Monday, February 6, 2012

Calling All Developers & Designers in the Middle East!

Hello everyone! If you are not based in the Middle East, go away!


.. Just kidding, keep reading!

At the end of March, a big event will take place, an event that should pique the interest of developers, designers and entrepreneurs in the Middle East. That event is the ArabNet Digital Summit 2012!

The ArabNet Digital Summit 2012 is a conference that will take place in Beirut (27 - 31 of March). The topics of this conference revolve around technology in the Middle East, topics such as programming, web & mobile development, tech & design startups, Arabization of technology and entrepreneurship.
Last year’s summit brought over 1000 attendees, 100 speakers, featured 18 panels and 17 talks, in addition to 20 entrepreneurs pitching their ideas and startups.

Why should I care?

Well, for one reason: I will participate in it! I have been invited to participate as an Official Blogger in the event (Ha! So writing blogs can be useful!), and I am also planning to participate in one of their signature Lightning Talks and present a talk about my contribution to Open Source software, Arabization of tech projects and of course user privacy.

I am planning to present a talk about the effort I've been doing Arabizing privacy tools that were made by the awesome guys at the Guardian Project. Tools such as Orbot, Gibberbot and ObscuraCam.

Why the hell should I care?

Woah, calm down there! If you want to miss my coverage of the event and my talk, there is still lots to do there. There will be panel discussions (No, they won't bore you to death), workshops, competitions and food. Lots and lots of sweet, sweet food. My stomach is grumbling as we speak.

Basically it's cut up into the following slices (still thinking about pizza... Mmmmm):

- Developer days: Two Developer Days with technical discussions and workshops for programmers and engineers.
- Industry Day: Focus on the way that web and mobile are transforming traditional industries, including healthcare, banking, travel, education, and government.
- Two Forum Days: The largest gathering of digital business leaders in the region featuring over 100 globally renowned speakers covering the latest trends and technologies in web and mobile platforms.
- Community Day: Community Day is a day of free activities for students, NGOs and the general public, raising awareness about and providing training in digital technologies.

Naah, doesn't interest me. What else?

You're starting to get on my nerve, but you know what? The conference has three interactive events that you will surely love; one of which is an event I'm trying to participate in.

Ideathon: Got a brilliant idea for a web company? This is your chance to make it happen!  Submit your idea to the ArabNet Digital Summit 2012 Ideathon competition! The top 10 finalists will be invited to pitch their ideas in a series of rapid-fire back-to-back presentations at the summit, where each finalist will have 2 minutes in the spotlight to prove that their idea is innovative and has strong business potential. The top three pitches will win cash prizes and great ideas will get the attention of investors, incubators, and developers.

Startup Demo: Got a promising startup that needs a push? This is your chance to take your startup to the next level!
Submit your startup to the ArabNet Digital Summit 2012 Startup Demo competition! The top 10 finalists will have 5 minutes on stage to showcase their product and convince an audience of investors, incubators, and media of its strong market potential.

Lightning Talks:  Lightning Talks are independent, community organized presentations that will take place during the first day of the ArabNet Developer Days.
Lightning Talks are short, fast-paced, 5-minute talks given by experienced developers, engineers, or designers from the community about a specific case-study or experience that they've encountered throughout their career.
We’re looking for proposals that relate to web or mobile development or design, from novice to advanced levels.

Wait! I'm a blogger too! Not fair =(

Calm down! Are you an awesome blogging pirate like myself? Probably not.... But you still can participate as an Official Blogger and attend the whole event for free! (Plus food. ).
What you need to do is fill the Official Blogger Signup form, which can be easily found here.

 That's it for now! I hope to see you there in beautiful Beirut in March! If you want to meet me there and get to know me, just drop me a line and we will have a nice stimulating chat while drinking tea.


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