Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority and Etisalat to Host 12th TechForum

• One-day Conference to Promote Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Dubai-UAE: 11 November, 2013 - Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the integrated free zone technology park, in partnership with Etisalat, the Middle East's leading telecommunications operator and one of the largest corporations in the GCC region, is set to host a one-day TechForum for IT professionals, academic experts and students with a view to promoting capacity building, as well as technological entrepreneurship and innovation in Dubai.

The 12th edition of the event that will be held on Tuesday 12 November at the DSO headquarters from 07:00pm - 09:00pm is expected to bring together more than 70 attendees from the growing IT sector. Focusing on the concept of ‘Augmented Reality' and its various facets, the session will review the huge uptake of this technology and the opportunities it has created in the Middle East and North Africa.

Speakers at the conference will include Dany El Eid, Founder and Managing Director of pixelbug, a marketing technology company that focuses on enhancing business objectives by using interactive digital solutions for its clients; Thierry Louesse, Managing Director of Fractal Systems, providers of innovative technology for events specialising in system integration, system signage and 3D development; and Fayad Gilles, Director Business Development at Qualcomm, a designer and supplier of CDMA chipsets, system software, network base stations, handsets, modems, kid trackers, camera phones, MP3 players and game players.

Adnan Juma Al Bahar, Vice President - Marketing & Corporate Communications at Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, said: “The conference provides an excellent platform to network and an opportunity for like-minded people to exchange ideas and learn about innovative technologies that play a determining factor in the IT industry. Hosting the forum is in line with our corporate social responsibility efforts to invest in human capital and bring best practices to the region. It is our aim to encourage new talent and entrepreneurship and use the offering of the DSO infrastructure to bring ideas to life".

The event is supported by Silicon Oasis Founders, an incubation centre owned by DSOA that fosters local entrepreneurial talents in the promising mobile application space and related technologies, as well as Silicon Oasis Ventures and the Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai based at the Dubai Silicon Oasis.

A wholly-owned entity of the Dubai government, Dubai Silicon Oasis operates as a free zone technology park for the semiconductor, microelectronic and other high technology-based companies looking to set up their regional headquarters and research and development facilities in the Middle East and North Africa region.