The world’s largest technology and artificial intelligence exhibition, GITEX GLOBAL 2025, opened on Monday at the Dubai World Trade Centre, celebrating its 45th edition with record-breaking participation from more than 6,800 exhibitors, 2,000 startups, 1,200 investors, and delegations representing over 180 countries.
Taking place from October 13 to 17, this year’s event has drawn an unprecedented global audience of ministers, policymakers, investors, and technology leaders to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, industries, and societies. The discussions and showcases are positioning Dubai as a leading global hub for innovation and the intelligence-driven economy.
Opening the conference, H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, said innovation and advanced technology remain central to the country’s long-term strategy for economic diversification. “The United Arab Emirates, thanks to the forward-looking vision of its wise leadership, is not merely participating in the global race for innovation; it is shaping its contours,” he said. “We are building an economic model defined by resilience, grounded in knowledge and advanced technology.”
The global policy conversations continued with Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation at the European Commission, who said the European Union and the UAE share a vision for innovation that delivers tangible benefits to citizens. “We are aligned on the importance of startups and scaleups for our economies,” Zaharieva said. “This journey starts at GITEX 2025.”
A panel titled “The Intelligence Super-Cycle” examined how AI is becoming the defining infrastructure of the 21st century. Hon. Evan Solomon, Canada’s Minister for AI and Digital Innovation, and Amandeep Gill, the United Nations Envoy for Digital Technologies, discussed the ethical and economic dimensions of artificial intelligence. Solomon described GITEX as a platform where “entrepreneurs are launching innovations at record speed” and urged for a collective commitment to ensure AI development remains trustworthy and inclusive.
On the industry front, Andrew Feldman, CEO of Cerebras Systems, revealed details of the company’s groundbreaking partnership with the UAE’s G42 to build the world’s largest supercomputer for AI training. “We built the largest chip in the history of computing,” Feldman said. “By keeping more information on the chip, we used less power and achieved faster results.”
The exhibition floor buzzed with technological breakthroughs from leading global enterprises. Telecom giant e& (Etisalat Group) drew large crowds with demonstrations of autonomous air taxis, next-generation electric vehicles, and robotic systems. Oracle showcased its enterprise AI tools for smart financial planning and supply chain management, highlighting how real-time cloud data supports the Oracle Red Bull Racing team. BlackBerry introduced a new government-certified communication platform designed for classified and sovereign data environments, while AWS and HCL Software unveiled new cloud, cybersecurity, and AI-enabled business solutions.
This year’s edition also features record international participation, with Brazil joining as Country Partner and expanded national pavilions from Canada, Spain, Türkiye, Chile, and Ecuador, alongside growing representation from Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
Day two of the event will feature a virtual address from Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, in conversation with Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, exploring the foundations of emerging “AI-Native Societies.” Senior representatives from Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Khazna Data Centres, Presight, Core42, and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence will also discuss the long-term implications of artificial intelligence for economies and governance.
With major tech launches, policy briefings, and cross-sector networking continuing throughout the week, GITEX GLOBAL 2025 reaffirms its role as the world’s most influential platform for technology, investment, and international collaboration.
