logo
Tech, Startup, and Digital Investments Event kicks off in Berlin

Tech, Startup, and Digital Investments Event kicks off in Berlin

Emirates 24/722-05-2025

- Artificial Intelligence: GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything Examines Dominant Tech Driving €2.7 Billion Economic Windfall
-Europe's largest inaugural tech, startup & digital investments event highlights the technology redefining the region's digital future at Messe Berlin from 21-23 May
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is swiftly redefining Europe's digital landscape, transforming industrial productivity, scientific discovery, public services efficiency, and socio-economic development at scale. With McKinsey projecting AI could add €2.7 billion to European economic output by 2030 – translating to a potential 20% GDP increase – GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything is poised to magnify the exponential value accompanying this incomparable technology.
Organised by Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and KAOUN International, the region's largest inaugural tech, startup, and digital investments event is running at Messe Berlin from 21-23 May. Featuring over 1,400 big tech enterprises, startups, and SMEs alongside over 600 investors and 500 global speakers from more than 100 countries and 35 European states, the event's programme explores the rising potential of AI, cloud, cybersecurity, quantum computing, green tech, and more.
Tech Titans Converge to Showcase AI's Disruptive Power
An illustration of AI's transformative potential, a recent European Parliament study anticipates labour market productivity increases as high as 37% by 2035. Central to this scenario are the world's most reputable tech enterprises currently driving cross-sector disruption through innovative AI-powered solutions – many of whom are GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything exhibitors and partners.
Alongside AI changemakers including AWS, IBM, Cisco, and Honeywell, such exhibitors include Nutanix, a global cloud software leader showcasing Nutanix Enterprise AI (NAI). Alongside core data centres and on public cloud services including AWS EKS, Azure AKS, and Google GKE, this extended AI infrastructure platform can be deployed on any Cloud Native Computing Foundation® (CNCF)-certified Kubernetes® environment.
Thomas Herrguth, General Manager Germany at Nutanix, said: 'GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything fills a huge gap as a general IT trade show that has been missing in Germany for years. Building on their success and expertise in the Gulf region, we wish the organisers all the best for their first edition in Berlin. For innovative vendors like Nutanix, it's a place to showcase to businesses and the wider public alike the future of IT and what this looks like for all of us.'
Geoffrey Hinton: 'The Godfather of AI' Joins Star-Studded AI Expert Panel
As Europe accelerates AI development following the recently passed EU AI Act, the world's first comprehensive legal AI regulation and innovation framework, GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything spotlights emerging challenges and opportunities facing regional and international digital ecosystems. To forge consensus in new partnerships and business outcomes for more agile, business-friendly, and responsible global digital systems, GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything stages thought-provoking discussions and powerful perspectives from the world's leading voices in AI.
In a historic appearance, Geoffrey Hinton – 2024 Nobel Prize winner in Physics widely recognised as the 'Godfather of AI' – delivers a keynote address poised to reshape the discourse on AI. Celebrated for his pioneering research and sobering call to control superintelligent systems, Hinton offers a nuanced view of AI's promise and perils.
