The small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Middle East and Africa region are set to ramp-up their ICT budgets from last year’s outlay of $16.73 billion to $24.48 billion by 2015, said a report on the eve of a giant technology event.

Now in its 32nd year, Gitex Technology Week connects more than 138,000 ICT professionals from 144 countries and over 3,500 suppliers from 77 countries across five continents, making it one of the world’s top three ICT exhibitions.

This year’s Gitex, themed “Where Technology Means Business,” is set to empower SMEs like never before as they aspire to become engines for economic growth and sustainable job creation, said organisers Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

With an estimated 200,000 SMEs currently in operation in the UAE, the contribution of this key business sector to the country’s economy is significant.

According to the UAE Ministry of Economy, SMEs have become vital to the growth of the country's economy, contributing 60 per cent of the national GDP in 2011.

Intent on boosting the MEA regions’s burgeoning SME potential, Gitex is officially launching its SME Zone following last year’s successful trial run, the DWTC said in a statement.

Sponsored by security software giant Symantec SME, which is an SME Zone Partner, and tailored to maximise return on investment, the new feature will serve as a conduit for small ICT businesses from region to engage with a high concentration of influential investors.

Prajit Arakkal, the director of SMB and distribution sales for Emerging Markets, said: “At Symantec, we are very aware that small businesses are driving our global economies and we are proud to lend our support to Gitex’s SME Zone."

"As SMBs don’t typically have dedicated IT personnel focusing on the information protection they need to keep them out of harm’s way, making them more susceptible to risks than enterprises, Symantec delivers products and services tailored specifically to SMBs to ensure they are protected so they can focus on what they do best – accelerate their businesses," he noted.

As part of the SME Zone, attendees will have the chance to hear ICT SME success stories and glean insights from a range of carefully selected experts at the International Lounge.

In addition to this, Gitex will also put a high-profile spotlight on a range of solutions suited to SME enhancement via its Consumer Tech, Mobile Apps & Content World, Card Technology and Digital Marketing sectors.

Prajit Arakkal, the director of SMB and distribution sales for Emerging Markets, said: “At Symantec, we are very aware that small businesses are driving our global economies and we are proud to lend our support to Gitex’s SME Zone."

"As SMBs don’t typically have dedicated IT personnel focusing on the information protection they need to keep them out of harm’s way, making them more susceptible to risks than enterprises, Symantec delivers products and services tailored specifically to SMBs to ensure they are protected so they can focus on what they do best – accelerate their businesses," he noted.
 
Dhiraj Daryani, research manager, IDC MEA, said: “IT is enabling SMEs to operate like big companies, and acquire the wherewithal to compete and win business on a greater scale than ever before, and we are witnessing encouraging receptivity for the latest technology across the MEA region."

Yousef Aljamal, the GM of Jordan-based Qalam Soft, an advanced search and recognition company that has pioneered the first software in the world capable of reading natural Arabic handwriting in real-time, said: “Innovation is all well and good, but in today’s competitive environment businesses of our size are likely to suffer if we do not get the right support and publicity."

Gitex’s focus on the SME sector is a hugely beneficial initiative and gives us a unique, highly credible opportunity to network and secure potentially profitable new routes to market, he remarked.

Trixee Loh, senior VP at DWTC said, "SMEs can be powerful engines for economic growth in the MEA region, which is why we have created the SME Zone to specifically connect emerging businesses with the decision-makers that can help them succeed."

"We will also bring to light technology that can improve the business prospects of SMEs of any description, from cloud and mobility to new avenues of impactful digital marketing and beyond," he added.-TradeArabia News Service