- Consulate General of Sri Lanka to Dubai and Northern Emirates spearheads key initiatives
- Sri Lanka participates in Expand North Star and GITEX 2023, from 15-20 Oct. in Dubai, UAE
- 25 companies, including startups participate in the event
- Business networking session attended by State Minister of Investment Promotion Dilum Amunugama
The Consulate General of Sri Lanka to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, the Sri Lanka IT Professionals Association in Dubai, and Trainocate Gulf, organised a dynamic business networking session for the participating Sri Lankan IT companies at the Expand North Star and GITEX 2023. The event took place at the Millennium Plaza Downtown on 17 October.
The event commenced with a warm greeting by Consul General of Sri Lanka to Dubai and Northern Emirates Alexi Gunasekera, setting the tone for the event with inspiring opening remarks. Gunasekera emphasised the significance of technology and innovation in the modern, globally connected world. He also highlighted the significance of the IT BPO sector to Sri Lanka, noting that the Sri Lankan Government aims to achieve a remarkable milestone of $ 5 billion worth of IT BPO exports by 2030, while simultaneously creating 200,000 Sri Lankan IT professionals.
The event was honoured by the attendance of State Minister of Investment Promotion Dilum Amunugama, who shared invaluable insights into Sri Lanka’s IT sector. Minister Amunugama highlighted the remarkable progress achieved under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, emphasising that Sri Lanka has successfully overcome its main economic challenges. He further emphasised the need to attract both direct and indirect investments to Sri Lanka, aligning with the President’s vision of establishing a knowledge-based economy in the country.
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to UAE Udaya Indrarathna shed light on the UAE perspective of the IT sector, underscoring the significant role played by the Sri Lankan expatriate community in advancing this industry. Additionally, he highlighted the Embassy’s collaboration with the Consulate General to establish clusters aimed at promoting key sectors of Sri Lanka in the UAE.
The event featured the active participation of both Sri Lankan and UAE IT professionals, such as Injazat, Seven seas, Trainocate, Softlogic, Mindware G42 Cloud, MDS, Parallax, Orel IT, etc. and 16 years old two future IT professionals from Sri Lanka. The audience was captivated by the fascinating presentation delivered by hSenid Software CEO Dinesh Saparamadu. He shed light on the immense potential within Sri Lanka’s IT landscape and outlined the future goals of the IT sector in the country, emphasising the significance of the UAE market for Sri Lanka.
Trainocate Managing Director Zafarullah Hasim emphasised the contribution made by Trinocate in organising the Sri Lanka participation at the Expand North Star UAE. The event fostered engaging discussions, focusing on the latest trends and providing opportunities for attendees to connect with businesses and stakeholders in the IT industry.
The event was made possible through the support extended by the Director General of the Department of Commerce, who provided the necessary financial assistance for its successful execution. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi, EDB Sri Lanka, SLASSCOM and ICTA also contributed to the success of the event.
Ronald Powell representing Injazat, provided a remarkable perspective by sharing success stories from the UAE and the endless opportunities for international collaboration. His insights inspired attendees and underscored the UAE’s commitment to technological advancement.
The event was further enriched by the active support of the Sri Lankan Information Technology Professional Association (SLITPA) Dubai, which worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the evening. SLITPA President Kuminda Liyanage states that the Association is committed and proud to be associated with the Consulate General/Embassy of Sri Lanka in the UAE in promoting the Sri Lanka IT industry in the UAE and wider Middle East. Further, he stated that SLITPA will continue to support building bridges between the IT industry in UAE and Sri Lanka by creating numerous positive engagements.
First Secretary Dinithi Weerasena, on behalf of the Consulate General of Sri Lanka, expressed gratitude to all participants, partners, and attendees who contributed to the success of the event delivering the Vote of Thanks.
The 43rd edition of the GITEX Global, renowned as the world’s largest tech exhibition, serves as a gateway for investors and Tech creators and hosts more than 6,000 exhibitors. Participation in GITEX and North Star provides Sri Lanka with a global platform to showcase its technological innovations, products, and services. This year Expand North Star featured more than 1800 global startup exhibitors, 900 plus investors, 250 speakers and more than 100 countries.
Sri Lanka participated at Expand North Star with My Tudy, Authnex, Asia Pacific Technologies, DMS, Evolza, hSenid, Impact IT, ITX360, One Lexiicon Parallax, KBSL and the highlight was the participation of two 16-year-old future IT professionals from Sri Lanka.
Participation in these events allowed Sri Lankan companies to gain exposure to a vast international audience, including potential investors, partners, and customers. GITEX and North Star attract a diverse range of investors seeking promising technological ventures. Sri Lanka’s participation in these events enhances its visibility and attractiveness as an investment destination, opening doors to potential funding and business opportunities for local IT companies and startups.
AI innovation wave, cybersecurity and launch shows fuel unprecedented growth GITEX Global presented the year’s largest AI showcase and summit, its record growth fuelled by the AI innovation wave currently gripping the globe’s imagination, as 3,500 AI-infused exhibitors revealed how this next big technology shift is transforming lives, governments, business, and society.
The AI boom has also added another layer of complexity to protecting digital assets and critical IP infrastructure, with the elevated GITEX Cyber Valley taking the fight directly to the dark cyber-criminal underworld, gathering leading info-sec brands and global experts at the year’s biggest cyber security showcase. Amplifying this growth, the launch shows GITEX Impact and Future Urbanism Expo promise to be the epicentre of ground-shaking shifts in climate technology while advancing sustainable cities, and co-creating a net zero future ahead of the UN climate change summit, COP28.
In the coming year, Sri Lanka Consulate General/Embassy together with Business Support organisations aims to organise an even larger Sri Lankan participation at GITEX and Expand North Star, further enhancing its presence and showcasing its technological advancements on a global platform thus firmly establishing Sri Lanka as a high-end IT BPO supplier to UAE and the Gulf Region.
Source: DailyFT
