“The Kingdom of Morocco is proud to host this prestigious African trade show, given the profound significance of this event, which places the African continent at the forefront, in consecration of HM King Mohammed VI’s far-sighted vision to establish a strategic partnership between the various players in favor of a prosperous, integrated and united continent, through strengthening ties and exchanges between African countries, promoting their promising potential and consolidating the foundations of a solid and sustainable African economy,” said Akhannouch at the opening of this flagship event.
Placed under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, this large-scale event, which illustrates the Kingdom’s cultural wealth, civilizational influence and ongoing dynamism, is an opportunity to highlight the continent’s promising potential and the sustained efforts being made to develop skills in the fields of technology and innovation, he explained.
He said that Morocco fully embraces the digital momentum dictated by globalization, and remains determined to strengthen its position as a digitalization pole in order to accelerate the Kingdom’s economic and social development, and further consolidate its economic relations with the rest of the world, in line with HM the King’s enlightened vision.
“We aspire to guarantee public digital services for citizens, businesses and entrepreneurs. We are also working to create an appropriate ecosystem for innovative start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises, and to provide a platform dedicated to producing and nurturing talent in this field,” he added.
As “we begin to implement this roadmap”, the organization of this first “GITEX AFRICA” in Morocco reinforces the efforts made by the Kingdom to realize these aspirations, said Akhannouch.
Following the example of “GITEX Global”, which has been held in Dubai for over 40 years, “GITEX Africa” aims to be an international platform for cutting-edge technology for all players in Africa, from both the private and public sectors, he noted, adding that this event will see the participation of over 900 companies, more than 250 speakers and over 100 government institutions.
Emphasizing that African businesses and economies are experiencing a tangible digital transformation as evidenced by the sharp rise (4.5 times more) in investment in start-ups between 2018 and 2022, the head of government explained that this feverish pace of digitization is attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic and its repercussions, as it has been necessary to adapt to the demands of this period in terms of modes of consumption, production, communication and work.
Africa has worked hard to consolidate its position as a fertile breeding ground and propitious platform that supports innovation and the development of talent and skills, thanks to its natural wealth, the energy of its youth and its multiple and diverse economic potential, noted Akhannouch, explaining that in light of the economic turmoil and profound changes the world is experiencing, technology has become an essential lever for international economic development.
He said that “GITEX AFRICA” is a unique platform for exchanging views on the main opportunities and potential for making the African continent both a consumer and producer of digitization, emphasizing the need to encourage innovation and investment in this field in order to foster the emergence of unicorn companies, start-ups and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as supporting technological innovations in promising sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and personal data protection.
He added that achieving this digital transformation requires, on the one hand, a suitable business climate and appropriate governance capable of attracting investors, and, on the other, effective investment in a reliable and inclusive digital infrastructure.
