Gitex concludes underscoring AI’s pivotal role as a transformative tool

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Gitex Global 2024 concluded on Friday, underscoring AI’s pivotal role as a transformative tool that will continue to reshape industries and drive business and economic growth globally.

For the final time this week, 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, and 1,200 investors, alongside governments from more than 180 countries—marking the highest-ever international participation—gathered in Dubai, along with 200,000 visitors, solidifying the city’s reputation as a premier global hub.

The unparalleled event brought together the most influential names in technology from every corner of the globe, further cementing its position as the world’s largest and most impactful tech gathering.

This 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.

Over the five days, numerous Memorandum of Understanding agreements were announced, with these strategic deals set to accelerate the growth of the global AI market, projected to reach $1,339.1 billion by 2030, according to Markets and Markets.

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.

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.

This week, top global players such as Oracle, Dell Technologies, and Microsoft, amongst several others, made significant 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. He said: “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 Artificial Intelligence (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.”

At the event, Oracle announced significant 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. These partnerships highlight how Gitex Global serves as a premier platform for unveiling strategic innovations and driving digital transformation across the region.

Dell Technologies was another tech giant to have a presence and reap the benefits of participating at Gitex Global. Mohammed Amin, Senior Vice President, CEEMETA, Dell Technologies, said: “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.

“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.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft capitalised on Gitex Global to highlight its impactful initiatives to enhance the global digital economy. Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, stated: “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. Additionally, our announcement of the AI National Skilling Initiative, launched at the show in partnership with key government departments, demonstrates our commitment to empowering individuals and organizations with the skills needed to thrive in the new AI era. I’m confident we will continue to witness strong business impact from Gitex Global for months to come.”