The Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) took place from October 10 to 14 this year in the UAE.
As the UAE’s annual tech event, GITEX featured every technology company and trend relevant today with the aim of uniting the world’s most influential technological ecosystems that are working to advance business, society, the economy and culture through boundless innovation.
The world’s largest and most inclusive tech and startup event shed light on the current technological landscape and provided unparalleled insight into the future. Showcasing innovative solutions across the Metaverse, Web3, AI, cybersecurity, big data, fintech and more, the event played host to more than 5,000 exhibitors, 800 startups and over 100,000 attendees.
Today, we take a look at some of the key highlights from this year’s GITEX Global 2022.
GITEX 2022 highlights overview
Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, officially opened the Gitex event on the 10th of October.
With the event in full swing, government representatives and global tech companies took over the main stage to discuss their latest innovations and the promising future of technology.
Saudi Arabia showcased their digital transformation efforts across various sectors through their Saudi Vision 2030 stand. The country’s incredible transformation efforts have been shaping everything from its education infrastructure to its healthcare system.
Another highlight was the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, which showcased new digital initiatives and projects in the pipeline that aim to enhance its services, streamline operations, and promote the adoption of innovative technologies for businesses.
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) were also present and announced the launch of the next generation of UAE passports, which allows residents who wish to apply to do so without leaving their home.
The Dubai Police were also at the event with their stand introducing new digital innovations, services and even an NFT collection.
Moving away from the government representative bodies present at the event, Huawei played a huge role this year in supporting the cybersecurity conference and participating in fascinating panel discussions throughout the event. Women in tech was a particularly salient topic this year, with Blue conference hosting a special talk session that discussed women in AI, funding in business and opportunities for women in the business world.
Microsoft launched its new generation of virtual reality headsets, Hololens 2, which enables users to explore new worlds like never before. The RTA unveiled its new driverless taxi car model, Cruise Origin, which is expected to be deployed next year and Xpeng hosted a memorable demonstration of the X2 flying car which featured its take-off, flight and landing over Dubai.
Sensorium Galaxy exhibited the world’s first Metaverse streaming application with Empyreal parties, allowing attendees to meet an exclusive line of virtual DJs ahead of the global VR launch.
Global DevSlam, the world’s largest developer and tech skill-building event, was another highlight at GITEX 2022. One of the most memorable moments of the event was a talk about computational complexity by Kautilya Katariya, the youngest programmer in the world.
Here’s a more in-depth look at some of the highlights that will ensure GITEX Global 2022 is remembered for years to come.
GITEX leads global tech communities to Africa
This year, GITEX launched its first international venture mega tech showcase in partnership with Morocco’s Digital Development Agency, a historic step forward in the next largest digital economy.
GITEX is embarking on a new venture in Africa off the back of its 42 year legacy of connecting the world’s biggest tech companies, governments and investors to accelerate the growth of tech ventures in Africa.
Taking place from May 31 to June 2 in Marrakech next year, the event will highlight the potential of Africa for innovation in technology and creating a more connected and sustainable digital economy.
In a press release, Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of KAOUN International and Executive Vice President of Dubai World Trade Centre and organiser of GITEX, commented:
“The time for Africa is now. Against a stuttering world tech market, Africa has risen and punched well above its weight recently, with big tech investments rocketing and start-ups funding recording the best year ever in 2021 at six times over the global average.”
The UAE launches Entrepreneurial Nation 2.0
At GITEX 2022, H.E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, announced the launch of the Entrepreneurial Nation 2.0 initiative.
The initiative seeks to nurture the tech startup landscape and create 20 unicorns by 2031 to highlight the potential of the UAE on the global stage. The aim of the project is to open new avenues for entrepreneurs and enable the growth of startups and SMEs from the UAE to global markets.
Shining a light on female tech entrepreneurs
This year, heads were turned towards the world’s most innovative female tech entrepreneurs, with female-run startups raising new funding and women leaders in business exploring the use of emerging technologies to increase start-up funding for females.
North Star Dubai, part of GITEX GLOBAL, hosted the MENA finals of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE Dubai) to empower women in business. Alizar Tawil was awarded US$25,000 for winning the competition for her online hijab clothing company.
Additionally, Sharjah Business Women Council continued its ongoing support for female entrepreneurship at the event as the official partner of the “Women in Tech” category. They also sponsored the US$10,000 prize which was awarded to the best female-led start up.
Another instance where all eyes were on women at GITEX 2022 was the launch of a global community-based investment club, Thousand Faces, which is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that uses eco-friendly NFTs to invest in female-led projects in areas including female founders, educational applications in Web3, green initiatives and conservation projects.
Speaking at the DevSlam event launch, Moojan Asghari, Founder and CEO of Thousand Faces, commented:
“We are releasing 1,000 NFTs from our bank of 10,000 NFTs today and we are inviting applications. Any project and early-stage start-up anywhere in the world initiated by a female founder or a strong ESG impact can apply.”
This year, GITEX GLOBAL welcomed more than 4,500 businesses, thousands of displays, and over 100,000 visitors from 170 different nations. It was truly an event to remember, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds at the next GITEX event. See you all next year at GITEX 2023!
