Dubai saw the biggest technology and startup shows go together simultaneously earlier this month, and the massive interest from all over the world further stamped GITEX Global and Expand North Star as the most prestigious events in the respective categories.
The 2023 version of GITEX Global held at the sprawling acres of the Dubai World Trade Centre hosted no less than 3,500 Artificial Intelligence (AI) enterprises and startups, with hundreds of thousands attending across the length of the event.
True to the theme ‘The Year to Imagine AI in Everything’, exhibitors, speakers, and organisers ensured AI was at the core of the impressive show.
On the other end of the city, at Dubai Harbour, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy hosted the world’s largest event for startups, Expand North Star.
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The startup event was seen as a roaring success, gauging by attendance as well as the geographical and vertical diversity of startups and investors alike.
Some numbers would help add context. Over 1,800 startup exhibitors from over 100 countries put on a show across 8 halls, with over 900 investors managing assets exceeding $1 trillion, and a mind boggling 150,000+ attendees.
Across the two events, 10 co-located shows were staged that included Marketing Mania, Fintech Surge, Future Blockchain Summit, GITEX Impact, Future Urbanism, SuperBridge Summit, Global Dev Slam, amongst others.
Talking to media at Expand North Star, H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, stressed on the significance of AI, the challenges and extent of governing AI, and how the UAE is taking lead in AI adoption, aimed at improvement in quality of life.
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The Minister of State said that there are very few challenges today that AI cannot solve, adding that doing AI responsibly is the real deal.
“We are not going to be protectionist about AI and will govern just enough to ensure that people’s lives and livelihoods are not affected. Technology, as a whole, needs to be unleashed rather than be confined and restricted,” said H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama on the approach towards governing AI.
“We are going to enter the era of a digital big bang and AI is going to lead the era to things that are profound and never seen before”, he added.
The Pakistan presence
Of the 1800+ startups showcasing to investors from all over the world, Pakistani’s representation was 40.
The presence was scattered across halls, with a few hosted in what was termed the ‘Pakistan Pavilion’. One-fourth of the startups were brought in by Pakistan-based startup funding platform – IGNITE– from diverse verticals of EdTech, AgriTech, Blockchain, 3D Printing, amongst others.
Considering the dearth of deals in the startup space over the last 15 months, the desperation of companies seeking fundraising was quite apparent.
Several startups have either scaled back or shut down operations, while some are struggling to stay afloat. A number of startups were seen seeking early-stage investments, with an average ticket size under $1 million.
Pakistan’s presence and diversity was in stark contrast to that of its eastern neighbour, as Indian startups dominated the event – with the number exceeding 200 – and big investors were also seen in attendance.
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On the other end of the city at GITEX Global, the Pakistan representation was smaller – with somewhere between 25-30 exhibitors, showcasing the offerings at the biggest global technology stage. The Pakistan Pavilion also had representation from various government bodies, and the IT Minister also visited to boost confidence.
With hundreds of thousands of visitors pouring in from morning till late hours – seeing the Pakistan Pavilion nearly empty on Day 3 at noon hours was disheartening.
The sole representative of over a dozen IT exhibitors under the Pakistan banner told Business Recorder on condition of anonymity: “We are back to the Pakistan way and most exhibitors will not arrive before noon.”
This was clearly not a pleasing sight, given that the Pakistan Pavilion was located at a busy walkthrough, with thousands passing by the hour and taking note. This clearly did not look like a hallmark of a country aiming to triple its IT exports in the next 5 years, at the biggest stage of them all.
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One hopes there is more professionalism and greater representation next time around, where GITEX Global aims to be bigger and better in October 2024.
The article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Business Recorder or its owners
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