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Gitex

Gitex, or the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, is a global tech show taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE from October 14-18

Expo City is at the heart of Dubai’s ambitions to double annual events from 300 to 600 by 2033

Major trade shows to relocate to Expo City Dubai

Dubai is to relocate its major trade shows next year from the World Trade Centre to the sprawling Expo City, 20 miles away. The move is a significant step in transforming the Expo City site into a centre for big events, businesses and sustainable living, a senior official has confirmed. “As of next year, all […]

virtual lawyer Gitex Dubai 2024

AI-driven ‘virtual lawyers’ to launch in UAE

AI-powered “virtual lawyers” are to be launched in the UAE to help process simple cases. The country’s Ministry of Justice said the aim of the project was to speed up legal proceedings for simple cases, with the AI lawyers assisting with entering pleas, submitting documents, and providing services such as text-to-speech, or helping lawyers interact […]

A holographic avatar of HPE president Antonio Nearly at Gitex Global in Dubai Video length: 02:21

‘Holograms won’t replace Zoom and Teams… yet’

Star Wars depicted the use of holograms for video conferencing way back in the 1970s, but the technology has yet to move from science fiction to everyday life. This is mostly down to financial and logistical limitations – and an interview with the holographic avatar of HPE president Antonio Nearly has revealed that holograms are […]

Bolt, based in Tallinn, has experienced rapid growth; the deal will allow DTC to integrate Bolt's ride-hailing tech into its fleet Bolt Dubai Taxi Company

Dubai Taxi partners with Bolt to take on Uber

Dubai Taxi Company has signed a deal with the Estonian company Bolt to launch its “e-hailing” platform in the emirate, competing with existing operators such as Uber and Careem. The launch of the platform was announced during a signing ceremony between DTC and Bolt at Gitex Global. Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi, CEO of Dubai Taxi, called […]

Visitors tour the exhibition halls at Gitex Global. This year's expo runs until October 18

Tech startups drive rise in Ireland’s exports to UAE

Exports from Ireland to the UAE rose by 21 percent last year, driven by Irish technology and healthcare companies.  The trade agency Enterprise Ireland says exports to the GCC increased 13 percent last year, reaching €532.5 million ($580 million). Qatar had the region’s fastest growth in exports from Ireland last year, with a rise of […]

Chat GPT G42 ChatGPT

G42 and OpenAI launch regional partnership 

Abu Dhabi’s leading artificial intelligence company G42 is teaming up with OpenAI, the research and development company behind ChatGPT, to develop AI in the UAE and regional markets. The partnership, announced on Wednesday, aims to leverage OpenAI’s generative AI models across sectors where G42 already has expertise, including financial services, energy, healthcare and public services.  Using solutions […]

Middle East startups

Middle East needs to make it easier to launch startups

The Middle East is a “very attractive” market for entrepreneurs but its fragmented nature is a barrier to entry, even as jurisdictions compete to attract international startups, executives said at an industry event in Dubai. “None of the countries in the region are large enough or full enough to be an ecosystem on their own,” […]

Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, spoke on the opening day of the UN Conference on Trade and Development's World Investment Forum in Abu Dhabi

Rich nations can’t pay for entire world, says hedge fund guru

The founder of the world’s largest hedge fund has told a UN investment conference that the governments of developed countries cannot be expected to take care of the rest of the world. Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates, the US-based fund with $124 billion of assets under management, said those nations’ financial burdens were too big […]

Archer Aviation's eVTOL aircraft 'Midnight'

US developer to build flying taxis in Abu Dhabi

The day is drawing closer when a taxi ride between Dubai and Abu Dhabi takes only twenty minutes in an aircraft built in the UAE. A US developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to set up a manufacturing centre in Abu […]

Illustration of words on screens Experts say cooperation is needed to tackle the opportunities and threats of large language models and generative AI generative artificial intelligence

Dubai calls for global unity to regulate generative AI

Senior Dubai officials and executives have called for more global regulation of generative artificial intelligence, but dismissed the notion that the technology will lead to widespread job losses. “We need to be ready … We need to understand how we can regulate something as big as AI,” Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation […]

gulf generative AI

How generative AI is gaining momentum in Mena

Generative AI has dominated headlines for almost a year since the launch of US artificial intelligence-powered chatbot Chat GPT in November 2022.  The coverage of ChatGPT has been mixed – the technology had many in awe at first, but a data breach affecting a reported 100,000 accounts soon sparked security concerns. The story is still […]

Gulf longevity healthtech AI

Gulf accelerates longevity push with AI and healthtech

The Gulf is establishing itself at the forefront of the world’s fast-growing “longevity” sector. Saudi Arabia and the UAE in particular are making strides in the global race to prolong life, investing in health technologies that can predict medical risk and help develop medicines.  They are investing in healthtech, building laboratories to support research and […]

AI chips Gulf

Race is on for AI chips as nations seek tech supremacy

The Gulf states are expected to invest heavily in powerful semiconductor chips in the years ahead to drive artificial intelligence forward. However, US restrictions on exports of the world’s biggest player in the chips market are a potential stumbling block.  AI technology is critical to developing global influence and expanding high-growth industries, and the high-performance […]

Cybersecurity

UAE sets itself as the Gulf’s cybersecurity leader

As the world rushes toward a more digital future, cybersecurity remains a paramount concern – and the UAE aims to be at the forefront of the field. The post-Covid era has experienced a surge in cyberattacks, prompting organisations to fortify their defences. Global weekly cyberattacks rose 7 percent in the first quarter of 2023, compared with […]

Investors turn to data centres in Gulf and Mena tech push

Investor appetite for data centres in the Middle East is soaring as the region, particularly the Gulf, accelerates its digital transformation. Experts say they are seeing increased levels of investment and interest from international operators, who are looking to capitalise on the region’s growing need for data processing and storage. Earlier this year the Saudi […]

Careem driver

Clarification: Careem ‘not exploring’ partnerships with China’s Trip.com

Careem has clarified that it is not in official discussions with China’s largest online travel company Trip.com Group to offer its services on its app. Established in Dubai in 2012 offering a ride-hailing service, Careem has grown to what it calls a “Super App”, offering a range of services from local and global companies including […]

Dubai tech startup showcase Expand North Star

Investors to descend on Dubai tech startup show

Expand North Star, the UAE’s annual technology startup event, previously known as Gitex Future Stars, is predicting the number of attendees to at least double this year. The Gulf state is hoping to capitalise on its regional dominance in tech startups, despite a recent decline in funding levels. Such businesses witnessed a slump of 75 […]

Intersect innovation hub palestine startups

Innovation hub helps launch Palestinian startups in Gulf

Startups in Palestine are increasingly expanding in the Gulf as a way of overcoming hurdles such as a lack of access to funding and support systems. Central to their strategy is the Intersect Innovation Hub, a business incubator that is helping to build bridges between Palestinian startups and the Gulf region. Rateb Rabi, CEO of […]

Flat6Labs Afica VC fund

Cairo VC firm launches $95m African startup fund

Venture capital firm Flat6Labs has announced a $95 million seed fund to grow early-stage African tech startups. The African Seed Fund (ASF) will invest in more than 160 companies over the next five years. It will pay particular attention to sectors that accelerate digital inclusion through information technology, as well as healthtech, fintech, edtech, greentech, […]