Dubai hosted over 6,000 exhibitors from at least 180 countries at the Gitex Global event this year
Pakistan successfully created an impressive and loud buzz during the recently concluded Gitex Global 2023, the world’s largest tech event which happened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from October 16 to 20, 2023.
During the event, Dubai hosted over 6,000 exhibitors from at least 180 countries. At the opening ceremony, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum underscored the significance of the event.
The country “shows a great commitment to digitise quicker”, according to Trixie LohMirmand, the Executive Vice-President of Dubai World Trade Centre and organiser of the annual tech event.
Trixie spoke with Karachi Business Forum, during the sidelines of a press conference on October 15 where Gitex Global announced its expansion plans to Europe – Gitex Europe in Berlin in May 2024.
“[We are] privileged and proud that we have a huge and growing Pakistan pavilion with us — whether it’s in Gitex’s BigTech section or in Expand North Star (our startup show),” she said.
“For over four decades, the UAE has brought together the brightest minds and innovators from across the globe uniting them in a shared pursuit of shaping the future of technology.”
Pakistani companies had strategically placed their stalls across almost all halls.
Speaking with Karachi Business Forum, Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan’s Group Vice-President Muhammad Umair Nizam said, “The event will help us tap into the GCC market by [helping us] connect with organisations, investors, and governments interested in working with Pakistani companies.”
“Through this event, we are eyeing to bring a large delegation from the GCC to Pakistan at our event in Karachi, which will help open doors for tech companies that are unable to travel to the Gulf and market themselves,” he added.
Nizam said ITCN Asia provided the platform and acted as a bridge between tech SMEs and international organisations looking to partner with Pakistani tech companies.
“At our booth, we expect to brief multiple organisations regarding Pakistan’s tech potential and how Pakistan is aiming to become the regional IT hub.”
Invents Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amar Makhdoom said Pakistan made an unforgettable mark at Gitex.
“This remarkable demonstration highlighted Pakistan’s dedication to technological advancement and its rising prominence in the global tech community,” he highlighted.
Trixie, on the other hand, mentioned Pakistan’s drive to move forward.
“I think there is some great motivation in the Pakistani startup ecosystem to want to internationalise; they want to build their businesses, they want to access funding, they want to discover new markets, which is why we have seen the tremendous and wonderful speed of them coming into a show like Gitex.”
According to official figures released by the organisers, 100 plus exhibitors and over 2,000 delegates from the country stole the spotlight. My company Invents Global organised the Fintech Pavilion for 14 exhibitors and they collectively got thousands of leads and signed numerous contracts.
“Gitex 2023 was very good this year (as always). About 27 companies had their stalls in the Pakistan Pavilion. 10 independent companies were also there, and around 50 plus startups participated; 10 of them were supported by Ignite [a non-profit company administered by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunications],” said Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) Chairperson Muhammad Zohaib Khan, adding that around three to four companies signed have multi-million dollar deals during the event.
“This is a significant result of Gitex,” Khan emphasised.
The P@SHA chief also acknowledged and termed the presence of the federal Caretaker IT Minister Dr Umar Saif good, as he conducted multiple G2G meetings.
“He was also a speaker at multiple forums. It was fantastic. Pakistan also had a connection lounge — a B2B lounge — set up for Pakistan’s IT companies, supported by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). It was a collective effort by P@SHA, PSEB [Pakistan Software Export Board], MoIT, TDAP, and Ignite – they worked as one team for the bigger presence and success of Pakistan.”
Khan said Pakistan’s companies stood at a prime location at Gitex Global. “This presence will create an impact in the region for opportunities.”
The zeal shown by Pakistani companies was also acknowledged by Trixie, who said, “I am aware that the minister is here as well. You see from the leadership right down to the startups, there is a great commitment from Pakistan to want to digitise much quicker.
“I think Europe will present a great opportunity for them; they’re familiar with Gitex Europe, which means that we can provide them access to one of the biggest continents of the world with lower risks. So, we will be safeguarding their passage into Europe to connect them with the right stakeholders.”
Waqas Naeem, Visual and Digital Media Consultant and Director Marketing at Media Clicks, said Global tech events like Gitex and LEAP — another major tech event in Saudi Arabia — present significant opportunities for the Pakistani IT sector in the Middle Eastern region.
“Pakistan’s tech sector has immense potential, leveraging its talented workforce and cost-effective solutions. To seize these opportunities, a well-prepared strategy, effective networking, and market awareness are essential.”
“And events like these provide the best opportunities for the local tech community to foster long-term relations, collaborate, and connect with potential investors and partners,” he said.
Gitex had a separate venue for its startup show. At Expand North Star (held at Dubai Harbour), most startup founders showed optimism and were keen to meet investors to expand their business.
Gull Zeba, the founder of RedMarker (a startup supported by Ignite) said, “We are heading an education technology [EdTech] company; we are working mainly on examination reforms. We have developed our self-assessment app.”
Zeba’s company offers innovative online assessment tools and aims at digitalising the assessment lifecycle. It currently works with assessment bodies and external body evaluation systems.
“We are also working on the B2B and B2C side. We are here to have collaborations and partnerships, and raise investments,” she said.
