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With conference season in full swing, the eyes of technology enthusiasts around the world are constantly switching.
But this attention may soon turn firmly to the Middle East, which now claims to be home to the world’s biggest tech event.
GITEX Global 2022, held at the Dubai World Trade Center and attended by: TechRadar Promay not yet be as famous as CES in Las Vegas or Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but the organizers have big plans to change that.
GITEX 2022
After a difficult few years during the pandemic, GITEX Global welcomed its biggest turnout ever, with a reported audience of over 120,000 in attendance hearing from more than 5,000 companies from 90 countries, including more than 1,000 speakers.
The conference, which spanned the entire two million square meters of the Dubai WTC, was an exhausting experience for many, as the crowded halls made it difficult to reach the lectures and panel sessions in time, especially when going to locations that outside in the boiling desert heat.
In a country that wants to prove that bigger is always better, it may not have been the wisest choice to hold such a sprawling conference with no concrete theme or agenda in such a gigantic space – and hopefully a mistake organizers will make for years to come. tackle.
But with a lineup that included global technology heavyweights such as Microsoft, Dell Technologies, Huawei and many more, and with multiple spokespersons from the UAE and Dubai government, the conference had some hidden gems to offer.
The main attraction was the world’s first “flying car”, showcased by the Chinese company XPENG, whose X2 vehicle completed a successful (if somewhat disappointing) test flight on the fringes of the conference.
Looking ahead, the organizers clearly have big plans for the future, announcing the inaugural GITEX Africa in May 2023 in an effort to capture some of the large-scale investment and development across the continent.
And with specially designed zones for developers, the metaverse and start-ups, GITEX and its satellite events may soon become the testing ground for some of the next big tech companies.
While it may take a while to make headlines like CES and MWC do, with the might and determination (not to mention the financial backing) of Dubai and the UAE behind it, we wouldn’t bet GITEX Global has yet to will continue to grow in the coming years.
- TechRadar Pro’s travel and accommodation in Dubai was funded by the Dubai World Trade Center, but the organization had no editorial control over the content of this article.