GITEX Global 2024 concluded this week in Dubai, marking the highest-ever international participation of 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, and 1,200 investors, alongside governments from more than 180 countries, according to a press release.
A total of 200,000 visitors were recorded this year in GITEX, solidifying the city’s reputation as a premier global hub.
The five-day event GITEX began on October 14 with great fanfare, as tech companies from around the world flocked to the emirate city. The event featured futuristic innovations, from AI-enabled robots and autonomous cars to Tesla’s Cybertrucks for Dubai Police, displayed in a grand hall where government entities showcased their operations.
Pakistan was well-represented with 24 companies, with government entities also participating in the event.
The global tech and startup show underscored artificial intelligence’s (AI) pivotal role as a transformative tool that will continue to reshape industries and drive business and economic growth globally.
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The event brought together influential names in technology from every corner of the globe, further cementing its position as one of the most impactful tech gatherings.
Pakistan’s tech companies saw “impressive returns” from their participation in GITEX Global, Dubai, with historic revenues of approximately $40 generated for every dollar spent by the body on subsidies, according to Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) Acting CEO Zeeshan Khattak.
“GITEX provides exposure to Pakistani tech companies, but it doesn’t stop there. We actively follow up with companies post-event to gauge the outcomes,” said Khattak, who is also Chief Commercial Officer of PSEB. “Last year, for every dollar PSEB invested in supporting companies to participate, they earned $40 in return.”
Shahid Iqbal, Executive Director of Pakistan-based Premier Cables, had high praise for GITEX Global, highlighting that the company’s exports had surged thanks to their participation in the event over the years.
“I have attended 15 GITEX events, and if we trace back our export contracts, all of them came after we came to GITEX,” Iqbal told Business Recorder at the company’s stall in the Pakistan Pavilion.
Over the five days, memorandum of understanding agreements were announced, with strategic deals that would help accelerate the growth of the global AI market, projected to reach $1,339.1 billion by 2030, according to Markets and Markets.
The 44th edition of GITEX Global, held under the theme of ‘Global Collaboration to Forge a Future AI Economy’, not only set new benchmarks for innovation and business opportunities but also reinforced the event’s critical role in shaping a technology landscape increasingly defined by AI adoption.
With the inclusion of over 40% new nations – including South Africa, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, alongside Europe’s largest-ever presence – GITEX Global has paved the way to forge new cross-regional partnerships between leading and emerging tech nations that will accelerate the growth of the AI ecosystem even further.
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Each day of the mega event focused on different themes – investment, cybersecurity, data centres, futuristic tech, and AI, reflecting the central pillars of the digital economy.
With the UAE welcoming the global ecosystem, GITEX Global has enhanced its position of being at the forefront of redefining the world’s digital landscape with many organisations praising the impact of the event and its focus on key trends.
Top global players such as Oracle, Dell Technologies, and Microsoft, amongst several others, made strides in showcasing their latest innovations in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, edge computing, and other technologies.
The event catalysed these industry giants to forge new partnerships, drive technological advancements, and contribute to the future of the global digital economy.
Nick Redshaw, Senior Vice President of Tech Cloud, Middle East and Africa, and UAE Country Leader at Oracle, highlighted the company’s commitment to supporting the UAE’s AI vision and how GITEX Global 2024 was pivotal for Oracle’s AI and cloud innovations.
“At GITEX, we celebrated 35 years of supporting the UAE’s growth ambitions with state-of-the-art local cloud infrastructure, latest cloud technologies, developing top talent, and expanding our local presence. Industry-leading AI and multi cloud innovation that is geared to solve complex business challenges in every industry, and help accelerate the UAE and wider Middle East’s AI economy was Oracle’s key focus at GITEX Global 2024,” he said.
At the event, Oracle announced multiple collaborations, with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment to accelerate Dubai’s housing strategy using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and with Mashreq Bank to support its global expansion.
Dell Technologies was another tech giant to have a presence at the event.
“Over the last four decades, GITEX Global has been a catalyst for advancing technological innovation across the Middle East region. Dell Technologies has been a part of this growth for more than 30 years and being at GITEX allows us to connect with regional decision-makers and support them in navigating today’s rapidly changing business environment,” Mohammed Amin, Senior Vice President, CEEMETA, Dell Technologies, said.
“This week, we had many encouraging discussions around the Dell AI Factory offerings. Our conversations with our regional customers revealed a strong commitment to AI. They have a clear vision and a solid strategy and are actively implementing innovative AI solutions to drive their business forward. At Dell, we are at the epicenter of our customers’ AI innovations and take pride in helping them become future forward in their AI journeys,” he added.
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Meanwhile, Microsoft capitalised on GITEX Global to highlight its impactful initiatives to enhance the global digital economy.
“We are proud to have shared the results of our latest Cloud Dividend Snapshot report for the UAE, which underscores the critical role our globally trusted cloud ecosystem plays in driving economic growth and job creation across the nation,” Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, said.
Additionally, the company’s announcement of the AI National Skilling Initiative, launched at the show in partnership with key government departments, demonstrated its commitment to empowering individuals and organisations with the skills needed to thrive in the new AI era, he added.
“I’m confident we will continue to witness strong business impact from GITEX Global for months to come.”
The event featured the first-ever World Future Economy Digital Leaders Summit and the debut of GITEX Editions, spotlighting innovation, connecting top global unicorns, and fostering dialogue on AI regulation, economic strategies, and digital finance.
Cybersecurity emerged as a key topic, emphasising the need to secure digital infrastructure amid evolving cyber threats. Future mobility took centre stage, showcasing next-generation innovations like autonomous vehicles, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and AI advancements in the auto-tech industry.
AI’s role in the development of hyperscale, modular, and edge data centers was a significant focus, reflecting the burgeoning demand for scalable solutions and the region’s rise as a hub for AI-powered data infrastructure.
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Other discussions revolved around 5G and intelligent connectivity, EdTech, digital cities, and energy transitions. The conferences showcased critical dialogues shaping the future of digital transformation on a global scale, featuring insights from industry visionaries – such as Jong-Soo Choi, CTO of Samsung Medical Centre in South Korea, Stéphane Ouaki Head of Department at the European Innovation Council (EIC), Dr. Mark Sagar, Co-Founder of Soul Machines from New Zealand, Heman Bekele, TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year, Valentyn S. Volkov, PhD, co-founder of XPANCEO, and renowned cybersecurity figure, Dr. Diane Janosek, who served legal, policy & executive roles at the National Security Agency, White House & the Pentagon.
Additionally, GITEX Global brought together ethical hacker, Inti De Ceukelaire, and Brett Johnson.
What’s Next?
GITEX Global is helping connect the world’s largest network of tech events, with upcoming GITEX Africa Morocco from April 14-16 and GITEX Asia Singapore on April 23-25.
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Following these, GITEX Europe Berlin will take place from May 21-23, 2025, leading to the debut of GITEX Nigeria in September 2025, all part of its expanding portfolio.
Next year, GITEX Global is set to take place from October 13-17, 2025, promising another year of heightened innovation and cross-collaboration within the tech industry. In 2026, GITEX will relocate to Expo City Dubai.