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Gitex 2004 set to open on Oct. 3

DUBAI - Gitex 2004 will open its gates to trade visitors at 10am on October 3, according to the directions of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Chairman of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), and the feedback received from trade visitors and exhibitors.

This marks a major change in the format of the 1pm opening to trade visitors followed in the previous years and will give both visitors and exhibitors the additional time at the event as they have requested. A royal visit will be made on the second day, with Shaikh Hamdan leading a large group of official dignitaries through the show at 10am, while the event is in progress in order to interact with the exhibitors and trade visitors.

Meanwhile, both Gitex and Gitex Computer Shopper this year, are set to record 42 per cent increase in participating companies, 20 per cent increase both in exhibitors and net area over 2003, the organisers - DWTC - said yesterday.

Gitex, which will run from October 3 to 7 at the DWTC complex, will host a record number of over 2,428 companies. Concurrently, Gitex Computer Shopper, the single largest IT retail platform in the Middle East, will open on October 2 at the Airport Expo, with approximately 140 exhibitors representing over 500 companies.

Attributing this growth to the optimistic mood of the ICT industry, Helal Saeed Khalfan Al Marri, director-general, DWTC, said: “The Mena region’s ICT requirements are to the tune of $7.9 billion, as estimated by recent IDC reports. With a substantial percentage of the annual ICT business deals being signed at Gitex, computer trade professionals and corporate buyers from various industry verticals converge at this event to network and look for deals and new launches in hardware, software and services.” Gitex will have 21 national pavilions (up by 10 per cent), 930 exhibitors (up by 20 per cent) from 41 countries 2,428 companies (up by 42 per cent) a net area of 27,489 square metres (up by 20 per cent). “With an expected visitor count of 80,000, we estimate that the transaction levels at Gitex Computer Shopper will exceed the Dh42 million achieved last year,” he said.