GITEX Global 2025 opens in Dubai next week, once again bringing together technology companies, policymakers, and investors for a weeklong discussion on how deep tech and emerging infrastructure will shape the next phase of global innovation.
Now in its 45th edition, the event will take place from October 13–17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), with Expand North Star—the startup-focused component—running concurrently at Dubai Harbour from October 12–15. This year’s show will feature thousands of exhibitors, startups, and investors from about 180 countries, according to the organizers. Together, they will explore advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing, data infrastructure, and robotics under the overarching theme of “Advancing Future-critical Sectors.”
The focus on “future-critical” technologies signals a subtle but important shift in narrative. While technology expos have traditionally emphasized showcasing new products and emerging ideas, this year’s edition of GITEX Global is expected to highlight the infrastructure that underpins technological progress, particularly in AI. This includes the compute clusters powering large models and the data centers, chips, and energy systems that sustain them. The emphasis reflects a broader industry trend: the transition of AI from a field of research to a driver of large-scale industrial transformation.
The decision to foreground AI infrastructure mirrors the technology’s growing influence in global investment and policy. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) projects that the global AI market could reach USD 4.8 trillion by 2033, nearly 25 times the USD 189 billion recorded in 2023. Meanwhile, Business Insider has reported that AI infrastructure spending by major technology companies has entered what it calls a “capital arms race,” with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon collectively investing nine-figure USD sums annually to expand their data center capacity.
Recent analysis from McKinsey reinforces that picture. The consultancy estimates that the cost of compute required to sustain AI’s global scale could reach USD 7 trillion over the next decade, reflecting the financial and environmental complexity of the infrastructure race. S&P Global, in its latest industry outlook, describes the present moment as the midpoint of a pivotal phase for AI infrastructure, noting that power and data center companies are “going all-in” despite operational, financing, and grid capacity challenges.
Taken together, GITEX Global’s organizers position Dubai as a neutral venue where technology builders, investors, and regulators can discuss how to build and govern the systems that will support the AI era.
One of the week’s headline sessions will anchor these discussions: a fireside chat between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and G42 group CEO Peng Xiao. Scheduled for October 14, the dialogue is expected to explore the transition from AI experimentation to large-scale deployment, addressing topics such as national compute strategies, sovereign capacity, and the responsible rollout of frontier models.
Beyond AI, GITEX Global 2025 also serves as a platform to highlight the UAE’s growing role as an innovation testbed. Dubai’s adoption of new technology, such as through autonomous mobility pilots with WeRide and Uber, illustrates how the emirate is positioning itself as a live laboratory for emerging technologies. This approach is supported by its network of more than 40 free zones, which allow full foreign ownership and simplified regulations for technology enterprises. Together, these enablers have helped Dubai build a reputation as both a venue for ideas and a location where they can be put into practice.
Visitors to GITEX Global can also attend Expand North Star, now in its tenth year, which will convene thousands of startups and investors managing an estimated USD 1 trillion in assets, according to organizer figures. The event functions as a marketplace where early-stage innovation meets growth capital, bridging ecosystems across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Its Supernova startup pitch competition remains the centerpiece, offering a glimpse of potential future industry leaders.
As the event enters its fifth decade, its growing focus on the physical foundations of technology aligns with the direction of the broader industry: an acknowledgment that digital progress depends not only on innovation but also on the resources, energy, and governance that sustain it.
“Future-critical sectors including data centres, biotech, quantum, and robotics are where AI ingenuity is converging with humanity’s most pressing challenges,” said Trixie LohMirmand, executive vice president at DWTC and CEO of Kaoun International. “GITEX Global 2025 gives new impetus to these transformative technologies, while continuing to be the harbinger of innovation-led progress across industries and global economies.”