The event programme welcomes an international line-up of featured AI panellists across its three-day duration, all of whom have extensive expertise across increasingly AI-critical industries. These include Mark Surman, President of Mozilla; Dr. Farzana Dudhwala, Global AI Policy & Governance Lead at Meta; Prof. Dr. Antonio Krüger, CEO of the German Research Center for AI (DFKI), and executives from AWS, IBM, Airbus, SAP, Cisco, and Nvidia.
Christian Darkin, Head of AI at Deep Fusion Films, also brings 'Virtually Parkinson' to the stage – the studio's pioneering AI-driven talk show featuring a digital Sir Michael Parkinson interviewing global AI leaders live for the first time.
Integration at Scale: Showcasing AI's Cross-Sector Influence & Impact
As per the European Commission, Europe now hosts over 35,000 early-stage startups – more than any other region globally. Boasting a vibrant entrepreneurial landscape, GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything paves the way for greater cross-border collaborations, new public-private partnerships, and the rise of a new generation of digital entrepreneurs.
Ahead of his involvement as an expert panellist, Adrian Locher, Co-Founder & General Partner of Merantix Capital, one of Europe's leading AI group working with founders to integrate AI with real-world applications, said: 'We've seen AI change in the public consciousness from an exciting opportunity into the dominant, most hyped topic in the entire tech and investing world. Practically every industry will be transformed by AI, offering huge, purpose-driven opportunities for investors and founders. Two industries particularly ripe for change are finance and legal. The next wave of fintech companies is replacing legacy structures with AI-powered systems, rebuilding the antiquated plumbing of our financial world from the ground up. In the legal space, AI will revamp the menial tasks of being a lawyer, from contract work to research, thereby empowering lawyers to focus on creatively serving clients.'
Locher added: 'The GITEX brand is well known for its presence in the Middle East, and it's a really exciting development that the event is coming to Europe. We're eager to meet and network with a great roster of investors, founders, and AI builders.'
Since 2018, the EU and member states have also committed over €8 billion to quantum technologies, and Fortune Business Insights has projected that the European quantum market will grow at a CAGR of 33.2% from 2024-2032. The GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything programme welcomes various specialists to discuss Europe's success in driving digital innovation and championing initiatives developing AI, quantum, and deep tech.
Previewing his participation, Jan Goetz, Co-CEO & Co-Founder at IQM Quantum Computers, a Finland-based global leader in building quantum computers, revealed: 'The expected business benefits of quantum and AI convergence are vast, and business leaders must therefore begin thinking about how quantum AI might impact their industry and how they can position their respective companies to take advantage of this technology. Tech Hubs in Europe have grown from local initiatives into global powerhouses – and I believe this event will serve as a significant platform for shaping the future of investments, collaboration, and digital innovation in Germany and Europe.'
The European Innovation Council (EIC), Europe's largest deeptech investor, also presents its largest-ever line-up of outstanding AI-first startups and scaleups in the most advanced tech sectors.
GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything is part of the GITEX global network of tech and startup events, taking place in Germany, Morocco, Nigeria, Singapore, Thailand, and the UAE. For more information, please visit: www.gitex-europe.com.
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Three reasons why AIOps is fast becoming a strategic priority for CIOs in Qatar
Three reasons why AIOps is fast becoming a strategic priority for CIOs in Qatar

