Local businessman gets VIP reception at global conference
PROMINENT land developer Kudakwashe Taruberekera got a stand-out reception at the just ended Global AI Show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which he attended in his capacity as the country’s international business ambassador.
Taruberekera, who is the founder and CEO of Craft Properties Holdings, has been on a whirlwind tour of Europe, United States and Asia among other continents, attending top global conferences and symposiums.
The start of the Global AI Show coincided with Taruberekera’s birthday, which he celebrates alongside his company's anniversary as well as the country’s independence.
As such, Taruberekera considers April as the most important month in his life.
“I am in Dubai attending a very important conference on artificial intelligence (AI), which I feel is a critical component that we should embrace as a country,” Taruberekera said.
“As we celebrate our independence, we also need to develop in line with the aspirations of the liberation struggle that brought us this independence.
“We need technology, hence the need to embrace AI in our businesses.”
The Global AI Show was held under the official patronage of
Omar Sultan AL Olama the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications and Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of cyber security in the United Arab Emirates government, who was a keynote speaker
The event was held at the Grand Hyatt where Taruberekera had the privilege of the VIP pass, which allowed him to attend the AI show’s prestigious after-party.
“Apart from getting the standout reception, l managed to engage potential investors in new technologies with some showing interest in coming to Zimbabwe and investing,” Taruberekera said.
“These conferences that l am attending are in sync with the national vision of becoming an upper middle-income society by 2030.
“There were many of us from Africa including colleagues from Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt and
Ethiopia, among other developing countries.”
According to the organisers, about 1 300 exhibitors participated at this year's edition of the Global AI Show.
However, Taruberekera could not attend the Middle East Energy 2024 conference where more than 1 300 global exhibitors and 40 000 energy professionals were expected to gather, due to bad weather.
Dubai was hit with severe flooding during the better part of last week after two years' worth of rain fell in just 24 hours.
“We could not attend the Middle East Energy conference physically after the organisers called it off following heavy rains that caused floods in Dubai,” Taruberekera said.
“The organisers notified us on the 11th hour that the conference can go ahead online due to disruptions caused by the bad weather in Dubai.”
The Middle East Energy conference features the world's largest solar and battery experts including inter-solar conferences, boardroom briefings and an exclusive VIP programme.
The three-day conference was supposed to be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Meanwhile, Taruberekera will, in June, attend the 2024 United States International Business Conference in Florida while at home; the land developer will grace the 10th CEO Africa Roundtable in Victoria Falls in the same month.
Taruberekera, alongside Craft Properties’ operations director Yeukai Taruberekera recently led their company to the Second Annual National Diaspora Investment Conference and Homecoming Event which was hosted by the Foreign Affairs and International Trade ministry at Clevers Lakeview Resort and Conferencing Centre in Masvingo.