Key Takeaways

• Middle Eastern cities are pioneering futuristic developments with innovative digital signage.
• Challenges include project delays, harsh desert conditions, and the need for robust screen solutions.
• The region is transitioning from commercial use of screens to more communicative purposes, mirroring trends in the West.

Topics

• Digital Transformation
• Innovation
• Business Strategy
• Technology

Transcript

So I was recently listening to a podcast interview hosted by Dave Haynes of 16.9, the digital signage industry blog, and Nita Odedra from Blue Rhine Industries. And she's a strategy director. Now, they're based in Dubai and work across all of the Middle East region. This stood out to me because I was actually born in Dubai and grew up in Dubai and also in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. But that was a long time ago, too long. A few things jumped out to me from the interview. Firstly, I've talked a bit in the past about when we are imagining workplaces and environments of the future, we often look to cinema and TV and science fiction to visualize what these environments might look like. But actually out in the Middle East, a lot of these are already being built today. So we're seeing cities of the future being built before our very eyes. And the good news for me, at least, is that they love screens. So here the market is a little bit different because we've got so many project development that are new. They're trying to do things different. You know, you've got cylinder LCDs, we've got pillars being clad, etc. They do have this pride in trying to put developments out there that are new, ambitious, something that is the largest. So yes, you know, that is there. And what that means is sometimes it comes with a bit of flash and you've got all bells, all whistles kind of installations for screens. And Dubai Mall is an example where I think that's the largest indoor screen in Dubai Mall. And you'll have other ones coming up in the next couple of years trying to beat that, I'm sure. So if you want to see future trends for our cities, I would advise going to take a trip. But she also highlighted some of the challenges they face. The biggest challenge she mentioned was that often the screens will be delayed because the whole building is delayed. Now, out in the UK and America where we normally work, the buildings we're operating in already exist and we just have to put the screens u