DUBAI — The 19th edition Seamless Middle East 2018, the Middle East's most dynamic summit and large-scale exhibition bringing together the converging worlds of commerce, fintech, retail and payments, officially opened today at Dubai International Convention Centre.

Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, on Sunday inaugurated the show, where over 350 regional and international exhibitors from across the globe pave the way for seamless transactions and experiences across the entire e-commerce value chain.

During the official tour, Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan witnessed live demonstrations and received a briefing from key exhibitors about projects, as well as their efforts and initiatives aimed at using the latest smart technologies set to revolutionize the entire payments, ecommerce and retail ecosystem.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Nassir Ghrous, SVP Banking and Payments, CISMEA region, Gemalto said: “The arrival of a new generation of solutions built around machine learning or Artificial Intelligence is finally addressing security and convenience questions. As much as convenience matters to consumers, so does security. For banks, addressing both convenience and security is a must as 44% of customers would leave their bank in the event of a security breach. Users expect their banks to be at the forefront of technological innovation to ensure a seamless digital banking experience. Seamless Middle East brings the right players to share latest technologies in this arena.”

Gemalto is showcasing a new dimension of digital banking security with new solutions that will enable a safe and streamlined mobile and digital payment experience. These include EMV card with a biometric fingerprint reader, behavioral risk management using Artificial Intelligence and a newly launched self-service kiosk offering 24/7 services.

“Banks need to incorporate biometrics within a multi-layered approach to security. Gemalto is catering to this need, through its solutions that apply ‘behavioral biometrics’ and real-time risk analysis,’ Ghrous added.

First Biometric card pilot in the Middle East

Gemalto and biometric technology company Zwipe have partnered with areeba, a financial and payment technology company in the Middle East and Africa, with the support of Unilux Cards, to pilot Visa’s first battery-less dual interface biometric payment card (chip- and contactless-enabled) in the Middle East.

The biometric payment card is presented at Seamless Middle East. The pilot aims to test the use of fingerprint recognition as a more convenient and secure alternative to PIN or signature to authenticate the cardholder during a transaction.

Softbank Robotics and Jacky’s Business Solutions presented Pepper - the first humanoid robot capable of recognizing the principal human emotions and adapting his behavior to the mood of his interlocutor.

Pepper has been designed to identify emotions and to select the behavior best suited to the situation with upgraded customer service capabilities aiming to create demand in the business sector. Based on a person’s voice, the expression on the face, body movements and communication, Pepper interprets emotion, responding personally to the mood of the moment, expressing himself through the color of his eyes, his tablet or his tone of voice.

The exhibition welcomes market leading industry players from banks, exchange houses, insurance, telcos, merchants, enterprise, government, fintech’s and tech startups, showcase wide range of innovative products and solutions – from mobile payments, analytics, inventory management and POS, self-service and ATM’s to digital marketing with omni-channel retailing, blockchain and AI.

Moreover, on-floor demo theatres with 60 free sessions will offer insight into various issues that a company faces while taking its business online. Visitors will get the opportunity to attend the Ecommerce University for a day-long program, which has been developed to help build, launch and grow a profitable e-commerce business, while helping understand how to create a digital marketing strategy, manage logistics, or develop digital payment and increase customer conversion.

The event is supported by its title sponsor Dubai CommerCity, a joint venture between the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) and the Wasl Asset Management Group. The region's first 2.1-million square feet ecommerce free zone has been developed to promote Dubai as a regional hub for e-commerce and support its economic diversification process. — SG