GITEX GLOBAL 2025 opens record 45th edition with over 6,800 exhibitors

The world’s largest technology and artificial intelligence event, GITEX GLOBAL 2025, opened in Dubai on Monday for its 45th edition, drawing record crowds and more than 6,800 exhibitors, 2,000 startups, 1,200 investors and delegations from over 180 countries.

The event, held from October 13–17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, marks a major milestone in the show’s four-decade history, bringing together policymakers, tech leaders and investors to discuss the rise of AI-driven economies and next-generation enterprise technologies.

Speaking at the opening, Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, said: “The UAE, 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 and cementing its foundations by building an economic model defined by resilience and a future orientation, grounded in knowledge and advanced technology. This strengthens the nation’s position at the forefront of the global economic landscape.”

Panels held and tech innovations showcased at GITEX GLOBAL 2025

Panels through the day focused on AI’s geopolitical and economic impact, deep-tech ecosystems, and startup innovation.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation at the European Commission, said: “The European Union and the UAE share a vision to drive innovation that benefits our citizens. We are aligned on the importance of startups and scaleups for our economies. This journey starts at GITEX 2025.”

Canada’s Minister for AI and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, added: “GITEX is an absolutely core example of entrepreneurs being launched at a speed we’ve never seen – and we need to keep our values and build together. It’s fantastic to meet people, meet companies, and to see our profound partnership with the UAE deepen as we share this mission to transform AI from a trustworthy technology to one that is built for all.”

Andrew Feldman, CEO of AI chipmaker Cerebras, which partnered with G42 to build the world’s largest AI supercomputer, said: “We built the largest chip in the history of the computing industry, the size of a dinner plate. By going big on chips, we were able to keep more information on the chip and move it less. This meant less power was used, and the results were delivered more quickly.”

On the show floor, major global enterprises showcased next-generation technologies.

• e& unveiled more than 90 innovations spanning robotics, mobility, digital healthcare, and consumer tech, including eVTOL prototypes and autonomous air taxis.

• Oracle highlighted new agentic AI tools for finance and supply chain management, alongside Oracle Red Bull Racing’s data-driven cloud applications.

• BlackBerry launched a new mission-critical communications platform, describing it as the only “tech in the market certified by many governments around the world for data sovereign classified comms”.

• AWS, the world’s largest cloud company, demonstrated integrated cybersecurity and operational resilience tools, while HCL Software introduced real-time AI-driven web customisation and its BigFix endpoint management platform.

This year’s edition also features the largest-ever Brazilian delegation as Country Partner, joined by national pavilions from Canada, Spain, Türkiye, Chile and Ecuador, as well as growing participation from Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Levant.

Day two will feature a virtual address by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, in conversation with Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, exploring the rise of AI-native societies.

The agenda also includes senior leaders from Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Khazna Data Centres, Presight, Core42, and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.

Read: GITEX GLOBAL 2025: Powering the future through AI innovation