Channel Summit MENA, the premier B2B event for consumer technology in the MENA region, is thrilled to announce the winners of its prestigious annual awards. The awards are a highlight of the Summit, which operates on an exclusive ‘invitation-only’ basis, ensuring a gathering of senior-level executives and decision-makers from the industry. Arabian Reseller and Gadget Voize were the official media partners of the event.

“We are proud to host these awards and celebrate the incredible achievements of these companies that work in this sector,” said Farouk Hemraj, Founder of ChannelHub, the organisers of Channel Summit MENA. “The Channel Summit MENA awards are not just a recognition of success but also a testament to the innovative spirit that drives the consumer tech industry forward.”

This year’s awards are set to recognize the outstanding achievements across a range of categories, including Best Vendor in various categories such as Audio, Entertainment, Gaming & Computing, Lifestyle, IT Peripherals & Accessories, Mobile Product, and Electronics & IoT; Best Distributor Awards covering segments like Broadline Distributor, Lifestyle, Mobile Accessories, IT Peripherals & Accessories, Electronics & SDA (small domestic appliances), and Gaming; Best Product Launch Awards for UAE, Saudi, Egypt, and GCC regions and, for the first time this year, special recognition for the Best E-waste initiative.

Each category has been carefully selected to highlight the diverse range of products and services that are driving the consumer tech and IT markets forward. The awards celebrate the creativity, product attractiveness, and overall performance of the participating companies.

The winners were determined through a live voting process by buyers attending the event, ensuring a fair and transparent selection. The criteria for shortlisting the awardees include a combination of product presentation, business potential, and team interaction during the event. This approach underscores Channel Summit MENA’s commitment to recognizing truly innovative and impactful contributions to the industry.

The full list of award winners includes:

Best vendor – Audio: Marshall

Best vendor – Entertainment: GoPro

Best vendor – Gaming & Computing: HP/HyperX

Best vendor – Lifestyle: Riley Scooters

Best vendor – IT Peripherals & Accessories: Logitech

Best vendor – Mobile Accessories: Belkin

Best vendor – Electronics & IoT: Nutricook

Best Distributor – Broadline Distributor: Redington

Best Distributor – Lifestyle: Shift

Best Distributor – Mobile products: Lime Concepts

Best Distributor – IT Peripherals & Accessories: Monster

Best Distributor – Electronics & SDA: Al Futtaim

Best Distributor – Gaming & Computing: Geekay

Best Product Launch UAE: Nothing Phone 2 Launch with Sharaf DG

Best Product Launch GCC: The CASIO G-SHOCK GBD-200-9ER Launch with Al Seeb Technical Est. (SARCO) Ltd

Best Product Launch GCC: The SONY INZONE Launch with Store 974

Best Product Launch GCC: SAMSUNG S24 Launch with Best Electronics

Best E-waste initiative: E-WASTE INITIATIVE – eXtra

Channel Summit MENA, which took place from 19 to 21 February 2024, brought together industry leaders from across 16 countries to celebrate excellence and innovation in the consumer technology and IT sectors. This unique event format offers a blend of pre-scheduled meetings, keynote presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities, aimed at fostering growth and collaboration in the tech and IT channels.

Hemraj added, “We have brought back the format that was a winning formula behind our DISTREEE events and we have had overwhelming feedback from the community – both vendors and retailers. We are pleased to add value to the sector with focused events like Channel Summit MENA.”

NVIDIA, in partnership with Microsoft, has announced the second edition of NVIDIA Studio Nights – a regional event to focus on content creators who are designing with the power of the NVIDIA Studio platform and RTX GPUs. NVIDIA Studio Nights will be held on 15 February 2024 at the twofour54 Community Hub in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. This year, the event will feature six creative categories, including the previously featured 3D Design, Digital Art, Videography and Photography, with a special emphasis on the newly introduced CGI and NVIDIA Canvas Art categories.

Creators will have the opportunity to enter their work for consideration in each category before the event, with the best in each walking away with coveted prizes and trophies courtesy of NVIDIA Middle East. The free-to-attend event will offer opportunities for networking with NVIDIA experts and learning through interactive presentations on content creation and workflow optimization.

Chantelle Tavid – Head of Marketing, NVIDIA MENAT said, “Our inaugural NVIDIA Studio Nights was very successful last year, and we are extremely excited to be doing it again to support local content creators. NVIDIA Studio Nights is the perfect opportunity to see the limitless creativity that is possible when designing with NVIDIA Studio, and we know that the community appreciates a space such as this to interact with each other. We can’t wait to see the entries in this year’s competition go even bolder and more creative than what we received last year. NVIDIA Studio Nights embodies our commitment to hosting artists, fostering community, and celebrating the incredible talent of local artists, all while showcasing the transformative power of the NVIDIA Studio platform and RTX GPUs.”

