The College of Engineering and IT at the University of Dubai   (CEIT – UD) and Zayed University organized the 28th IEEE International Conference on Electronics Circuits and Systems (ICECS) conference from the 28th of November – 1st of December 2021 at Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, Dubai, UAE. This year’s conference was hybrid as it combined both physical and virtual workshops, sessions and social events  such as the Industrial Forum, Women in Engineering, and the Young Professional events. Local and international speakers from the academia and industry participated in the conference. 

ICECS is an international conference that is held annually in Region 8 (EU, Africa and Middle-east). The 28th edition of this IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Region 8 flagship conference was held under the theme of Security of Microelectronic Circuits and Systems. This year’s edition, which was sponsored by the University of Dubai, Zayed University, and Huawei, is a premier international conference dedicated to circuits and systems, design and innovations. 

Three keynote speakers were present during the conference. 

On the first day, Prof. Yehia Massoud, a Professor and Director of the Innovative Technologies Laboratories (ITL) at the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences Division at KAUST, spoke about Enabling Technologies for Smart Cities. His speech was tailored towards the rapid advancement in embedded systems and mobile telecommunications technologies that have led to a drastic increase of Internet-of things (IoT) devices and the emergence of a variety of smart city applications. On the second day, Mr. Faisal Ameer Malik, a Chief Technical Officer at Huawei Enterprise Business Group, Middle East Solution Sales & Marketing Dept, delivered a speech on 5G, Cloud & AI accelerate industry transformation. He elaborated further on how 5G Cloud & AI is transforming industry and society around us and discussed Huawei’s contribution to research, development and industry implementation of these technologies. On the last day, Dr. Saeed Aldhaheri, a futurist, thought leader, author and a public keynote speaker, posed the question: “How Organizations Can Build and Deploy Responsible AI Applications?” He also discussed the responsible development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence applications that are expected to fundamentally disrupt many industries and the way government and businesses operate.

A virtual track was available for participants who had travel restrictions. Meanwhile, the physical sessions took place in Dubai which has become the principal business and tourism powerhouse for a super-region stretching from North Africa to the Indian subcontinent and from the CIS countries to South Africa. 

UD President Dr. Eesa Al Bastaki said that Dubai, which has an excellent infrastructure, offers high-end facilities and a pleasant lifestyle for both visitors and expats. “Dubai’s strategic geographical location and unique futuristic approach are significant and critical when it comes to hosting and organizing international events like ICECS,” he added. “From modernity to spacious accommodation and luxurious experiences, the UAE has become a cosmopolitan hub that is fully equipped with advanced technological facilities that connect minds around the globe,” Dr. Al Bastaki said.  

UD Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Hussain Al-Ahmad who attended the 3-day conference said: “Speaking of the success that this conference has achieved over the past years, this international event is attributable to the UAE’s visionary leadership, its high-quality infrastructure, and business-friendly environment.” 

  Attendees who physically attended the event mentioned that the health level in Dubai is under control and they felt safe.