Future Blockchain Summit to be held in Dubai next week

Event comes as Dubai plans to become the world's first government to execute all transactions using blockchain technology by 2020

Smart Dubai’s Future Blockchain Summit returns to the city next month, as the emirate continues its drive towards becoming the world’s first government to execute all applicable transactions using blockchain technology by 2020.

In line with the Dubai Blockchain Strategy, the second annual Future Blockchain Summit will take place on April 2-3 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

The two-day event will bring together a global pool of technology visionaries, government bodies, the world’s biggest brands and industry first-movers to push blockchain forward and champion its adoption on a global scale.

Future Blockchain Summit 2019 will shine the spotlight on excelling blockchain technologies, moving conversation beyond theoretical use-cases and into real-life opportunities. It will look at blockchain use across the world’s most integral industries, including retail and ecommerce, healthcare, transportation, education, food, hospitality and tourism, energy, fintech and banking, safety and security.

It is expected to welcome more than 8,000 international visitors, and will host speakers from world-renowned brands like Coca-Cola, Tencent, Johnson & Johnson, Maersk, HSBC, eBay and Lufthansa.

Government entities including du, Dubai Land Department and Dubai Health Authority will all be on-hand to showcase their advancements and use cases in the revolutionary technology.

“We are already seeing a multitude of ways in which blockchain can transform a community,” said Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, director general, Smart Dubai Office. “Smart Dubai has been working on over 20 citywide blockchain use cases in partnership with the government and private sector, and we will see many more in the months and years to come.

“Dubai is committed to exploring the potential of this technology to support our ambitious goal of becoming the world’s happiest city, and we have already come a long way since the inaugural Future Blockchain Summit. We want Dubai to be a global blockchain hub that will lead the way in developing the technology further allowing us to improve lives not only locally, but on a global scale too.”

At the heart of this year’s Summit will be the PwC Middle East-backed Global Leaders Exchange – a closed door, round-table discussion where senior government and business officials will work to catalyse blockchain use by focusing on two central themes - establishing policy for blockchain implementation, and positioning crypto-assets in a time of market turbulence.

Globally, the blockchain market is set to shoot to a value of $60 billion by 2024, up from $708 million in 2017. Already, blockchain technology has transformed the financial industry with the incredible success of cryptocurrencies in recent years. Healthcare, real estate and energy industries are also reporting success with the implementation of blockchain technology.

The summit will have six live conference and seminar stages, with confirmed international speakers including Shark Tank panelist and the world’s first Bitcoin oracle, Vinny Lingham; the CEO and co-Founder of Civic and founding director of the 6th largest cryptocurrentcy in the world LiteCoin, Franklyn Richards; rebel, explorer and tech pilgrim, and Phil Chen – the man responsible for the world’s first native Blockchain phone Exodus 1.

From the UAE, Osman Sultan, CEO at the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), will be speaking.

Smart Dubai, in partnership with Dubai Future Accelerators, will also use the 2019 Future Blockchain Summit to launch the third round of the Global Blockchain Challenge.

The challenge will see startups from around the world pitch projects that can contribute to the goals of the Dubai Blockchain Strategy - aimed at eliminating 100 million paper transactions-a-year, saving $1.5billion – and make Dubai the first blockchain-powered city by 2020.