Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid tours Gitex

Vice President and Ruler of Dubai visits the tech event at Dubai's World Trade Centre

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai visit the Gitex technology event at Dubai World Trade Centre. All photos courtesy Wam

Sheikh Mohammed toured the halls and met company chiefs and representatives.

Gitex marked a return to in-person events since the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

Thousands of people visited the event with strict safety measures in place.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has visited the Gitex technology show.

The event - held at Dubai World Trade Centre - was the first major in-person event held in the city since the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

Sheikh Mohammed said Dubai was a world leader in embracing technology and this would continue.

He also said the region has begun its economic recovery from the pandemic and this would accelerate next year.

Strict measures were in place to ensure the health of staff and visitors.

More than 1,000 social distancing stickers, 800 sanitisers and a Covid-19 testing centre helped the event run smoothly.

In an interview with The National, organisers revealed the scale of the task.

“For the pre-opening cleaning of Gitex, we had almost 300 housekeepers cleaning and sanitising the venue to welcome our exhibitors and visitors,” said Trixie LohMirmand, executive vice president for events management at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

"We also placed health and safety wardens throughout the halls, who were clearly identifiable, to monitor crowd activity to ensure compliance with regulations.”

More than 1,200 exhibitors from 60 countries headed to Dubai for the five-day show that showcased the latest in technological advancement.

Visitors came face to face with human-like androids and dart-throwing robots.