Smart Dubai’s Future Blockchain Summit returns to the city next month, as the Emirate continues its surge towards becoming the world’s first government to execute all applicable transactions using blockchain technology by 2020. In line with the Dubai Blockchain Strategy, the second annual Future Blockchain Summit will take place April 2nd– 3rd at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Officially hosted by the Smart Dubai Office, the two-day event will bring together an agenda-setting global pool of technology visionaries, government bodies, the world’s biggest brands and industry first-movers to push blockchain forward and champion its adoption on a global scale.
The event is expected to welcome more than 8,000 international visitors, and will host speakers from world-renowned brands like Coca-Cola, Tencent, Johnson & Johnson, Maersk, HSBC, eBay and Lufthansa. Government entities including du, Dubai Land Department and Dubai Health Authority will all be on-hand to showcase their advancements and use cases in the revolutionary technology. “We are already seeing a multitude of ways in which blockchain can transform a community,” said Her Excellency Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General, Smart Dubai Office. “Smart Dubai has been working on over 20 citywide blockchain use cases in partnership with the government and private sector, and we will see many more in the months and years to come.
At the heart of this year’s Summit will be the PwC Middle East-backed Global Leaders Exchange – a closed door, round-table discussion where senior government and business officials will work to catalyse blockchain use by focusing on two central themes: establishing policy for blockchain implementation, and positioning crypto-assets in a time of market turbulence. Ahmad AbuHantash, Technology Consulting Partner at PwC Middle East, said: “Blockchain technology is enabling governments and businesses to increase transparency, conduct transactions securely, and increase efficiency. Like any emerging technology, its application requires robust government support and in some cases regulation to increase adoption, drive innovation and increase people’s happiness. Our new report, which will launch ahead of the Future Blockchain Summit in April, draws a roadmap for organisations that are seeking to make use of this technology and make the transition from proof of concept projects to implementation.”
At 2018’s debut Future Blockchain Summit, 76% of visitors admitted attending with the sole purpose of trying to understand what blockchain is. This year, over 140 hours of speaker sessions will seek to demystify and unpack the technology – all in the presence of more than 80 exhibiting startups and established businesses, and experts from no fewer than 130 countries. Globally, the blockchain market is set to shoot to a value of $60 billion by 2024, up from $708 million in 2017. Already, blockchain technology has transformed the financial industry with the incredible success of cryptocurrencies in recent years. Healthcare, real estate and energy industries are also reporting success with the implementation of blockchain technology.
The Summit will have no less than six live conference and seminar stages, which will be home to many of the most talked about names in technology. Confirmed international speakers include Shark Tank panelist and the world’s first Bitcoin Oracle, Vinny Lingham; the CEO and Co-Founder of Civic and founding Director of the 6th largest cryptocurrentcy in the world LiteCoin, Franklyn Richards; rebel, explorer and tech pilgrim, Phil Chen – the man responsible for the world’s first native Blockchain phone, Exodus 1, and currently the Decentralised Chief Officer at HTC; G20 expert advisor and Director of Social Impact and Public Regulatory Affairs, IOTA Foundation, Dr. Julie A. Maupin; and Abdel Mageed Yahia, the Director of the World Food Programme, who pioneered a blockchain application to reduce world hunger.
From UAE, the visionary leading digital transformation in the telecommunications industry, Osman Sultan, Chief Executive Officer at the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), will be speaking. The event’s new BlockBASIC Asia Forum – held in partnership with Camelot International Conferences – will shine a light on Asia’s prominent journey in early blockchain adoption, with the continent already established as a standard-setting incubator for innovation. The Forum will seek to connect Asia-based entrepreneurs and investors over truly ground-breaking blockchain innovations.
