DOHA, Qatar
07 Mar 2017 (HIA)

Hamad International Airport (HIA), the award winning five-star gateway to Qatar, is the official sponsor for this year’s QITCOM Exhibition and Conference, which is Qatar's biggest annual digital event, connecting smart technology with international expertise, industry specialists, key government decision makers, innovators and entrepreneurs.

The event commenced on 6 March at the Qatar National Convention Centre and will continue through 8 March. Under the theme of 'QATAR - Towards a Smarter Future', QITCOM 2017 brings together a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders from all sectors to exchange ideas and collaborate towards achieving the vision of a smarter Qatar.

A digital transformation program is currently underway at HIA to ensure that it continues to set benchmarks in customer experience, while continuously improving efficiency, safety and security.
Underpinning the transformation are some of the most innovative and leading-edge technologies.
As the official sponsor of QITCOM 2017, HIA has carefully chosen the opportunity to showcase how its Smart Airport Program is transforming the passenger journey; and to launch its new smart watch app and augmented reality offering which will enable visitors to discover the unique art exhibits on display at HIA.

Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA said “Strategic investments in technology are at the heart of our mission to continuously improve efficiency and to provide great customer experience. At QITCOM, we are demonstrating how technology is being used by HIA to become the “connected” airport of the future.”

Visitors to HIA’s exhibition stand have an opportunity to experience the Smart Airport concept first-hand through a simulated journey. At the beginning of the journey, each visitor is given a smart phone, a smart watch and travel information and encouraged to experience un-assisted interaction at various airport touch points, including self-check-in, self-bag-drop, immigration/border control, E-gate and self-boarding gate; while observing how the airport measures its service levels in real-time.

The simulated journey also showcases HIA’s unique Beacon-enabled mobile app, which provides live flight notifications, turn-by-turn navigation and information of ongoing retail offers.