With conference season well under way, the eyes of tech enthusiasts are constantly turning to the world.
But that attention may soon turn to the Middle East, which now claims to be home to the world's biggest tech event.
GITEX Global 2022, which took place at the World Trade Center in Dubai and was attended by TechRadar Pro, may 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 hosted its largest attendance in its history, with a reported audience of over 120 attendees hearing from over 000 companies from 5000 countries, including over 90 speakers.
The conference, which spanned the two million square feet of WTC Dubai, was an exhausting experience for many, as the crowded halls made it difficult to get to discussions and panel discussions on time, especially when on the go. outdoor hiking in the scorching desert heat.
In a country that aims to prove that bigger is better, perhaps having such a large conference with no particular theme or agenda in such a giant space was not the wisest choice, and hopefully an oversight that the organizers will address in the next years. .
But with a lineup that included global tech heavyweights like Microsoft, Dell Technologies, Huawei and more, and featuring several government spokespersons from the UAE and Dubai, the conference offered up some hidden gems.
The main attraction was the world's first "flying car", unveiled by the Chinese company XPENG, whose X2 vehicle made a successful (if slightly disappointing) test flight just outside the conference.
Looking ahead, the organizers clearly have big plans for the future, announcing the first GITEX Africa in May 2023 with the aim of capturing some of the large-scale investment and development across the continent.
And with areas designed specifically for developers, the metaverse, and startups, GITEX and its satellite events may soon become testing grounds for some of the next big tech companies.
While it will still take some time to make headlines like CES and MWC, with the power and determination (not to mention financial backing) of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, we wouldn't be betting against GITEX Global growing even further in the future. future. the next years.
- TechRadar Pro's travel and accommodation in Dubai were funded by the Dubai World Trade Center, but the organization had no editorial control over the content of this article.