ArabNet Digital Summit 2016 In Dubai To Focus On MENA's Digital Future At a time when businesses across sectors are feeling the need to reinvent traditional models, the summit will see participants from technology companies, publishers and media agencies discuss challenges and opportunities of the digital era for the MENA region.

By Sindhu Hariharan

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ArabNet
Souq.com founder and CEO Ronaldo Mouchawar speaking at ArabNet 2015 in Dubai, UAE.

A platform for digital entrepreneurs to meet investors and industry leaders, an exhibition where 70+ technology companies display their latest technologies, insights from over 90 regional and international speakers on everything digital, and networking opportunities with 1,000 + attendees from the regional and international ecosystem- all of this will be happening under one roof at the ArabNet Digital Summit 2016 from May 30-31, 2016 in Dubai.

Hasan Zainal, Henri Asseily, Khalid Suleimani, and Nina Curley speaking at ArabNet 2015 in Dubai, UAE. Image credit: ArabNet.

At a time when businesses across sectors are feeling the need to reinvent traditional models, the summit will see participants from technology companies, publishers and media agencies discuss challenges and opportunities of the digital era for the MENA region. Besides 35 panels/talks and workshops on the future of digital in the region, the summit is also hosting the fourth Digital Showcase, which will connect startups with a working product to investors and potential clients through one-on-one MatchUp meetings. Speakers for the talks include Ed Spiegel, Entrepreneur in Residence / Mentor, 500Startups, Alessandro Piol, co-founder & Partner, Alpha Prime Ventures, Alfonso de Gaetano, Head - Publisher Business Solutions for Emerging Markets, Google, and Kareem Abdel Aziz, Head - Telecom, Media and Technology Investments MENA, IFC, among others.

Running in parallel with the summit will be the ArabNet TechFair, an exhibition featuring over 70 tech companies worldwide displaying their latest products and services. Investors –hailing from the MENA to Silicon Valley- are expected to be part of the summit that promises potential investment opportunities for tech startups. Additionally, Uber will be making things easy for select startups by sponsoring them to the Digital Summit through the UberPITCH 2016 initiative. Under this campaign, one entrepreneur each will be selected from 12 cities in the region by way of a pitching competition sponsored by Uber.

Related: Arabnet Beirut Reveals A Bright Future For Lebanese 'Treps

Sindhu Hariharan

Former Features Editor, Entrepreneur Middle East

Sindhu Hariharan is the Features Editor at Entrepreneur Middle East.  She is a financial consultant turned business journalist with a FOMO when it comes to everything technology.

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