Hello and welcome to the April edition of CEO Middle East. Digitalisation has been top of the agenda for businesses in the Middle East and the wider world for the past few years, a trend that was only accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Conversations regarding the metaverse and the future of work seem to be an almost daily occurrence, while decisions regarding implementation of technology are occurring faster and with wider-ranging effect.
We covered this issue in more detail in our featured interview this month with Tahaluf Al Emarat CEO Yahia Alhami, who, when asked, said that Covid-19 has been a “booster” for digital adoption. Do turn to page 20 for the full interview and examination in the role that the UAE can play in driving the global digital revolution.
To my mind, the state of the industry with relation to the metaverse is more akin to the gold rush of cryptocurrency enthusiasts a few years ago. This has left many investors questioning if they should be involved in the metaverse, or if they are missing out.
As such, on page 26 we have published the thoughts of Ali Sajwani, general manager of operations at DAMAC Properties, on the four key considerations that need to be taken before making a metaverse investment.
In the context of a global supply chain that has been laid low by Covid-19, with companies facing crippling delays around the world, it is also perhaps little surprise that governments and businesses have also sought to build further resilience into their value chain, and increase the localisation agenda. This has come hand-in-hand with additional technology implementation in the region, with the Middle East’s digital economy set to profit as a result. This subject is covered in more detail on page 28.
While onerous Covid-19 travel requirements have broadly retreated this year, confidence in travel has still not reached its pre-pandemic heights. In the UAE, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths expects exponential growth to return this year, however, as people stuck under some form of lockdown are finally granted the opportunity to travel.
Even here, however, the theme of digitalisation is firmly established, with Griffith’s stating that it’s an “ongoing programme” that “should have happened many years ago.” For his full comments, and predictions on the travel market over the coming year, turn to page 38.
Finally, I think it is also important to mention that while last month’s issue featured some special coverage on the importance of women in the workforce, published to coincide with International Women’s Day, this is a subject that we are committed to covering throughout the year. Specifically this issue we talk about why now is an “exciting time” for women in Saudi Arabia (page 30) and what remains on the roadmap to ensure gender equality, on page 34.
On that note, I’ll let you get to reading. Until next time.