About the Conference
RAKAMEYA 2021: Our Future is Digital
Conference for digital transformation in the MENA Region: June 15th - 17th 2021
After last year’s great success, the Digital Arabia Network (DAN) is happy to announce that the 2021’s edition of Rakameya conference for digital transformation in the MENA region is taking place from 15th to 17th June.
REGISTER HERE FOR THE CONFERENCE
RAKAMEYA 2021: SPOTLIGHT ON DIVERSITY
From Egypt to Tunisia, from Sudan to Algeria, the Rakameya community this year will not only represent the diversity of nationalities within the MENA region but also of topics in the digital transformation world, bringing on stage the most relevant themes debated across the different industries globally and regionally (MENA focus).
Rakameya Program & Links to the Sessions
Rakameya Program Sessions
DAY 1 | 15 JUNE 2021
Rakameya Sessions Day 1
Opening Ceremony
Welcome to Rakameya 2021! During this session, we will discuss the opportunities and challenges that we will face as we go digital. We will discuss how to best support the region in shaping its own future using digital technologies.
Digital Reality: The Door to the Digital Future
In our workshop we will explain how Mixed Reality (MR) technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology would open a million doors to a digital future, with application domains such as training, communication, education, healthcare, simulation, entertaining and more.
Smart Ports and Logistics: A New Future
The session aims to show how digitalization is changing the face of the logistics industry. Ports and logistics are a very important pillar of the economy. In such an industry with an international outreach, and where every transaction involves multiple players, it is very critical to match the international industry standards and way of doing business.
AI for non AI-Experts
Artificial intelligence is disrupting the way we think and do innovation, today. This workshop aims to offer clarity on the definition and history of artificial intelligence in a way that can be accessible to non-experts. The session will cover some of the most essential aspects of AI and more specifically: What is AI? History and origin of AI; Contemporary rise of AI; AI vs Human.
Leaving No One Behind
Our Community Talk addresses inclusion from the perspective of Gender and Ability within the world of technology. Each of our speakers will provide an overview of the inclusion and exclusion of the communities they care for: women and individuals with different physical abilities.
The Status of Digital Transformation
IN ALGERIA, EGYPT AND TUNISIA – Digitization has ushered the world into a new era. Nonetheless, the South Mediterranean hasn't fully embraced this. Starting with Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt, this session will discuss our research done to assess the state of digitalization in the countries of the MENA region.
Lost in Calls: Creating A Productive (Virtual) Work Environment
The session will investigate the various aspects of the rapid digital transformation in the field of human resources and corporate cultures, tackling this from the perspective of the increasing migration of businesses to remote working.
We need more: The Platform Economy in the Arab World
Prof. Dr. Dr. Ayad Al-Ani will lead a discussion on the impact of digital platforms on the Arab economy, the strategies for building Arab platforms and the outlook for automated factories and production processes in the region.
Fake news and right to criticism in time of COVID 19
This session led by Mohamed Faraht, an Egyptian lawyer and digital rights expert, will present the definition of fake news and the cultural framework of fake news.
DAY 2 | 16 JUNE 2021
Rakameya Sessions Day 2
Accelerators with Impact: Respond and SAP iO Foundry
This session will explore the current state of play from the perspective of two top European accelerators who support start-ups globally, success stories from each, the challenges of recruiting diversity.
Solutions Journalism: Engaging Audiences with Digital Media
In this three-hour session, we will introduce this genre to Arab journalists, explaining its main components and how it can be applied to traditional journalism.
UX for non-UX Specialists
User Experience, or UX, is an exciting field. It is essentially about empowering people to do the things they want to do, which is both fun and gratifying. In this workshop, we will provide you with great UX tips, hints and principles to make sure your next product will be more successful.
The Role of Culture and Museums in the Digital Transformation of MENA Region
Dr. Ayad Al-Ani will lead a collaborative session discussing how concepts of culture and cultural institutions are being used to explain, assimilate, and utilize technology to achieve social and economic goals in the Arab World.
A Big Welcome to the Sudanese Ecosystem
The session will host a discussion on challenges & opportunities of digital transformation in Sudan in relation to business: looking at the current changes of the digital scene from the perspective of SMEs considering the lifted sanctions and COVID-19. As well as, exploring the roles of data analytics, digital marketing, and fintech in digital transformation.
Creative... Digital... Successful
In many ways, the arts and cultural sector has benefited from technologies such as the Internet that allow for previously unimaginable levels of connectivity. This, in turn, allows us to carve out a new and vital public space that serves the needs of communities. How did the creative clusters in the MENA region navigate through this revolution?
No Woman Is Safe: Online Gender-Based Violence in MENA
DAN is proud to dedicate a session at Rakameya to shed light on these crimes that in many cases remain unpunished. It aims at increasing public awareness of digital risk, including gender based violence online, and build the lasting capacity of women, youth and CSOs in the MENA region to operate safely online.
The State of E-Commerce: MENA Special Edition
A Q&A session with some of the brightest minds in the e-commerce space in the Middle East to discuss how different countries across the region are taking leaps towards empowering e-commerce as a smart exit from the pandemic era.
Creating Your Digital Currency in 2 Hours (And Not Get Jailed)
We will shortly talk about the potential of blockchain technology within the tokenized economy and decentralized governance context and will show how to introduce community currencies for the mobilization of diaspora experts.
DAY 3 | 17 JUNE 2021
Rakameya Sessions Day 3
Unconferencing
Participant-driven conference sessions for networking, exchanging and learning about all the things digital transformation
Weaving the Future: Digital Transformation in the Textile Industry
The textile industry makes up a significant percentage of their exports. The session investigates the relationship between the textile industry and the impact of digital transformation and the challenges for the human capital retention.
The Digital Media Landscape in the MENA Region
The internet and social networks have opened the door for journalists, audiences and entrepreneurs to play a role in shaping today's media landscape. Join the session to get the main findings of the DAN study and discuss with three top experts of the media landscape in the MENA region.
Re-think MENA: Arts and Culture scene in the MENA Region
Re-thinking MENA is an online event that will gather culture managers, curators, and artists from the MENA region to discuss together how digitalizing the art and culture became now during the pandemic and how digitalizing the art and culture opened the art scene to new audiences.
Latest Strategies on Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a topic that everyone should pay attention to. Whether you are an entrepreneur or you are "just" using the internet for online banking, e-commerce shop or even social media, this is a session to attend.
Closing Session
Algorithms are (never) neutral: Rakameya Closing Ceremony with Dr. Matthias C. Kettemann