Largest-ever Gitex Global 2022 to attract over 5,000 companies

Sajjad Ahmad, Deputy Business Editor

Dubai will transform into the ultimate digital epicentre of the world next month, as the UAE hosts the world’s largest tech show, converging the most advanced companies and best minds to deep dive into the making of the Web 3.0 economy, this was revealed during a press conference in Dubai on Thursday.

From 10-14 October 2022 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Gitex Global returns, its largest ever edition featuring 5,000 companies spanning 26 halls and two million sq. ft of exhibition space, at an extraordinary 25 per cent year-on-year increase, pushing its capacity limit at the venue.

The GITEX 3.0 edition, in its 42nd year presents the most empowering curation ever with seven multi-tech themes experimenting in the metaverse, a decentralised future of the internet, and a sustainable global digital economy.

The five-day event’s record size and continued expansion mirrors the ambitions of the UAE and region’s digital transformation movement, as government initiatives such as the National Program for Coders, the Dubai Metaverse Strategy, and Next GenFDI propels the UAE to the forefront of the global digital economy.  

This is amplified by new Gitex Global 2022 launches of X-VERSE sponsored by TMRW Foundation in collaboration with Decentraland, one of the world’s most immersive metaverse journeys featuring 28 experiential brands; and Global DevSlam, the Middle East’s largest ever coder and developer meetup, both of which sold-out to a global audience within two months.

UAE companies also held the lion’s share of a record-breaking $2.6 billion in start-up funding across the Middle East and North Africa in 2021, figures that underscore an additional hall and 30 percent increase to 1,000 exhibitors at Gitex Global’s start-up event, North Star.

Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications, who delivered the welcome note at the official Gitex Global 2022 press conference on Thursday, said: “Gitex this year is bigger than ever. It spans two million sq. ft. with over 5,000 exhibitors from more than 90 countries, which makes this truly the biggest tech show in the world. This year, my office has partnered with Gitex to ensure that we’re not just showcasing technology, but actually inventing and developing technology.”

In his speech Al Olama also highlighted that the Global DevSlam event is poised to be one of the biggest developer events in the world. He concluded by thanking each and every single person that has believed in the UAE’s mission and who has supported the UAE.

Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President of Events Management at Dubai World Trade Centre, Gitex Global’s organiser, added: “Gitex is not just a big gathering of people.  It’s the super-connector humanising the virtual and digital economies.

“Gitex serves a profound purpose of enabling and accelerating the digital economies of UAE and many of its alliance partners through connecting earnest stakeholders with outstanding minds from the world, and materialising these connections into actionable partnerships.”

Gitex Global 2022 will welcome an unprecedented 52 per cent new exhibitors this year choosing the show and the UAE as the first-choice partner in their market access strategies.

The influx of global interest will see North Star hosting the biggest Unicorn meetup of the year in Dubai, with 35 Unicorns from 15 countries looking to explore new opportunities and expand in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.

The ‘Africa Fast 100’ programme presents the largest ever gathering of African start-ups to be hosted outside Africa, as the African tech companies have been touted as the next ones to watch by global investors.

Debut international exhibitors such as Binance, Ooku, AMD, Tencent, and ByteDance, are seeking to extend their brand reach to a global audience through GITEX, along with FTX Exchange, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges with a five million-plus global customer base and an average daily trading volume of $12 billion.  

“We are thrilled to announce our first ever participation in Gitex, the world’s most prominent technology exhibition. It is great testament to Dubai, the UAE and the vision of its leadership in embracing technology and Innovation” said Mohammad Hans Dastmaltchi, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, FTX Exchange, which this year was licensed to establish and operate Virtual Asset Exchange and Clearing House services in Dubai by the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA).

“FTX is looking forward to this exhibition, and seeing industry leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs sharing the same stage. We are excited to be interacting with a diverse audience and showcasing what FTX stands for as a brand and our ambitious plans for Dubai and the region.”

UAE companies are shaking up the global tech scene with their bold undertakings and commitments in tech R&D and inventions, including Technology Innovation Institute (TII) a leading global scientific institution and the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council.