International information and communication technology (ICT) companies are in great anticipation of this year's Gitex Technology Week to capitalize on the Middle East's growing IT market, which remains one of the largest in the world. Thousands of technology companies from around the globe will attend Gitex Technology Week, to be held on Oct. 18-22 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), all of whom are looking to strategically position themselves in the Middle East as sentiment improves in the global economy. The research house, International Data Corporation (IDC) reports that the Middle East IT market will see an increase of approximately 8 percent in 2009, one of the highest in the world. Another recent report by IDC also stated that spend on IT in the UAE alone would reach $2.3 billion in 2012, with a continuous annual growth of 23.9 percent, due to the country's strong economy, a maturing IT market, and increased foreign investment. “Gitex Technology Week has become one of the world's top three ICT exhibitions, having serviced the dynamic Middle East market for the past 29 years,” said Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre. “This year the show has risen to be the pivotal forum in rallying industry leaders and government bodies from around the world to come together to further boost market confidence and exchange on opportunities that will present themselves in the coming months and years.” One of the most influential personalities in the ICT industry, Steven Guggenheimer, Corporate OEM vice president, Microsoft Corporation, will be delivering the keynote address on Oct. 18. Speaking on the “Windows Experience”, Guggenheimer will be addressing senior executives from the region on Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7. “Over the past several years, we have worked closely with our industry partners on the development of Windows 7,” said Guggenheimer. “We are excited for its general availability to consumers and all of the new opportunities we believe it provides for our partners and our customers.” Technology fans in the Middle East will be treated to an exclusive preview of Windows 7 a week prior to the global launch of the software.
