His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, officially opened GITEX GLOBAL, the world’s largest tech show, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) today. His Highness was accompanied by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy of Dubai.
Speaking on the occasion, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid underscored the significance of the event, emphasising its status as one of the world’s largest global gatherings for technology industry professionals. “For over four decades, the UAE has brought together the brightest minds and innovators from across the globe uniting them in a shared pursuit of shaping the future of technology. This dialogue has fostered strategies, insights and partnerships that have contributed significantly to the advancement of technology, ultimately enhancing the quality of human life.
“The UAE continues to proactively lead the way in building a promising future across various sectors of the economy. At this year’s GITEX GLOBAL, Dubai is hosting over 6,000 exhibitors from 180 nations, who will engage in a new dialogue on forging a transformative path ahead for the industry. The remarkable growth in participation at GITEX is a testament to the world’s growing confidence in Dubai as a pivotal hub for the technology industry for tomorrow and beyond. This event is a testament to Dubai and the UAE’s steadfast commitment to driving progress and innovation and fostering international collaboration in the rapidly evolving technology landscape. We will continue to play a key role in opening new possibilities for the technology industry, forging new partnerships and advancing human well-being through excellence.”
The 43rd edition of the GITEX GLOBAL, which runs from 16-20 October 2023, has once again reached full capacity at DWTC, with the blockbuster tech showpiece hosting 6,000 exhibitors and 180,000 tech executives from 180 countries. Expand North Star, the world’s largest start-up event hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, takes place from 15-18 October 2023 at its new Dubai Harbour home. More than 1,800 start-ups across both events will delve into the burgeoning opportunities within one of the world’s most agile, diverse, and technology-driven digital economies.
During his visit, His Highness toured several stands including those of Etisalat, Huawei, Beyon, Salesforce, G42, Microsoft, and IBM, where he interacted with the world’s leading voices in technology and learned about the innovative products and services on display.
Accompanying His Highness during the tour were His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications; His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of the Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism; and several ministers and senior officials.
His Highness was briefed on Etisalat’s 5G Stand Alone network for mobile users, marking a significant technological milestone following the successful launch of 5G SA service for Fixed Wireless Users (FWA) earlier this year. This development offers consumers access to a dependable nationwide standalone network, enabling seamless voice and data services across the entire country.
GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star cover a combined area of 2.7 million sq. ft – a 40 per cent increase over the previous year – showcasing the latest innovations and trends in AI, the cloud, Web 3.0, cyber security, climate technology, urbanism, and more.
The annual five-day event will deep dive into the biggest reflections of the AI era with the return of AI Everything – the year’s largest showcase of AI solutions and concepts with 1,000 AI-infused companies demonstrating the power of AI – and the Global DevSlam coder and developer meet-up. The event will also host the biggest cyber security event of the year, GITEX Cyber Valley, bringing together leading brands and experts to tackle the challenges and opportunities of protecting digital assets and infrastructure in the age of AI.
The global digital economy’s growth, with a strong focus on deep tech innovation and sustainable green technology initiatives, has also propelled the genesis of the GITEX CTO World Congress, the year’s largest gathering of tech architects and disruptors. Additionally, making their global debut this year are the co-located GITEX Impact and Future Urbanism Expo shows. These shows will centre their attention on the pressing concerns of climate change and sustainable development, shedding light on innovative solutions and best practices to pave the way for a net-zero future, aligning with the goals of the upcoming UN climate change summit, COP28.
GITEX GLOBAL 2023 will welcome some of the biggest names in tech, such as Dell Technologies, e&, Google, Huawei, HP, IBM, Microsoft, and Tonomus. Among the newcomers are Salesforce, Broadcom, Beyon, and Deloitte.
More information is available at www.gitex.com and www.expandnorthstar.com
