Dubai has established itself as a global hub for technology and innovation, emerging as a leading destination in digital transformation and the knowledge economy. This significance is underscored by the annual GITEX Global exhibition, which has solidified its position as one of the most prominent tech events worldwide, attracting major companies and experts to showcase the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and modern technologies.
This 45th edition of the exhibition will see participation from over 6,800 tech firms and 2,000 startups from 180 countries, as estimates from UNCTAD suggest that the global AI market will reach approximately $4.8 trillion by 2033.
The event plays a crucial role in reinforcing Dubai’s status as a global center for innovation, supporting its vision for a developed and sustainable digital future. Representatives from various specialized companies attending GITEX shared their insights on the exhibition.
Innovative Initiatives
Ahmed Shakura, Regional Vice President for Emerging Markets at Cloudera, stated that GITEX Global often witnesses multi-billion-dollar deals being announced. However, their focus extends beyond the size of transactions to the quality of partnerships and the impact of their solutions on organizations.
Their work involves collaborating with entities aiming to fully harness data and AI to enhance operational performance, increase efficiency, and achieve sustainable digital transformation. Each partnership creates an opportunity to build integrated data infrastructures that enable clients to analyze their data securely and effectively, anticipate challenges, and provide better customer experiences.
The true value lies in the ability to transform data into tangible strategic decisions and launch innovative initiatives that drive growth and competitiveness. For them, GITEX is not just a platform for showcasing their solutions but also for sharing knowledge and experiences with leading organizations, helping them turn their digital visions into practical realities.
Shakura added that thanks to its advanced digital infrastructure, supportive business environment, and dynamic government, Dubai is now a global benchmark for excellence in smart cities.
In the heart of this innovative landscape, Cloudera holds a unique position to demonstrate how data, advanced analytics, and AI can accelerate organizations’ adoption of next-generation technologies; Dubai serves as a living laboratory for digital innovation, where ideas evolve into practical solutions that enhance security, drive transformation, and deliver tangible value to both businesses and society. Hence, their participation in GITEX is a pivotal component of their regional expansion strategy, providing a unique opportunity for direct engagement with clients and partners while understanding their priorities and needs.
Ambitious Goals
Ahmed Adly, Vice President of Cloud Engineering for Middle East and Africa at Oracle, discussed Dubai’s crucial role in positioning the UAE as a global center for smart cities, aiming to make the country the most AI-ready in the world.
This ambitious goal seeks to boost the economy towards realizing its estimated potential of $96 billion in the AI sector, according to a PwC report, transforming the UAE into a leader in adopting cutting-edge technologies and a regional model for tech adoption and institutional readiness.
Adly further noted that Oracle supports this national vision by providing comprehensive and effective cloud and AI solutions. These solutions assist organizations in transitioning from pilot phases to achieving actual and widespread results. They focus on delivering AI capabilities through a unique strategy based on distributed cloud services, ensuring seamless AI integration across all business functions.
They are committed to enhancing the government sector by offering cloud computing services that facilitate the accelerated adoption of AI and the management of strategic data while fully adhering to digital sovereignty requirements. As they strengthen their presence in the region, contributing to the growth of the UAE’s digital economy and realizing its vision to become globally AI-ready is at the heart of their strategy.
They aim to deliver ready-to-deploy AI solutions that support various vital sectors, including government, healthcare, education, and financial services. Ultimately, their objective is to empower the UAE to fully leverage AI technologies to enhance efficiency, improve services, and maintain its leadership in the realm of digital innovation.
Sustainable Growth
Regarding their objectives for participating in GITEX Global, Johnny Karam, General Manager and Vice President for Emerging Markets in India and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at Cohesity, stated that their goal is to build long-term relationships that support sustainable growth and align with national priorities in digital transformation, AI adoption, and strengthening digital sovereignty. They aim to establish strategic partnerships that enhance the cybersecurity resilience of governments and organizations in the UAE and the broader Middle East, collaborating with leading technology and cloud computing providers to help customers safeguard and recover their most critical data.
They consider Dubai a unique environment where innovation, regulation, and investment converge; its advanced digital infrastructure, forward-thinking government policies, and strong inclination towards AI make it the ideal platform for launching their AI-driven data security solutions. This setting facilitates direct connections with clients, partners, and regulatory bodies across markets extending from the Middle East and Africa to South Asia, making GITEX an essential starting point for their expansion within the UAE and the region, offering opportunities to showcase their latest solutions and research findings on data sovereignty and AI while enabling direct communication with decision-makers across various sectors.
Mohammed Khoutani, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Salesforce in the Middle East, expressed that they believe Dubai and the UAE have become vital global centers for advanced technology, especially AI, thanks to the government’s unwavering commitment to leveraging innovation for the greater good. Having opened their first regional office in Dubai last October, this investment is part of their commitment to support innovation in AI and drive customer success, which has proven to be remarkably effective for them.
The Fireball Challenge
Mohammed Abou Khatir, Regional Vice President of Sales for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at F5, agreed with previous sentiments, describing the challenge that institutions face in the region regarding how to deploy AI-enhanced applications and APIs while ensuring their security and management in complex multi-cloud and hybrid environments as a “fireball.”
He added that this challenge is intensified by the necessity for organizations to manage new fleets of AI applications while simultaneously operating their existing portfolio of distributed applications to ensure business continuity. GITEX Global presents an opportunity to address this challenge, as Dubai enjoys a global reputation as a smart city, ranking fourth in the Smart Cities Index 2025 released by IMD.
Dubai prioritizes digital security to protect its smart city initiatives and advanced economic infrastructure. Its cybersecurity strategy focuses on creating a secure digital environment for government bodies and the private sector, and their success in this arena positions the city as an ideal launchpad for advanced solutions, fostering demand and establishing high cybersecurity standards that reflect the strength of their offerings.
They have long participated in GITEX Global, which plays a key role in empowering their teams to engage with the market and meet current and future client needs in the region and beyond.
An Ideal Platform
Tarek Abbas, Senior Director of Technical Solutions for Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Palo Alto Networks, expressed their eagerness to leverage the excitement of GITEX Global, which provides a platform that enhances their growth in the UAE and the region. It offers them an opportunity to connect with stakeholders, share new trends and best practices, and reinforce their long-term commitment to the Middle East.
What to Expect in 2030
On the topic of future prospects, Oais Mohammed, Sales Manager for India and the Middle East and Africa at Western Digital, referenced a recent market research study forecasting that the data center storage market in the Middle East is expected to grow from $1.38 billion this year to $2.49 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 12.5%. This growth will undoubtedly create unprecedented demand for high-capacity, low-cost storage solutions with lower energy consumption. He added that during GITEX Global, they will showcase their latest innovations, recently adopted for operationalizing real workloads specific to AI.
Additionally, GITEX Global allows them to reinforce partnerships with various partners and clients while ensuring they have solid and scalable storage infrastructures to maximize the potential of AI and digital transformation in the region.
Thus, they are committed to strengthening relationships with strategic partners and clients throughout the region, collaborating with them to fully understand market needs and adapt their solutions to meet those requirements.