GITEX Global 2025 Showcases Groundbreaking AI, 6G, and Smart City Innovations

Rabat – Dubai’s World Trade Centre came to life yesterday at the launch ceremony of the 45th edition of GITEX Global 2025, the world’s biggest technology, AI, and startup expo.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, officially opened the event. He dubbed GITEX “a global hub for building new bridges of communication that open unprecedented horizons for growth and progress.”

Day one: partnerships and vision

The GITEX Power Summit took place on the first day. UAE Minister of Economy H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri talked about how the UAE is an open platform for global innovation. He called the UAE a “test lab for future technologies,” which set the tone for a week focused on big technological goals.

Big news came next with GITEX and e&inking a strategic agreement to push for innovation and AI change for GITEX 2026, which will take place at Expo City Dubai. The goal of the partnership is to get more people around the world to invest in new technologies and make Dubai a stronger center for digital innovation.

Organizers also said that GITEX Global and Gulfood, two of Dubai’s biggest events each year, will move to Expo City Dubai in 2026. This is a hint of a trend toward bigger, more integrated global events that combine cuisine, innovation, and sustainability in one futuristic space.

AI at the Forefront

Artificial Intelligence was still a hot topic as leaders and experts talked about how it would affect the world’s economy. Andrew Feldman, CEO and Co-Founder of Cerebras Systems, argued that AI has a “profound” effect on markets and is directly linked to worldwide earnings growth.

Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, talked about how AI is changing the way we use energy by finding the best balance between supply and demand. He said this is especially important for making the switch to renewable energy.

Evan Solomon, Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, called this time “a hinge moment in history.” He said that huge geopolitical changes are happening at the same time as technical upheavals.

Day Two: The Future Links and the global AI access

By the second day, the enthusiasm kept going with a number of big announcements in several fields.

e& UAE showed off the world’s first 200G Passive Optical Network (PON) prototype, which promises quicker, multi-gigabit internet access for homes and smart cities.

The company also worked with Space42 to improve hybrid satellite-terrestrial connectivity, which will make the global 5G network better.

In the academic world, Khalifa University and Zayed University announced the construction of the UAE 6G Innovation Hub, a place for research and testing that would help define the future of telecommunications.

At the same time, Abu Dhabi launched the world’s first AI public worker with its TAMM AutoGov platform. This platform automates more than 1,100 government tasks and is a big step toward AI-native governance.

New ideas also spread to real estate, logistics, and city management. The Dubai Land Department added the “Digital Sale” option to the Dubai Now App, which lets people buy and sell property safely online.

Dubai Live, a new smart city platform, was also shown to use AI, predictive analytics, and Digital Twin models to run city operations in real time.

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP) started a new payment plan for UAE residents in the financial sector. This allows them to pay government service fees of AED 500 or more in installments.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, and Peng Xiao, the Group CEO of G42, shared a joint appearance.

The two leaders talked about how important it is to close the gap in access to AI around the world. They stressed that the future of AI rests less on algorithms and more on making sure everyone has fair access to its potential.