News

The GITEX GLOBAL Tech Fair Has Opened Its Doors In Dubai

Over 1,000 AI-related companies are participating, according to event organizers.

Published

3 years ago

October 16, 2023

the gitex global tech fair has opened its doors in dubai

Dubai is hosting the 43rd edition of GITEX Global, one of the world’s largest tech shows with 2.7 million square feet of exhibition space, and a place where the best and brightest minds come together to shape the future of technology.

Around 6,000 exhibitors will be showing off their products at the five-day conference at the Dubai World Trade Centre, with off-shoot events at Dubai Harbour and the Museum of the Future. Among those participating are over 1,000 AI-related companies and global players, including Microsoft, Huawei, and Salesforce.

Industry leaders are joined by local UAE AI innovators G42, along with the Advanced Technology Research Council and Juniper Networks, who will announce locally hosted cloud and AI-driven networking solutions.

The Dubai Harbour section of the event will host Expand North Star, a gathering of over 1,800 next-gen startups from around the world. The themes include Fintech Surge, a Future Blockchain Summit, and Marketing Mania.

UAE Vice-President and ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a regular of the event, was also seen checking out the latest innovations.

“Gitex is similar to Dubai in how it grows rapidly. It is similar to Dubai in embracing the best minds from 180 countries. It is similar to Dubai in its passion for everything new that contributes to changing our future for the better,” Sheikh Mohammed posted on X, formally known as Twitter.

Also Read: Social Media Addiction Is Greatly Impacting Arab Youth

So far, the highlight of GITEX Global has been the first live demonstration of ARTEMIS, the world’s fastest-walking humanoid robot. The machine was developed by UCLA researchers and stands at 142 cm tall, weighing 38 kilograms. ARTEMIS, which stands for Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Improved Stability, can walk on rough and unstable surfaces and even play football!

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Expand North Star hosted a panel discussion about using AI and machine learning to “create products that dent the universe”. The panel featured spokespersons from global names such as Bolt, Reddit, and Booking.com, who shared best practices and tips.

News

Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.