Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory body for Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the integrated free zone technology park, today announced the agenda for its upcoming Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec) Forum.

Scheduled to take place virtually on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, the event will explore future opportunities for forward thinking technology start-ups in the region as the UAE continues its gradual return to normal life. Moreover, the Dtec Forum will celebrate technology start-ups who have continued to build and grow their businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Khaled Talhouni, Managing Partner Nuwa Capital, will headline a fireside chat titled ‘The Future of Investment’ where he will outline the future of the investment landscape post-COVID-19, and answer key questions on entrepreneurs’ minds – will investment pick up? What industries will investors be looking at in 2020 and beyond? How can start-ups make the best of this opportunity?

In a follow-up panel discussion moderated by Tamara Pupic at Entrepreneur ME, three UAE-based start-ups – Jonathan Rawling, Co-Founder of Yalla Compare, Khaled Zaatarah, Co-Founder of 360VUZ, and Kevin Czok, Co-Founder of Hotel Data Cloud – will highlight how they succeeded to continue growing and secure funding during the recent lockdown period.

Speaking on how challenging times often produce great innovations, Hans Henrik Christensen, Vice President at Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec), referenced companies such as Disney, HP, Google, Salesforce, and Facebook, which were all launched during or just before major economic downturns.

Commenting on the first virtual Dtec Forum, Hans said: “COVID-19 is a healthcare pandemic at its core, but it’s disruption has rippled into social and economic status quo. Therefore, keeping up with the evolving situation, we have organized this edition of the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus Forum online.”

He added: “According to the State of Small and Medium Enterprises in Dubai Report 2019, issued by Dubai SME, small and medium enterprises represent 99 percent of the establishments in Dubai. They employ 51 percent of the workforce and contribute approximately 46 percent of Dubai’s GDP. Seeing as they play such a fundamental role in the economy, and with Dtec being the largest incubator of its kind in the region, we are aiming to guide the start-ups in the nation in navigating the current situation and equipping them with the required knowledge and expertise to stay relevant and keep their businesses going.”

Entrepreneurs and start-ups interested in joining this conversation can register to do so through this link.