CAIRO: Building on its status as one of the largest telecom markets in North Africa, the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) announced on Monday its collaboration with Gitex Technology Week to promote regional cooperation in the IT and telecommunications sector. Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), organizer of Gitex Technology Week, will work with representatives from ITIDA to demonstrate the potential of the Egyptian telecom and technology sectors at the 26-year-old trade event held from Oct. 19 to 23, 2008. "Egypt is an important partner to Gitex, being one of the biggest IT players in the Middle East. Through Gitex, participating Egyptian companies have a window to penetrate international markets, Abdulla Qassem, senior vice president at DWTC, said at the press conference held to announce the event's main features this year. This year's event will cover the entire field of technology with dedicated trade events and networking initiatives. Gitex Majlis, an executive business program for CEOs and senior business professionals, will provide a networking forum and executive lounge. For the first time, a digital gaming arena will be set up as part of the Consumer Electronics segment. The debut of the Gitex Digital Game World - taking place simultaneously with Gitex Technology Week and Gitex Shopper and Consumer Electronics Expo - is an aspect DWTC is enthusiastic about this year. This branch will cover all aspects of gaming and will provide a platform to discuss business potentials in this innovative market. The Digital Game World will include special session on online retail sales and interactive advertising, while regional teams will compete for cash prizes in online tournaments, Gregory Zaralides, DWTC Industry Group Manager for the ICT Cluster, told Daily News Egypt. Over 4,000 meter square of space and 150 computers will be dedicated for tournament participants and those who want to engage in a casual game. "The idea sprang to correct the misconception of electron games. Microsoft has just launched a new game that outsold all movies recently released, proving that this is an important sector to be discussed, Zaralides told Daily News Egypt. For the second year, Gitex will host the Gadget Glam, providing a preview of the latest in the market. The event will include a catwalk and showcase area featuring everything from mobiles to MP3 players, HD cameras and LCDs, Grant Burgham, DWTC project manager, told Daily News Egypt. Egypt was amongst the largest national pavilions at the last edition of the show, with around 40 companies participating in the event this year, a 7 percent increase since last year. ITIDA subsidizes 85 percent of the expenses to participate in the event, Wael Morgan of ITIDA explained. Due to the limited space, not all companies from Egypt - and other countries - are approved for participation; however, DWTC officials announced their plans to expand the event over 120,000 meter square by 2010 to accommodate more companies. "Year-on-year there has been an increase in the number of Egyptian companies participating in Gitex, this year's show is set to be the largest and most innovative in our history. We strongly believe that Gitex will assist Egyptian companies in achieving their long-term business and marketing goals by providing better access to influential buyers and decision makers, Qassem said. This year, the event will include a global conference, which has been expanded to include 35 tracks of interactive discussions, featuring some of the world's leaders on new generation technology.
