Bill Gates receives 'Most Innovative People Award for Technology Innovation' at Future Capitals World Summit 2009 in Abu Dhabi

The award was given in recognition of Gates' success in revolutionizing the way personal computers and Microsoft software now fit in to everyday life.

With Microsoft as one of the main sponsors of the event, Future Capitals World Summit and Awards 2009 brought together over sixty renowned business and government leaders to discover and share best practices that are shaping today's global economy.

Accepting the award on behalf of Bill Gates, Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager, Microsoft Gulf, said:

"Microsoft's role in the ICT industry is, of course, as a provider of software innovation. As Bill Gates has often said, "software is where the magic is" - it helps people use technological devices to perform specific tasks and it is being applied in areas such as healthcare, environment and education. So Microsoft continues to be an innovation company creating economic opportunities for others. Our success is based on our ability to anticipate technology trends and envision how they can be transformed into products, services, and business models that create new opportunities for Microsoft, our partner ecosystem, customers and local communities."

Commenting on the significance of the award presented to Bill Gates, Mr. Sam Hamdan, Chairman and Chief Strategist of Future Capitals, said:

"The summit recognizes global icons who are working towards achieving better economies and this award pays tribute to today's most original, creative and effective thinkers. Bill Gates is a most worthy recipient and Future Capitals is truly privileged to be honoring him, for his commitment to technological innovation and the digital transition as well as his revolutionary approach to integrating technology into all aspects of life in pursuit of humanitarian issues. We thank Microsoft for supporting this event and look forward to working with them in the future."