Battle of the brands: Smart phones are the buzz

Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, opened technology exhibition Gitex Shopper on Saturday.

The shopping event is the largest consumer information technology and electronics show in the Middle East and runs until October 23 at the Airport Expo Dubai.

Shoppers made a bee line for the Airport Expo, thronging the three halls and snapping up the deals on offer from more than 160 participating companies.

While a cross-section of goods and services were on show, all eyes were on the smart phone battle with several big names not only launching key products here, but offering them at cut-throat prices.

Nokia, BlackBerry and Samsung are all offering latest products at bargain prices.

One top retailer told this website that the buzz surrounding the BlackBerry ban, the launch of the iPhone4 and the expected launch of Nokia's new N8 were all expected to drive smart phone sales at this year's Shopper.

Gitex Shopper has witnessed a 40 per cent increase in the number of exhibiting companies and this year will have over 25,000 products on offer.

Spread over 32,000 square metres and organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the show this year is staging a retail sales festival to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Gitex Technology Week.

International brands will showcase their latest products and models during the show, including Acer, Apple, Blackberry, Canon, Dell, HP, Intel, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and Xerox.

The show is open from 11am to 10pm on October 16 to 20 and from 11am to 11pm on October 21 and 23. On Friday, the show will open from 3pm to 11pm. Tickets are priced at Dh25, with free entrance for children under the age of six.

DWTC, the organiser of Gitex Technology Week, is gearing up for what promises to be the biggest and the best Gitex so far, adds WAM.

The event will begin on Sunday at the Dubai International Convention Centre.

The highly anticipated 30th anniversary Gitex will host 3,500 companies including 675 new exhibitors from over 65 countries. In all, more than 133,000 visitors from some 135 countries are expected to converge in Dubai for the exhibition that concludes on October 21.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Chief Executive Officer, DWTC, said: "Gitex Technology Week is the definitive ICT event for the whole of Middle East and Africa, inspiring innovation and entrepreneurship. Over the past three decades, the event has helped shape the ICT landscape of the region, partnering with both the public and private sectors in promoting a culture of technology that touches all aspects of modern life and business."

The 30th edition, 93 times larger in space than the first show in 1981, is introducing several new features that will significantly add value to the ICT industry, including the Gitex Global Leaders’ Summit, which features keynote addresses on Sunday by Rajeev Asija, Executive Vice-President Enterprise Solution and Services Business, HCL Infosystems - Strategic sponsor for the event; Ali Faramawy, Vice-President, Microsoft International and President, Microsoft Middle East and  Africa, Microsoft Corporation; Bhaskar Gorti, Senior Vice-President and General Manager Communications Global Business Unit, Oracle; and Randi Zuckerberg, Director of Market Development, Facebook.

Steve Guggenheimer, Vice-President, Original Equipment Manufacturer Division, Microsoft Corporation, returns to Gitex for the second year with a keynote speech on Monday.

Sitting alongside the summit, the first ever Gitex Cloud Confex, with HP as platinum sponsor, is also due to start on Sunday. It features an exhibition and a series of in-depth sessions dedicated to cloud computing, often referred to the ‘essential ICT cost-cutter’.

The Gitex Mobile Apps Content World is also being introduced in response to overwhelming market demand; global mobile applications sales and downloads are forecast to reach $15.65 billion by 2013 - and the Middle East and Africa is set to be the fastest growing market.

These new elements sit alongside Gitex Business Solutions, Consumer Electronics and the Global Conferences to make up Gitex Technology Week.

Gitex Technology Week is open to trade visitors and industry professionals only from 10am to 7pm from October 18 to 20. On October 21 the show will open at 10am and close at 5pm. Tickets cost Dh60 per day or Dh120 for a five-day pass.

The consumer electronics section of Gitex Technology Week will be open free to the public from October 19 to 21 for product previews only.

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