His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, toured GITEX GLOBAL 2024, the world’s largest tech and startup event, which commenced at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) today.

Running from 14 to 18 October, the 44th edition of GITEX GLOBAL brings together over 6,500 exhibitors from more than 180 countries. Under the theme ‘Global Collaboration to Forge a Future AI Economy’, GITEX GLOBAL 2024 features the world’s largest technology enterprises alongside governments, investors, experts, startups, academia, and researchers. This year’s event has an expanded programme that positions the UAE as a global epicentre of AI innovation.

Speaking on the occasion of the global event, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoumsaid: “As the UAE embarks on a new phase of economic growth, driven by strategic investments in future industries, the nation is rapidly consolidating its position as a global hub for advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. We have a clear vision to advance the UAE’s leadership in the global digital and technology landscape, making it the world’s most future-ready nation. The remarkable increase in international participation at GITEX GLOBAL is a testament to this vision. By fostering a culture of innovation and excellence, we are unlocking new opportunities for both established industry players and emerging entrepreneurs to grow and thrive. While we remain dedicated to nurturing homegrown talent and expertise, we are equally focused on forging strong partnerships with global technology leaders to accelerate progress and shape the future of this vital sector.”

“GITEX GLOBAL 2024 also further accelerates the growth and innovation momentum created byour recentstrategic initiatives like the 'Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence’. As the world’s top-ranked destination for foreign direct investment in AI, Dubai is creating an environment that nurtures innovation and empowers companies to explore the vast potential of emerging technologies,” His Highness added,

GITEX GLOBAL 2024is set to provide a strongboost to the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to double the emirate’s GDP and generate an annual AED100 billion contribution from digital transformation by 2033.

HisHighness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid visited several key pavilions at GITEX GLOBAL that showcased cutting-edge AI solutions and digital innovations. Hestopped by the pavilions of Etisalat, Huawei, H3C, Oracle, G42, Microsoft, and IBM, where he engaged with industry leaders and experts to explore the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital transformation.

His Highness was accompanied on the tour by His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications; His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of the Dubai World Trade Centre and DubaiDepartment of Economy and Tourism; and several directors general of government departments and senior officials.

This year’s GITEX GLOBAL features the highest international attendance in its history. Theevent has seen a nearly 40% increase in international participation, with more than 400 government and digital agencies and a host of new participants. Alongside GITEX GLOBAL regulars, the new nations debuting this year will showcase their latest groundbreaking tech innovations.The event delivers over 120 hours of AI-focused content and will see the launchof the region’s largest Data Centre Symposium, which sets the stage for AI Everything Global 2025.