The second day of GITEX GLOBAL 2025 drew record crowds and packed conference halls, underscoring the continued momentum of the world’s largest technology and AI event.
The day opened with a virtual discussion between Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, on the theme “AI-Native Societies,” followed by sessions featuring leaders from Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Khazna Data Centres, Cerebras, TAMM, Department of Government Enablement (Government of Abu Dhabi), Presight, Core42, Inception, AIQ, and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.
Speakers examined the economic, structural, and cultural foundations of the emerging intelligence economy.
Taking place from 13 to 17 October, the 45th edition of GITEX GLOBAL hosts over 6,800 exhibitors, 2,000 startups, 1,200 investors, and delegations from more than 180 countries.
Day 2 focused on the components shaping nation-scale AI infrastructures, including quantum computing, cloud technology, data, and digital policy.
Jim Keller, CEO of Tenstorrent, discussed “Taking Control of Your Sovereign AI Future,” urging nations and enterprises to adopt open-source compute infrastructure.
He said:
“Open source is a path for innovation, but also a path to really own it, so you can chart your own destiny. Imagine there’s a world where you could own the AI IP, CPU tech and there’s open source software. You just created a world where anybody could build an AI solution.”
Ana Paula Assis, SVP, Chair and General Manager for EMEA and Growth Markets at IBM, explored the relationship between AI and quantum computing.
“How you deploy AI in a way that not only makes sense for the user but is also cost-effective. You need to consider these things all the time when developing use-cases,”
she said.
“With quantum architecture, we can parallelise a lot of operations to run at the same time, so innovators can come up with solutions today which a classical computer would take years to achieve.”
Across the exhibition floor, global and regional companies showcased innovations in AI, data, and cloud infrastructure.
Google Cloud demonstrated AI-optimised data analytics and sustainable cloud architectures tailored for the Middle East.
Abu Dhabi-based ai71 presented applied AI solutions for enterprise and government.
HPE introduced new solutions including Morpheus Enterprise and VME for hybrid cloud orchestration, as well as its Sovereign AI Factory, a modular infrastructure framework for scalable, locally governed AI systems.
JetBrains showcased tools that enhance organisational AI control, privacy, and productivity, while Mangobot, a Dubai-based robotics firm, displayed its “Wolf Pack” dog robots and A2 humanoid capable of learning complex tasks such as surgical procedures.
Micropolis unveiled an autonomous vehicle for police and public safety operations, designed to operate in hazardous environments using AI-driven sensors for real-time monitoring and evidence gathering.
The day also featured several partnership agreements strengthening collaboration across sectors.
Microsoft and Dubai Municipality signed a memorandum on cloud computing and cybersecurity, while Deloitte and IBM announced a partnership to accelerate regional AI adoption focused on finance and cybersecurity.
First Abu Dhabi Bank formalised a collaboration with the UAE Media Council.
As attendance continues to rise, GITEX GLOBAL 2025 maintains its pace as a hub for technology dialogue and development.
Day 3 will turn attention to digital health and biotechnology, with discussions expected to explore AI-driven advances such as gene-editing, brain-computer interfaces, and data-led drug discovery.
Featured image credit: GITEX GLOBAL