Khaleej Times

time4 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

Three reasons why AIOps is fast becoming a strategic priority for CIOs in Qatar

As Qatar accelerates its digital transformation in line with National Vision 2030, local CIOs are under pressure to manage increasingly complex IT infrastructures while also delivering on bold innovation mandates. From enabling smart cities and digital government services to supporting AI-powered public and private sector initiatives, the role of the CIO is becoming more strategic—and more challenging—than ever before. In this environment, technology leaders must navigate a demanding balancing act: how to modernise and scale IT operations, unlock value from data, and deliver seamless digital experiences without compromising on performance or resilience. AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations) is emerging as a vital tool in this equation—one that can help CIOs in Qatar not only stay ahead of operational risk but actively drive transformation across their organisations. Organisations need tools that provide proactive incident management and faster issue resolution for increasingly complex IT infrastructure. AIOps uses machine learning and advanced analytics to monitor IT environments in real-time, allowing for quicker detection of potential issues, anomalies, and system performance degradation. AIOps tools can automatically analyze and identify the root causes of issues, reducing the human time spent on troubleshooting and accelerating incident resolution. This significantly improves system uptime and reduces downtime, which is crucial for maintaining smooth business operations. Most importantly, AIOps can provide reduced mean time to resolution (MTTR) as CIOs can drastically shorten the time it takes to identify and resolve incidents, ensuring minimal disruption to users and business processes. Use of AIOps offers organisations enhanced IT efficiency and automation to lessen the stress and pressures of IT management. AIOps automates routine and time-consuming tasks, such as log aggregation, event correlation, and alert management. This frees up IT teams to focus on more strategic projects and helps reduce manual errors and inefficiencies. AIOps platforms can also dynamically allocate resources based on real-time usage data, ensuring optimal performance and reducing the risk of over, or worse, under-provisioning IT resources. This results in cost savings and improved system performance. By leveraging AI to automate various aspects of IT operations, organisations can manage their infrastructure more efficiently, enabling IT teams to scale operations without significantly increasing resource requirements. Organisations are able to improve predictive capabilities and risk mitigation. There is tremendous value in using AIOps to predict potential failures or performance bottlenecks based on historical data and trends, enabling proactive measures to be taken before issues make costly impacts to the business. Predictive capabilities help CIOs plan for capacity, resource needs, and system upgrades more effectively. By identifying and addressing potential issues before they escalate, AIOps minimizes the risks associated with system downtime, security breaches, and poor performance. This helps safeguard business continuity and customer satisfaction. Further, AIOps helps maintain system reliability by proactively managing risks, ensuring IT operations stay aligned with business goals, and supporting a seamless user experience. Qatar's vision of becoming a digital-first, knowledge-based economy relies on high-performing technology infrastructure—and AIOps is key to making this vision a reality. According to Riverbed's 2024 Global AI & Digital Experience Survey, top-performing organisations are far more likely to be investing in AI than their peers (74% vs 54%), underlining the competitive advantage it can deliver. For CIOs in Qatar, this is not just about modernisation—it's about relevance, resilience, and readiness in a rapidly changing regional and global market. Beyond operational benefits, AIOps also helps attract and retain younger tech talent—an important consideration in a growing economy like Qatar's. The same survey found that younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are the most optimistic about AI's role in the workplace. By adopting AIOps, CIOs send a powerful signal that their organisation is future-focused and committed to empowering its workforce. In a region where technology leadership is fast becoming a national imperative, Qatari CIOs who fail to act may find themselves facing growing inefficiencies, mounting risks, and declining stakeholder confidence. In contrast, those who embrace AIOps are setting themselves—and their organisations—on a path toward stronger performance, deeper insight, and sustainable success in the years ahead. The writer is Global CIO at Riverbed Technology.

Saudis use AI, drones and thousands of cameras to keep Haj pilgrims safe
Saudis use AI, drones and thousands of cameras to keep Haj pilgrims safe

