H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, inaugurated the “Seamless Middle East 2024” conference and exhibition of digital economy technologies on Tuesday.
The event, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre until 16th May, is supported by the League of Arab States and organised by the Arab Federation for Digital Economy in collaboration with international conference organisers Terrapinn.
Aligned with the “Arab Digital Economy Vision” framework, announced in Abu Dhabi in December 2018 with the endorsement of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and later ratified at the Arab League Summit in Algeria in 2022.
Sheikh Saif participated in the opening session, witnessing the unveiling of the Arab Digital Economy Index (2024) and the launch of the “Hikma” Centre for Scientific Research and the Arab Artificial Intelligence initiative.
Notable attendees included Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade; Atef Helmy, former Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Egypt; Ruqaya Al-Dirham, former Minister of Digital Economy of Morocco; Lord Merlin Hay and Baroness Pola Uddin, both Members of the British House of Lords; Hani Mohamed Mahmoud, former Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Egypt; Professor Dr. Mohamed Othman Elkhosht, President of Cairo University; Sheikha Nawal Al Homoud Al-Sabah, President of the Arab Union for Combating Forgery and Counterfeiting; Counselor Khairy Ahmed Al-Kabbash, President of the Court of Appeal of Egypt; and Dr. Ali M. Al-Khouri, Advisor of the Arab Economic Unity Council and Chairman of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy.
The event also welcomed ambassadors from Arab and Western countries, Arab government officials, digital economy experts, and representatives from various Arab organisations and unions affiliated with the League of Arab States.
With over 500 speakers participating in 200 sessions and lectures, and more than 25,000 officials from the public and private sectors representing over 5,000 institutions from 130 countries, the event sees extensive regional and global involvement. Over 720 international companies and 400 startups took part in the conference.
The conference explores topics such as digital banking services, digital identity, financial technology, digital currencies, electronic and digital payments, e-commerce, and various aspects of the digital sector including retail, logistics, e-marketing, and digital banking.
Sheikh Saif and the guests toured the accompanying exhibition, learning about the latest technological advancements in electronic and digital payments, e-commerce, financial technology, digital identity, banking, and logistics sectors.
This year’s conference and exhibition session builds upon the efforts of the Arab League and the Arab Federation for the Digital Economy to highlight the role of advanced technologies in shaping social and economic systems in the region.
