More than 3,000 industry stakeholders gathered together at HUAWEI CONNECT Dubai, to discuss “Innovative Infrastructure to Unleash Digital”. Representatives from Huawei and other organizations shared their latest digitalization practices, exploring new paths to industrial digital transformation.
Ken Hu, Huawei’s Rotating Chairman, delivered a keynote outlining three ways the ICT ecosystem can help break through common barriers in digital transformation:
- Boost digital infrastructure, including more robust connectivity and stronger, more diverse computing resources.
- Help organizations go beyond simple cloud adoption and truly make the most of cloud, focusing on advanced technology services that drive leapfrog development.
- Build out local digital ecosystems including partner development, strengthening the digital talent pool, and providing more support for SMEs.
Opening the event, Steven Yi, President of Huawei Middle East & Africa expressed gratitude to customers and partners for their ongoing trust and reaffirmed Huawei’s commitment to contributing to local development. He also shared three key initiatives of Huawei, its customers and partners, to unleash digital productivity. Together, they work to build a solid digital foundation for all and reinforce local digital ecosystems to support the future of digital nations.
Innovative, scenario-based technologies enhance digital infrastructure to unleash digital productivity
Bob Chen, Vice President of Huawei Enterprise BG, discussed how multi-tech synergy is critical for finding the right technology for the right scenario. He explained in his keynote speech “Innovative Digital Infrastructure Accelerates Digital Transformation” that “Data is at the core of digital transformation, and data ingestion, transmission, storage, and analysis are key steps. Huawei provides full-stack products and product portfolios to support end-to-end data processing, accelerating customers’ digital transformation.”
In terms of data connectivity, Huawei unveiled NetEngine AR5710, a hyper-converged gateway that is ideal for small and midsize branches, and NetEngine 8000 F8, an ultra-compact universal-service aggregation router. These all-new products are helping lay a solid data foundation to further unleash digital productivity.
With regards to data transmission, Huawei has been exploring how to apply the fifth generation fixed network (F5G) evolution across various industries. During the event, Huawei in partnership with a customer, jointly launched a digital pipeline corridor inspection solution based on optical fiber sensing technology, enabling automatic pipeline corridor inspection.
Regarding data storage, Huawei and Commvault, a data management software company, jointly launched a data protection solution that provides enterprise customers with secure and reliable data protection from end to end. This helps create a reliable and efficient storage foundation, allowing enterprises to maximize the value of data.
Joy Huang, President of Huawei Cloud Strategy & Industry Development, pointed out that Huawei’s approach to digital transformation has three pillars: greener infrastructure, ongoing innovation, and shared experience. Huawei Cloud aims to be the best digitalization partner for customers, and is working with partners and customers to unleash digital with Everything-as-a-Service.
Additionally, customers from various industries in the Middle East and Africa also shared their best practices with Huawei in digital transformation at the event.
Huawei also launched the Huawei Empower Program, which aims to help develop a thriving digital ecosystem for global partners. Through this program, Huawei will conduct joint innovation with its partners via OpenLabs, empower partners with a new framework, a new plan, and an integrated platform, and create a talent pool through the Huawei ICT Academy and Huawei Authorized Learning Partner (HALP) programs. Huawei also announced an investment of US$300 million into this program over the next three years to support its global partners.
Huawei Connect Roundtable
This year, Huawei brought its Huawei Connect series of global events to Dubai for the first time, which took place on October 12. Huawei’s annual flagship event brought over 3,000 industry leaders, experts, and partners from the Middle East, North and South Africa, South America, and CEE Nordic Europe, together to explore how to unleash digital productivity, it also outlined initiatives that can help build the ICT ecosystems capable of advancing common barriers in digital transformation and boosting digital economies.
On the sidelines of Huawei Connect, Huawei hosted an exclusive group media interview with Huawei Global and regional experts including, Alaa Elshimy, MD and SVP Enterprise BG, Huawei Middle East, KOH HONG ENG, Global Chief Public Sector Scientist, Huawei, and Sheldon Wang, Director of Digital Government, Huawei. The executives discussed how to build a national digital foundation that can focus on emergency response, online education, smart public services, etc. The representatives also explored where industry digitalization is heading, what opportunities it brings, and how digital technologies can be practically applied in different industry scenarios to fully unleash their value.
Huawei also shared practical experience and share insights on the White Paper on the public service infrastructure to address the pain points of digital transformation of governments and ministries.
While responding to the question from Teletimes International, (How is Huawei contributing to the overall vision of UAE?) – Alaa Elshimy, MD and SVP Enterprise BG, Huawei Middle East, elaborated the following points:
- Huawei is bringing its Huawei Connect series of global events to Dubai for the first time this year, bringing its global expertise to benefit customers and partners and help them unleash digital productivity.
- Huawei is working closely with the UAE government to bring technological advances to even more industries and create new value by helping governments and enterprises in UAE and the wider region go digital while operating more intelligently and achieving sustainability.
- Huawei partnered with the Entrepreneurial Nation to launch the ‘ScaleUp Digitize’ program to enable startups and SMEs in the UAE to enhance their digital infrastructure by adopting cloud technologies and services.
- Huawei launched its first cloud region in the UAE last year, bringing the HUAWEI CLOUD services closer to Middle East customers while addressing data retention laws for regulated industries. Since then, we have seen regional customers innovate on the cloud, including adopting emerging technologies such as AI.
- In cybersecurity, the UAE’s National Cybersecurity Council (NCSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Huawei earlier this year to collaborate in strengthening local cybersecurity strategies and efforts. As per the memorandum, both parties will work towards strengthening strategic collaboration in cybersecurity based on the Public-Private-Partnership model. As part of the memorandum, both parties have agreed to jointly establish a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to deliver talent training that addresses the cybersecurity capacity-building needs for Emiratization.
- In talent development, Huawei has partnered with leading universities and colleges on various CSR initiatives, including ICT Academy, ICT Competition, and Seeds for the Future, among others. We are promoting collaboration between public and private sector entities, educators, and technology companies to develop talent through these initiatives.
- Du recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei to foster development, enhance skillsets, and accelerate efforts to drive talent progression in the UAE through three core development programs. As part of the longstanding partnership with Huawei, du will equip graduate trainees, technology professionals and senior-level professionals with key competencies, knowledge, and technical skills required in the business world.
