Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the Englishman credited with inventing the worldwide web, is due to give the opening address at the fourth annual Abu Dhabi Media Summit this week.
The internet pioneer was confirmed yesterday as the opening speaker for this year's Media Summit to be held on Yas Island from Tuesday to Thursday.
This year’s event will focus on leveraging opportunities in the digital age.
His opening address, to be delivered via satellite link, will discuss the opportunities that an increasingly connected world can bring to the UAE and the Middle East, together with his insights on the wider digital planet.
“This is a key moment for the UAE and countries in the Middle East region to determine how they can make the best use of the internet and take advantage of all the opportunities it offers,” said Sir Tim.
“It is with great pleasure that I have accepted the invitation to participate remotely at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit, a digital global meeting of minds,” he said.
"I am looking forward to discussing the potential of the internet and its positive benefits to humanity with such a digitally connected audience."
More than 400 senior delegates from the global media industry are already confirmed to attend the high-profile event, now in its fourth year, held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
“This year’s summit will focus on the ways individuals and organisations can harness the limitless potential of digital technologies,” said Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Media Summit and also the chairman of twofour54. “People like Tim Berners-Lee have made that conversation possible, and I can’t think of a better way to open the summit than with his insights.”
The opening day will also include presentations from Andy Bird, the chairman of Walt Disney International, who will speak about the art of emerging market expansion and storytelling in a global marketplace.
Other speakers at this year's event will include Mark Hollinger, the president and chief executive of Discovery Networks International, Shailesh Rao, Twitter's vice president of international operations, and Nart Bouran, the director of News for Sky News Arabia.
Previous keynote speakers have included Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt, the film director James Cameron.
jeverington@thenational.ae
