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Sunday, Dec 07, 2025
Outside the box.
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
Leaders convene to pitch AI as a pillar of national sovereignty amid UAE’s push for digital transformation
World leaders, government ministers and technology executives are convening in Dubai from October 13 to 17 for GITEX Global 2025, setting an ambitious agenda for the future of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity as central drivers of national strength and resilience.
The 45th edition of the forum positions AI as essential infrastructure, with the United Arab Emirates seeking to export its model of digitally anchored sovereignty to the world.
At the opening ceremony held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri affirmed that AI must be treated as a domain of national investment akin to defense.
“Just as nations invest in defense, we must also invest in AI,” he declared, framing AI as integral to sovereignty.
He noted that non-oil sectors now contribute 77.3 percent of the Emirati economy—up from 69 percent five years ago—and aim to reach 80 percent by 2030.
With digital infrastructure and AI dubbed “the backbone of productivity,” the UAE has already deployed an AI-driven trademark registration system that shortens approval times from days to milliseconds.
Minister Al Marri also highlighted talent as “the oil of the new economy,” pointing to initiatives such as the Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI and special long-term visas for digital professionals.
He cast the UAE as a bridge rather than a barrier: “We are not great at building walls; we are great at building bridges.
Use the UAE as your bridge — we connect the world”.
The forum is built around twin themes of digital resilience and sustainable growth.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development projects that the global AI market could hit US$4.8 trillion by 2033.
Organisers urged deployment of AI in biotech, quantum computing, semiconductors and green data centres.
Meanwhile, the parallel Expand North Star event (October 12–15) showcases startups and investment opportunities; in 2024, the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy backed over 1,200 startups—up 120 percent year on year.
In this year’s edition, Thai startups including Ample Work, PraIn FinTech, Megenius, Student Care, Digital Era Group and Sable are participating, aiming to generate 180 million baht in trade deals.
Speaking at the launch of Expand North Star, UAE cybersecurity chief Mohamed Al Kuwaiti described cyberdefense as foundational: “Future resilience will belong to nations that make cybersecurity their DNA”.
His call to “Invest, Inspire, Innovate” outlines the country’s strategy to link cybersecurity, AI and quantum research to national development.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, stressed that technology should not only drive competition but elevate quality of life.
GITEX Global 2025 hosts technology heavyweights—Microsoft, Google, IBM, Huawei, Oracle, Dell, AWS, Siemens—and rising innovators like Cerebras, Qualcomm and Tata Electronics.
The event brings together 6,800 tech firms, 2,000 startups and delegations from 180 countries.
Among the innovations to be showcased is Huawei’s “All Intelligence” suite, featuring cloud, data centre, cybersecurity and smart education solutions.
The UAE is also inaugurating its Stargate AI campus, with the first 200 megawatts expected online in 2026 as part of a broader 5-gigawatt AI infrastructure project being built in collaboration with leading tech firms.
Other announcements include Alibaba Cloud’s launch of its second data centre in Dubai, reinforcing the city’s role as a regional AI hub.
The expansion aligns with the UAE’s broader digital ambitions, even as the AI campus project faces scrutiny due to concerns about access to advanced semiconductors via Chinese-linked entities.
At GITEX, Open Innovation AI is also spotlighting sovereign AI platforms with partners such as Dell, Intel, Cisco and SUSE, designed to give governments and enterprises greater control over data and infrastructure.
As GITEX Global unfolds, Dubai is staging itself not merely as a showcase for next-generation technology, but as a testbed of a future world order where AI, data sovereignty and cyber resilience define strategic power.
The 45th edition of the forum positions AI as essential infrastructure, with the United Arab Emirates seeking to export its model of digitally anchored sovereignty to the world.
At the opening ceremony held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri affirmed that AI must be treated as a domain of national investment akin to defense.
“Just as nations invest in defense, we must also invest in AI,” he declared, framing AI as integral to sovereignty.
He noted that non-oil sectors now contribute 77.3 percent of the Emirati economy—up from 69 percent five years ago—and aim to reach 80 percent by 2030.
With digital infrastructure and AI dubbed “the backbone of productivity,” the UAE has already deployed an AI-driven trademark registration system that shortens approval times from days to milliseconds.
Minister Al Marri also highlighted talent as “the oil of the new economy,” pointing to initiatives such as the Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI and special long-term visas for digital professionals.
He cast the UAE as a bridge rather than a barrier: “We are not great at building walls; we are great at building bridges.
Use the UAE as your bridge — we connect the world”.
The forum is built around twin themes of digital resilience and sustainable growth.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development projects that the global AI market could hit US$4.8 trillion by 2033.
Organisers urged deployment of AI in biotech, quantum computing, semiconductors and green data centres.
Meanwhile, the parallel Expand North Star event (October 12–15) showcases startups and investment opportunities; in 2024, the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy backed over 1,200 startups—up 120 percent year on year.
In this year’s edition, Thai startups including Ample Work, PraIn FinTech, Megenius, Student Care, Digital Era Group and Sable are participating, aiming to generate 180 million baht in trade deals.
Speaking at the launch of Expand North Star, UAE cybersecurity chief Mohamed Al Kuwaiti described cyberdefense as foundational: “Future resilience will belong to nations that make cybersecurity their DNA”.
His call to “Invest, Inspire, Innovate” outlines the country’s strategy to link cybersecurity, AI and quantum research to national development.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, stressed that technology should not only drive competition but elevate quality of life.
GITEX Global 2025 hosts technology heavyweights—Microsoft, Google, IBM, Huawei, Oracle, Dell, AWS, Siemens—and rising innovators like Cerebras, Qualcomm and Tata Electronics.
The event brings together 6,800 tech firms, 2,000 startups and delegations from 180 countries.
Among the innovations to be showcased is Huawei’s “All Intelligence” suite, featuring cloud, data centre, cybersecurity and smart education solutions.
The UAE is also inaugurating its Stargate AI campus, with the first 200 megawatts expected online in 2026 as part of a broader 5-gigawatt AI infrastructure project being built in collaboration with leading tech firms.
Other announcements include Alibaba Cloud’s launch of its second data centre in Dubai, reinforcing the city’s role as a regional AI hub.
The expansion aligns with the UAE’s broader digital ambitions, even as the AI campus project faces scrutiny due to concerns about access to advanced semiconductors via Chinese-linked entities.
At GITEX, Open Innovation AI is also spotlighting sovereign AI platforms with partners such as Dell, Intel, Cisco and SUSE, designed to give governments and enterprises greater control over data and infrastructure.
As GITEX Global unfolds, Dubai is staging itself not merely as a showcase for next-generation technology, but as a testbed of a future world order where AI, data sovereignty and cyber resilience define strategic power.
