The upcoming Comex 2017, the 27th edition of Oman’s prominent event for IT and telecom, and the first Oman Smart City Summit will focus on fostering a digital community and creation of a ‘smart’ nation.

The events will take place from March 28 to April 1 at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre in Muscat.  

Comex is held with Smart City Summit in strategic partnership with the Smart Cities Council and the Information Technology Authority (ITA) as well as Oman Broadband and Omran.

The theme of Comex this year will centre on ‘to digital life” that impact the future of both business and personal spheres.  

“ICT is breaking new grounds in terms of economic and social transformation, creating new networks and connections within both the public and private sectors. Access to services, enhancing connectivity and creating business opportunities, ICT plays a pivotal role in bringing individuals and organisations together. This year, Comex focuses on Oman’s digital society, uniting stakeholders from all walks of life involved in creating and developing the new digital economy,” said Tarek Ali, general manager, OITE Trade Fairs.

The ‘Future Tech Zone’ at Comex will be launched for the first time by ITA this year. Through this zone, companies across ICT and related sectors will show demos of various products and solutions that promote the concept of smart cities, smart homes, smart living and smart work processes.

The new ‘Incubation Centre’ will promote ITA’s Sas Programme designed for small and medium ICT businesses, entrepreneurs, graduates and students interested in starting new innovative ventures.
Comex ‘Smart Talks’ will also provide a forum for both local and regional companies to share their ideas and solutions with industry colleagues and customers through interactive sessions.

Featuring participants from Oman and beyond, Comex aims to offer leading-edge technology solutions, designed to unite and inspire ‘business to business’ and ‘business to consumer’ participants through three key zones - Comex Business, e.oman and Comex Shoppers.

The e.oman pavilion will host a number of government entities promoting Oman’s digital transformation showcasing eGovernment initiatives including specialised zones focused on ‘innovation’, ‘future technologies’, ‘eTransformation’, ‘eLearning’ and ‘security’. Visitors can take advantage of the latest ICT solutions offered by trade exhibitors at Comex Business and enjoy the latest products on offer and the best possible deals on laptops, tablets and mobiles at Comex Shoppers.

With the growth in urbanisation over the past decade, the public sector is compelled to adopt advanced processes that support ‘smart city development’ and foster safe and efficient delivery of services focused on sustainability and improved quality of life. Held under the theme ‘Empowering a Smart Nation’, the Oman Smart City Summit will focus on the value created both economically and socially for its citizens through the adoption of ‘smart city projects’ in the country.

Key sessions will include the concept development of a smart city, challenges faced in building smart cities, the role of smart cities in national and socio-economic growth, the importance of ‘public-private partnerships’, the role of telecom operators, the ‘Internet of Things’, the customer experience, global best practices and sustainability.

Running in parallel, an exhibition with extensive meeting and networking opportunities will also be held to showcase best practices, new technologies and discuss business options with local and international decision makers. – TradeArabia News Service