NVIDIA Studio Nights will offer visitors the opportunity to get a hands-on experience with how the industry-leading RTX GPUs paired with NVIDIA Studio drivers can dramatically improve and accelerate challenging tasks in leading design applications, having the newly launched Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 devices introduced and available to test. From AI-driven object removal to smoother 4K video playback, NVIDIA Studio drivers are designed to let you truly create at the speed of your imagination.

NVIDIA Studio is much more than just a GPU – one of the advanced features that comes with RTX GPUs is the fact that all top creative apps are accelerated by AI which results in artists being able to create faster and better. There are over 75 creative apps that are accelerated by AI on RTX GPUs, which include top apps for photography, videography, rendering and broadcasting such as Adobe Premier Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and Adobe Photoshop.

“Created by Microsoft, Surface devices are thoughtfully designed with you at the centre, adapting in versatile ways to how you work, learn and create. In collaboration with NVIDIA Studio Nights, we are proudly bringing Surface Laptop Studio 2 – our most powerful laptop ever – to the creative minds of UAE, and can’t wait to see, what you do with it,” said Adam Labancz, Surface Category Lead, Middle East and Africa at Microsoft.

Winners will each receive a Microsoft Laptop Studio 2, along with a Surface Slim Pen 2. Through the power of 13th Gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA RTX GPUs, drawing, sketching, and designing on the Microsoft Laptop Studio 2 is natural and exciting, with a seamless transition from a canvas for drawing to a powerful touchscreen laptop. The ultra-versatile design with multiple form factors and input options allows creators to work smarter with AI tools in Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 apps

The Dubai Police General Headquarters accomplished a significant milestone in their continuous commitment to building a safe and inclusive digital environment, with the successful conclusion of their 3rd eSports Tournament. This event was much more than just a gaming platform, it acted as a venture to engage the esports gaming community, promote digital literacy and security, and raise awareness about online safety.

The eXTREMESLAND 2023 Counter-Strike 2 Middle East Championship, which was held on December 10 at the esteemed Dubai Police Officers Club, was one of the event’s main attractions. Several teams from throughout the Middle East competed in this esports event, and the winning team will get to represent the prestigious Dubai Police in the grand finals in China on January 26–28, 2024.

Ever since the inaugural eXTREMESLAND CS: GO Asia Cup took place in 2016, eXTREMESLAND has been hosting successful gaming events and aiming for annual excellence. It covers more than 32 nations in the Middle East, Asia, and Pacific areas. With an enduring impact on the competitive gaming scene, eXTREMESLAND has emerged as a key player in the development of esports in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions. Initiating the competition was a big deal since it gave emerging players a chance to show their gaming skills in front of local and global audiences.

The forward-thinking strategy of eXTREMESLAND has been instrumental in elevating gaming skills in these areas as well as driving the expansion of esports overall. Players now have the chance to compete at the top levels of professional gaming thanks to eXTREMESLAND’s tournaments, which have emerged as a catalyst for the identification and advancement of up-and-coming talent. The Middle East and Asia Pacific esports scenes are thriving as a result of eXTREMESLAND, with individuals and teams finding newfound success on the international gaming stage.

eXTREMESLAND has made a big contribution to the global esports narrative by offering a platform that surpasses geographical boundaries and embraces diversity. This has elevated the status of esports in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East in the global arena. Manish Bakshi, Managing Director, BenQ Middle East, expressed his enthusiasm about the event with great fervour. “We’re incredibly excited to be part of this platform and hosting eXTREMESLAND 2023. Dubai Police has shown a progressive approach that values the wide range of interests and emotions of its community by embracing the eXTREMESLAND 2023. This gesture not only demonstrates Dubai Police’s modern outlook and excellent support for the gaming community but also their dedication to building a robust gaming community in the heart of UAE.”

Twelve elite teams competed in the Counter-Strike 2 event, showcasing their distinct tactics and gameplay abilities. The winners will now have the privilege of competing in the eXTREMESLAND 2023 CS2 Asia Cup on behalf of Dubai Police. The Four04 Esports staff oversaw and assisted in the tournaments. First Lieutenant Saeed Adel Al Suwaidi, from Dubai Police General Headquarters, commented on the partnership with BenQ Middle East, “Our collaboration is not just about hosting an Esports Tournament. It’s about creating an interactive platform where we can engage with our youth, educate them about the potential pitfalls of the digital world, and equip them with the knowledge they need to navigate it safely. This initiative reflects our commitment to leveraging popular platforms to drive meaningful conversations around online safety.”