HH Sheikh Hamdan to inaugurate GITEX 2003

Taking up the entire sprawling expanse of the eight exhibition halls and the Sheikh Rashid Hall for the first time, the 23rd edition of GITEX has posted phenomenal growth in all key sectors - number of exhibitors, nett area and number of countries.

"The phenomenal growth in the size and scope of the show has been sparked by the increasing interest in GITEX and Dubai and an ideal place for key players in the IT world to network, exhibit their products, set new trends and connect with the end user in a market that is known for its high spending capacity," said DWTC Director General Mubarak bin Fahad.

There has been a considerable surge in interest among companies with many of the industry's key players well represented, including industry leaders like IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, HP, Samsung, Toshiba, Canon, NEC, Acer, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Sony, Fujitsu, Sanyo, Etisalat, DAFZA, Thuraya and Epson among others securing a strong presence at the show.

GITEX 2003 will also have 19 national pavilions, an increase of 19% over last year, while 774 exhibitors have signed on to push up last year's figure by 26%. That coupled with nett area taken up of 22,754 square metres (up by 19%) are significant pointers to the growth and future prospects of an event that is already acknowledged as the centre of the Middle East IT spectrum.

Significant though these figures are they don't tell the entire story. GITEX 2003 is not only bigger in all respects, it is also a brand-new show with a totally new look. A luxuriously appointed concourse housing restaurants, banks, fast food outlets, travel agents and coffee shops and linked to the two on-site hotels, give exhibitors and visitors alike everything they need under one roof. E-access facilities and the Mobile Exhibition Guide both introduced for the first time create a far more convenient and tech-friendly environment for guests and participants, while increased parking facilities make for easier entry and access to the exhibition halls and will smooth traffic bottlenecks during peak hours.

GITEX this year will showcase an entire range of IT related products and services with a significant focus on e-business and e-commerce solutions. Other products include uninterrupted power supply solutions, desktop publishing, digital imaging & information management Internet products, mobile computing & WAP technology, networking & business communication, office automation, computer hardware and many others.

GITEX 2003 will run till 23rd October and is open to trade visitors daily from 10 am to 7 pm, except on the first day when hours of business are from 1pm to 7pm.