GSMA on Wednesday announced the first speakers for its Mobile 360 Series – MENA (Middle East and North Africa) conference taking place on the 26-27 November 2018 in Dubai.
The two-day event, which is now in its sixth year, will take place as a standalone event for the first time at the new location of the Westin Mina Seyahi Hotel.
The event brings senior-level delegates together to debate and discuss the latest issues, opportunities and challenges facing the region, through a mix of keynote presentations, panel discussions and workshops.
This year’s event will place a particular focus on the region’s investment in transformative technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and 5G.
“The region’s significant investment in mobile technologies has fueled a rapid digital transformation, marked by growing subscriber numbers, high levels of mobile broadband adoption, and the development of a plethora of innovative new businesses,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA.
“Of course this is an incredibly diverse region and we will also cover the requirements of emerging markets in addition to the impact of newer disruptive technologies. We look forward to welcoming delegates to this year’s show”, he added.
The first speakers confirmed for the event include:
• Hatem Dowidar, Chief Executive Officer International, Etisalat
• Imen Benzine, CMO, Algerie Telecom
• Dr Ling Wu, Chairman, Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG) Consortium
• Osman Sultan, CEO, Du
• Rafiah Ibrahim, President Middle East and Africa, Ericsson
• Mohie Elrafey, CMO, GE Healthcare, Eastern Growth Markets
• Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA, GSMA
• John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA
• Anthony Butler, Leader and Chief Technology Officer, IBM Blockchain Services, Middle East and Africa
• Jaime Galviz, COO and CMO, Microsoft MEA
• Thierry Millet, CEO, Orange Tunisia
• Navin Gupta, Managing Director, South Asia and MENA, Ripple
• Daichi Nozaki, VP Global Business, SoftBank
• Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Nasser, CEO, STC
• Ahmed El Beheiry, CEO, Telecom Egypt
• Aysem Ertopuz, EVP Digital Services and Solutions, Turkcell
• Scott Gegenheimer, CEO Operations, Zain Group
Hatem Dowidar, Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat International said: “The telecom industry has evolved with digitization taking precedence across our businesses and all government initiatives. Such a global event, brings digital innovations to the forefront and provides a platform for senior executives across the industry to engage and gain insight into industry trends and technologies. This is also in line with our strategy to actively participate and drive digital initiatives that will make a larger impact on the society at large.”
Mobile 360 – MENA, which attracted senior-level leaders from mobile network operators, network infrastructure vendors, governments and regulatory bodies last year, offers delegates an opportunity to gain critical insight from senior industry leaders.
The first day of the show will address the application of new technologies and their impact on different sectors of the economy, including topics such as blockchain, AI in enhancing the customer experience, cybersecurity risk, digital identity and the Internet of Things.
The second day will focus on infrastructure, policy and the regulatory approaches necessary to drive further innovation in the 5G era.
It will include a keynote on ‘Digital Transformation and Strategic Partnerships’, highlighting how operators can play a key role in the digital future.
There will also be a workshop on the subject of ‘Sustaining Innovation and Investment in North Africa’.
Industry leaders supporting the event include Etisalat (Host Sponsor) and Huawei (Headline Sponsor), as well as Ericsson, Facebook, Intelsat and Matrixx Software (Supporting Sponsors).
The GSMA recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Etisalat to support with the organisation of the Mobile 360 Series conference in the MENA region for 2018 and 2019.
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with over 350 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors.
The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences.
