UAE, 11 March 2018 – Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), His Excellency Lt General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University HBMSU, officially inaugurated the 11th edition of Innovation Arabia, a pioneering conference and exhibition dedicated to ‘innovation’ in the Middle East, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre today, under the theme ‘Innovate, Disrupt and Transform’.

Following the opening ceremony, H.E. Lt General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim accompanied by a number of VIP’s, guests, speakers and leading innovators in the UAE and abroad, toured the exhibition area where they were introduced to the latest innovative technologies in different fields.

On the sidelines of the opening ceremony, His Excellency Lt General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, said: “Our presence at this annual event reflects HBMSU’s vision and objectives in promoting the culture of creativity and innovation, as well as our efforts to strengthen our initiatives in scientific research within the education sector and keep pace with global changes in the 21st century. Innovation Arabia is an important integrated platform that supports the vision of the UAE's leadership for the country’s future, aimed at establishing the country as one of the most innovative and developed in the world.”

From his side, Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University and the Chairman of the Conference’s Higher Committee, thanked H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his kind patronage of the conference and for his directives, which has made Innovation Arabia one of the most important global conferences. His foresight of the future is clearly embodied in his directions to us that world is changing, and we have to cope with this change by enhancing education to be ready for the future.

Dr. Al Awar also thanked H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, for his presence at the opening ceremony of the conference where he welcomed all speakers and guests who came from around the world to participate in the event. Dr. Al Awar pointed out that the current edition of Innovation Arabia is being held in conjunction with the “Reading Month” initiative, which is a special occasion in the UAE.

He said: “Reading is the first step towards education and knowledge. It is the real window to see the achievements of our ancestors. Reading is the first brick in building the edifice of innovation and what innovators offer to the society. Innovation Arabia coincides with the ‘Year of Zayed,’ which was declared by the UAE’s wise leadership to commemorate this great leader, who had made fundamental changes in education system, where he let the door of education open to the people of this country, which is the goal adopted by our University to reach all the Arabs through a comprehensive reshaping of education.”

Dr. Al Awar emphasized on the importance of the partnership with INDEX to move the conference to a global level, as HBMSU plans to cooperate with INDEX in launching the Asian and the European editions of Innovation Arabia under the title ‘Asian Innovations’ and ‘European Innovations’ respectively. He also praised the sincere efforts made by INDEX, under the chairmanship of Dr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, in organizing the current edition of Innovation Arabia.

On his part, Dr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Chairman of INDEX Holding and the Executive Chairman of ‘Innovation Arabia’ said, 'Innovation Arabia 11 will greatly help us in achieving our goal of establishing a culture of innovation in the UAE and the Arab world and enable the flow of creativity while also gain advancement in various key sectors including health, education, renewable energy, infrastructure, transport, water and space, in line with Dubai’s 2021 vision, which aims to make Dubai a key hub for trade, logistics, finance and tourism.”

He added, “This year, INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions is extremely proud to announce the launch of the Asian and European editions of Innovation Arabia under the title ‘Asian Innovations’ and ‘European Innovations’ in collaboration with HBMSU. Through such initiatives, we aim to transfer the successful themes and concepts of ‘Innovation Arabia’ beyond the shores of the Arab World to Asia and Europe, which are currently undergoing rapid transformation with the advent of future technologies shifting business models across various sectors.”

He concluded: “Innovation Arabia 11 Conference and Exhibition, aims to provide a highly interactive platform for exchange of ideas between leading innovators and young minds through a number of scientific sessions and poster presentations.”

On the sidelines of the opening program, leading innovators, business leaders and experts were recognized for their key contribution in inculcating a culture of innovation in their respective fields through The Research and Leadership Excellence Awards. The Parasuraman Service Excellence Prize was awarded to Mohamed Ahmed Ali Al Hammadi from Rochester Institute of Technology RIT,  The Harrington Best TQM Thesis/Project Award was given to Ahmed Salem Mohammed Salem Al Memari, The British University of Dubai, The Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Award – Rising Stars Leaders to Anas Bukhash, Founding and Managing Director, Bukash Brothers, The Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Award – Accomplished Leaders  was awarded to Dr. Maryam Matar, Founder and Chairperson, UAE Genetic Diseases Association and The El Baz Award for Excellence in Organizational Sustainability went to Dubai Carbon Center of Excellence.

This year, Innovation Arabia 11, will discuss the impact of innovation on 4 key sectors and areas, including Smart Learning, Business and Quality Management, Health and Environment and Islamic Banking and Finance. Among the topics covered during the first day of the conference were, ‘Mapping the UAE Health System: Challenges and Recommendations’, ‘Create Cool Culture’, ‘FINTECH, The Opportunities for Islamic Finance’ and ‘Higher Education in an Age of Disruption’ among others.

Innovation Arabia 11 Conference and Exhibition, is ongoing till March 13, 2018 and being organized by HBMSU in cooperation with INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions - a member of INDEX Holding, and the support of Dubai Investments and Hamdan Awards.