Lexar at GITEX
The Memory Behind Every Moment
GITEX calls itself the region’s technology crossroads, but ask a storage brand and you’ll hear something simpler: it’s the week when every workflow shows up. In an interview with Faisal Obaida (Director, Lexar — Middle East, Africa & India) and Ihab “Mr. Tech” Salem (@ihabmrtech) — a Dubai-based tech creator with a strong digital-marketing presence , director/TV presenter, and active YouTuber — Faisal describes GITEX as a “technology carnival.”
Why? Because storage touches everything on that floor: laptops, cameras, drones, recorders, field laptops. “Nothing can survive without a storage device,” he says — and that’s the point. If media is fast, durable, and available locally, the moment you create becomes a deliverable instead of a risk.
Over the last five years across GITEX Dubai and GITEX Morocco, Lexar has leaned into one promise: credible speeds at accessible prices plus reliability and local support — so more teams can move from capture to handoff without drama.
At GITEX Dubai, Lexar’s regional director Faisal Obaida joins Ihab “Mr. Tech” Salem to unpack the storage behind every shoot
from SD and CFexpress to portable-SSD ingest. If you create, fly drones, or manage field teams, this candid chat turns specs into real choices you can trust.
Why it matters now (not next year)
-
Creators are shooting more, everywhere. 4K/6K/8K, 10-bit 4:2:2, burst RAW — sustained writes matter more than ever.
-
Edge devices exploded. Drones, action cams, and mirrorless bodies push cards hard; laptops ingest on site.
-
Adoption hinges on price/performance. If fast media is too pricey, kits don’t scale. Lexar’s positioning: pro-class speeds without punitive budgets — plus endurance SKUs and warranties that calm production schedules.
The new rules of data (2025 field guide)
1) Capture for the workflow you’ll actually run. Match codec/bitrate to sustained write ratings (V60/V90 for SD; CFexpress Type B for heavy 4K/6K/8K).
2) Endurance is a feature, not a footnote. Choose cards/SSDs built for continuous video + harsh conditions.
3) Speed ≠ safety without reliability + warranty. Controllers, firmware, and support turn speed into predictability.
4) Share signals, not chaos. Label cards, checksum the ingest, and standardize folder structures; keep a tiny backup/recovery utility on your portable SSD.
Interview lens: What Lexar actually brings (this GITEX)
-
Creator-first portfolio: SD, microSD, CFexpress, portable USB-C SSDs optimized for real capture and ingest patterns.
-
Balanced performance & value: Fast enough for pro codecs, priced to scale across bodies and crews.
-
Reliability you can plan around: Endurance options, controller/firmware work, and solid warranty coverage.
-
Regional presence: Distribution/after-sales & education across MEA + India — buy and get help here, not two continents away.
Capture Media vs. Real Use Cases
| Category | Typical Use | Sustained Write Guidance | Why It Fits (Creator/Field) | Lexar Angle / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD V60 | 4K IPB, hybrid photo/video | V60 is fine for moderate bitrates | Affordable, widely compatible | Grows multi-body kits without bottlenecks.
Faisal Obaida is the director o… |
| SD V90 | 4K/6K ALL-I, long takes, 10-bit 4:2:2 | Use V90 to avoid dropped frames | Reliable for continuous shots | “Performance + accessibility” for pro shooters.
Faisal Obaida is the director o… |
| CFexpress Type B | 4K/6K/8K high-bitrate, burst RAW | Highest sustained write; camera-dependent | Headroom for cinema-lean mirrorless | Demanding pro pipelines.
Faisal Obaida is the director o… |
| microSD (Endurance) | Drones, action cams, long duty cycles | Look for Endurance grades | Resists thermal throttling mid-air/heat | Fleet-friendly endurance SKUs.
Faisal Obaida is the director o… |
| Portable SSD (USB-C) | Ingest, scratch, quick edits | Prioritize sustained writes + thermals | Faster checksum ingest; safer than USB sticks | Creator-friendly tools + warranty.
Faisal Obaida is the director o… |
As Faisal put it, storage connects to everything at GITEX — SSDs to laptops, CF/SD to cameras, microSD to drones: one pipeline, many touchpoints.
“New Rules” turned into on-set practice
| Rule | On-Set Behavior | User Benefit | Where Lexar Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right media for the job | Match codec/bitrate to V-class/CFexpress | No dropped frames, fewer retakes | Broad media lineup matched to camera profiles.
Faisal Obaida is the director o… |
| Endurance first | Pick cards/SSDs built for long writes/heat | Fewer corruptions and restarts | Endurance SKUs + controller/firmware work.
Faisal Obaida is the director o… |
| Speed + reliability + warranty | Always checksum; keep two copies | Predictable schedules | Warranty + support + recovery utilities.
Faisal Obaida is the director o… |
| Share signals | Label, log, standardize folders | Faster edits, less loss | Education and MEA/India enablement.
Faisal Obaida is the director o…
|
Three pipelines that actually happen (MEA field)
-
Field documentary (UAE → KSA)
-
Capture: CFexpress Type B, dual-slot redundancy
-
Ingest: USB-C reader → portable SSD → checksum
-
Archive: 2× SSD copies + SD clone for shuttle
-
Why it lands: resilience first; storage is the heartbeat on GITEX week.
-
Drone operations (coast/construction)
-
-
Capture: microSD Endurance
-
Ingest: On-site laptop → portable SSD → cloud later
-
Why it lands: endurance + value tiers for fleets.
-
Creator/Streamer (North Africa)
-
-
Capture: SD V60/V90 + portable SSD scratch
-
Flow: Record → top-and-tail in NLE → publish → SSD archive
-
Why it lands: price/performance enables scaling.
-
FQA
Q1: Why is GITEX so relevant to a storage brand?
A: Because storage touches every category on the show floor — laptops, cameras, drones — and Lexar partners across them. You see the whole pipeline in one week.
Q2: Which matters more for creators — price or performance?
A: Both. Lexar’s differentiator is good sustained writes at accessible prices, so teams can scale kits without bottlenecks.
Q3: How does Lexar back reliability?
A: Controller/firmware work, endurance options, and warranty — plus compatibility with major cameras/editors and backup/recovery tooling.
Q4: What about MEA/India buyers?
A: Local distribution, after-sales, and education; not “ship and forget.”
Q5: I shoot 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 — which card family?
A: Typically CFexpress (or SD V90 if supported); check your camera’s bitrate tables and pick by sustained write class. Lexar shares guides at the stand.
The value that actually matters
Great storage is the thing you never talk about when the edit renders on time. That’s why the Faisal × Mr. Tech conversation belongs at GITEX: it’s where devices collide and the quiet pieces prove themselves. Lexar isn’t selling louder slogans; it’s selling calmer sets — cards and SSDs aligned to real capture patterns, ingest that respects light and time, and support that answers locally. If memory fades into the background, the work can take center stage — which is exactly what you came to Dubai to do.
`