UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) will be supporting 60 UK companies – the largest attendance for five years – at GITEX Technology Week at the Dubai World Trade Centre later this month. With 25 new British exhibitors, visitors will discover first-hand why the UK is a world leader in creative technologies.

The UK is ranked second out of 142 countries for software and IT services and leads the European market. With financial support through the Trade Access programme (TAP) and additional support through an extensive marketing campaign and a UK meeting site (www.ukatgitex.co.uk), UKTI will significantly raise the profile of British companies ahead of this year’s GITEX which takes place between 12-16 October. Within the 60 companies, there is a first presence from Northern Ireland and a more than doubling of any previous Scottish involvement.

The exhibition is the region’s top ICT event and Tradefair, which manages the involvement of British exhibitors on behalf of techUK, is aiming to use it as a window of opportunity for UK companies to increase their business and maximise their exposure in the Middle East. The UK software and IT market is currently worth £58 billion per annum and at GITEX the exhibiting companies will be highlighting several major areas including IT Security, Cloud, Big Data and Software.

“The pavilion provides an important platform for businesses to connect and this year’s GITEX is particularly exciting with the UK currently playing a key role in software and creative innovations in the Middle East and globally.” said Mark Birchall, Managing Director, Tradefair.

The UK companies are located throughout the event, although key locations are the Great Britain hospitality areas (Hall 3: C3-2D and Zabeel Hall: Z-J51) and UKTI stand (Zabeel Hall: Z-F23).

UK Trade & Investment will have a dedicated taskforce of technology and inward investment experts who will help visitors unlock the commercial benefits of investing in the UK. Additionally, UKTI will be using the latest 3D holographic techniques to highlight the UK’s attractiveness as an investment destination for technology companies. Visitors to the UKTI pavilion (Zabeel Hall, stand Z-F23) will discover first-hand why the UK leads the world when it comes to creative technologies. Leading innovators, such as Ron Dennis, CEO of McLaren Group, and Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton, will appear via 3D holograms to discuss their pioneering technologies.

UKTI Innovation Gateway Director Louis Barson said: “Our world leading technology sector, combined with dedicated government support and one of the most attractive business environments for investors in Europe, makes the UK the obvious choice for technology companies looking to grow internationally. We look forward to developing new relationships and partnerships at this year’s GITEX.”