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

The virtual forum is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, 2020, to explore the future opportunities for startups in the region as the UAE continues its gradual return to normal life. Moreover, the Dtec Forum will celebrate technology startups 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, three UAE-based startups – 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 Dtec Forum online.”