The Huawei MENA Industrial Digital Transformation Summit 2021 cited digitalisation as key to the development of industries and society.
Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, recently held a summit attended by public and private sector leaders from across the MENA region. Held in Dubai, the Huawei MENA Industrial Digital Transformation Summit 2021 ran under the theme of “Dive into Digital”.
Opportunities in the MENA region
The Summit focused on how digital technology and digitalisation can interface with differing businesses and contexts, along with existing knowledge and stakeholder buy in and engagement to create an environment where all can succeed.
Huawei believes that the MENA region is home to vast opportunities for continued digital transformation and the building of the digital economy of the future. Over the course of the Summit, the fact that the MENA region is a leader in digital transformation was underscored and emphasis was placed on the speed at which digitalisation was occurring in Africa and that specific goals had to be achieved in order to close the gaps in digital infrastructure and connectivity.
Steven Yi, Supervisory Board Member and President for Middle East and Africa Area, Huawei, welcomed attendees to the Summit, saying, “At Huawei, we believe deeply in the power of innovative solutions and strong cooperation with our customers and partners. We are confident that we can innovate to support the businesses of tomorrow, and assist nations in achieving their national development visions.”
Incredible digital growth
Huawei believes that the Summit comes at an important time. The MENA region has seen incredible rates of growth and digital transformation across a wide range of sectors. Over 170 countries from all over the world have integrated digitalisation into their national development strategies and the process is viewed as vital to future economic and societal growth.
Speaking on the incredible rate of digital transformation in the MENA region, Jyoti Lalchandani, Group Vice President and Regional MD, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, IDC, stated that over 63% of CIOs in the MENA region have accelerated their digital roadmaps by one year or more. He went on to say that companies and organisations will have to spend more resources in delivering on strategic mandates and that complimentary and converged technology, data, and business ecosystems will be required to run the “digital enterprise” of the future.
An iterative process
According to Huawei, digital transformation is an iterative process and industries across the board have changed the conversation from whether they need to go digital, to how they should go digital. In order to address this shift, Huawei highlighted a series or areas on which companies should focus on in order to innovate, improve efficiency and quality, enhance customer experiences, and strengthen resilience.
David Shi, President, Enterprise Business Group, Huawei Middle East, explored how companies and governments could ‘Dive into Digital’ and turn their aspirations into reality. He said, “Digital transformation requires forward-looking willingness and determination, strategic planning, and the ability to facilitate the implementation of digital transformation in three areas: business transformation, digital capabilities and transformation partner alliances.”
Another key speaker, Ahmad Yahya, Group CIO and COO, American Hospital Dubai, discussed how digital transformation within the healthcare industry can help to enhance patient experiences, saying, “The pandemic has resulted in an acceleration in digital transformation in all industries with healthcare being at the forefront. Patients demand choice and control over their care and providers must ensure the patient experience is a focus by adopting these digital technologies. We have embarked on an ambitious digital transformation journey together with an ecosystem of technology partners like Huawei.”
Experience and support
A number of key Huawei executives from the global and regional leadership team spoke at keynote sessions alongside industry analysts, customers and Huawei’s partners throughout the Summit. In parallel with the formal sessions, breakouts and roundtables studied concepts such as government digital transformation, cloud for enterprises, cybersecurity best practices for a secure digital world, and technology solutions to accelerate digital transformation in the education sector.
Huawei has an established track record of working with partners and clients across the world to support and drive digital transformation at every stage of the journey. In order to achieve this, the company leverages its ICT expertise and years of experience to help companies grow stronger and adapt to change.
From October 17 – 21, during GITEX Global 2021, Huawei organised a series of summits and exhibitions, of which the Huawei MENA Industrial Digital Transformation Summit was one, to underline the increasing value of digital transformation to national economies.
