies at Gitex. Over 87 British-based companies were represented at the exhibition, mostly in a group presentation organised by Trade Fair Support, on behalf of the trade organisation Intellect, and with the backing of UK Trade and Investment, the government body responsible for promoting exports from and inward investment into the United Kingdom.
A total of 1,011 local, regional and international media personnel visited Gitex 2005 to cover the event.
