Microsoft recently successfully hosted a virtual summit ‘Forward Together Reimagine Tomorrow’, featuring a series of innovative and pioneering technologies that are driving forward the re-imagining of industries across the UAE. The two-day digital event featured a series of talk tracks by industry leaders, discussing the power of technology and how it can support inclusive economic recovery for governments, enterprises, and small businesses.
The first day’s virtual events were aimed at industry professionals across the spectrum, including the CMO Track, which focused on modern marketing, the CISO Track, which covered the rising importance of operational resilience in the security community, and the CFO Track, which outlined the reimagining of financial workflows. In addition, the CIO Track shared insights on how to modernize digital platforms and accelerate digital transformation leveraging cloud technologies.
“This virtual summit brought together some of the best and the brightest industry leaders in the UAE, who were able to offer expertise on how they harness the power of technology to overcome business challenges to support innovation and transformation, said Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft UAE. “The valuable insights shared demonstrate how tech intensity is contributing towards a dynamic future competitiveness, that sees the UAE leading the Arab region for economic recovery.”
A key speaker at the CIO Track within the Forward Together – Reimagine Tomorrow event was Alex Alexander, Group Chief Technology Officer, Emirates Airline & Group, who said “the COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on how we live and work and the aviation sector has faced acute challenges. Our organisation has employed technology to empower our business continuity and address unprecedented times – technology enabled one of the largest scale migrations of highly-mobile workforce to ensure business continuity with remote working.”
The second day focused on reimagining industries, with virtual events covering sectors including retail, financial services, government, and media and entertainment. Presented by business leaders, these events highlighted the power of AI and technology to ensure business continuity in the post-COVID era.
One of the flagship speakers of the second day was at the Government Track Forward Together – Reimagine Tomorrow, H.E. Wesam Lootah, Chief Executive Officer at Smart Dubai Government Establishment, who said “Smart Dubai has been at the forefront of creating a technology activated and empowered city. This digital infrastructure has come to life during these challenging times, with our citywide smart transformation and innovation helping our city both come through the pandemic and provide a visionary future. Our city is empowered to achieve a higher stage of development, as we adapt, reinvent and transform – keeping Dubai at the forefront of technological innovation into the future.”
The two-day series of events was focused upon advancing business objectives in a world facing disruption and how to advance beyond response and recovery to a positive reimagining of industries. The sessions hosted panellists and experts from various industries, global solution providers, Microsoft partners and customers.