Khaleej Times

time7 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

Saudis use AI, drones and thousands of cameras to keep Haj pilgrims safe

Working day and night in front of maps, screens and seemingly endless data, Saudi officials have harnessed artificial intelligence to help manage the million-strong sea of pilgrims during the Haj. The technology has proven pivotal to track the overwhelming amount of footage from more than 15,000 cameras in and around the holy city of Makkah. The systems are tuned to spot abnormal crowd movements or predict bottlenecks in foot traffic —a potential life-saver at a packed event with a history of deadly stampedes. Software is also used to help guide more than 20,000 buses deployed to transport pilgrims between holy sites during one of the world's biggest annual religious gatherings. It is all part of the tech arsenal that Saudi Arabia is deploying as 1.4 million faithful from across the globe descend on Makkah and its surrounds. "In our traffic control room, we use specialised cameras that have AI layers to analyse movements, crowded areas" and predict behaviours, said Mohamed Nazier, chief executive officer for the General Transport Centre at the Royal Commission for Makkah. The centre has a main control room in Makkah filled with screens and maps, where staff use high-tech tools including AI for round-the-clock monitoring. About a dozen staff members sit in rows before desktop computers with a large display at the front, zooming in on crowd movements around the holy sites. On hillsides nearby, cameras that resemble little white robots film buildings, roads and pathways along the Haj route, which winds more than 20 kilometres between Makkah and Mount Arafat. Nazier said the constant monitoring is aimed at averting traffic collisions with pedestrians on crowded routes while also making sure there are buses available to minimise walking time in the desert heat. 'Our eye on the ground' It is a decade since the hajj suffered its worst disaster, a stampede that killed up to 2,300 people during the "stoning of the devil" ritual. Hundreds also died in stampedes in 2006, 1998 and 1994. In 1990, 1,426 pilgrims were trampled to death or asphyxiated when a tunnel ventilation system failed. With its cutting-edge technology, "the control room is our eye on the ground," said Mohammed Al Qarni, who oversees the Haj and the year-round umrah pilgrimage at the transport centre. Artificial intelligence helps to determine "the flow on the (roads to the holy sites), and detects emergency situations even before they occur", he told AFP, adding that the technology can help assess the number of people in a single place. Cameras and AI can estimate if a site has reached maximum capacity, allowing authorities to divert the flow of pilgrims, Qarni said. During the holy month of Ramadan this year, the system spotted when the Grand Mosque had reached full capacity. "The flow to the Haram (Grand Mosque) was stopped and the process controlled," he said. Thermal imaging The use of advanced technology extends beyond logistics, also tracking unregistered pilgrims, who accounted for most of the 1,301 deaths in sweltering conditions last year. As temperatures soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2 Fahrenheit) last year, unauthorised worshippers who lack access to air-conditioned tents and buses bore the brunt. Temperatures are forecast to top 40C this week. The Haj , one of the five pillars of Islam, must be completed by all Muslims with the means at least once. Yet not everyone is able to secure or afford one of the official permits, which are allocated to countries by quota and awarded to individuals by lottery. To try to stop anyone sneaking in this year, a fleet of camera-equipped drones is monitoring entrances into Makkah "We use artificial intelligence and other tools like drones and thermal imaging cameras," the director general of public security, Lieutenant General Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Bassami, told reporters. Meanwhile, the Saudi Special Forces for Roads Security said it was using "smart thermal imaging" to monitor the perimeter of Makkah and the holy sites.

Car review: Bentley's Continental GT Speed Hybrid commands serious road presence
Car review: Bentley's Continental GT Speed Hybrid commands serious road presence

Khaleej Times

time8 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

Car review: Bentley's Continental GT Speed Hybrid commands serious road presence

Bentley ranks high among automotive nobility‭. ‬Once a racing marque with notable victories‭, ‬it later merged with Rolls-Royce before being reborn‭. ‬Since its acquisition by the VW Group‭, ‬it has thrived‭, ‬thanks to the Continental GT‭, ‬which blends charismatic styling‭, ‬strong performance‭, ‬and enduring craftsmanship‭. ‬Now in its fourth generation‭, ‬we were invited to experience the art of‭ ‬'fine driving'‭ ‬in the exclusive Bentley Continental GT Speed Hybrid First Edition‭ ‬—‭ ‬and here's what went down‭.‬ DESIGN‭ & ‬AESTHETICS Bentley calls this an all-new generation‭, ‬but it feels more like a visual facelift‭ ‬—‭ ‬and that's alright‭. ‬Why fix what isn't broken‭? ‬Since its 2003‭ ‬debut as a hunky-yet-elegant grand tourer‭, ‬it has grown slimmer and more athletic with each generation‭.‬‭ ‬Still‭, ‬at 4,895mm in length and 1,966mm in width‭, ‬it commands serious road presence‭. ‬Its face features single headlamps inspired by the limited-run Bacalar‭ ‬—‭ ‬the first of their kind since the 1950s‭ ‬—‭ ‬slit by an LED strip‭. ‬The rest is all grille and air intakes‭, ‬purposeful but not aggressive‭. ‬The body‭, ‬sculpted from superformed aluminium‭, ‬is pinched with precise creases to create a muscular-but-restrained form‭, ‬while the massive 22-inch directional turbine wheels make it look like a concept car come to life‭, ‬and over them is a graceful fastback roofline‭. ‬The only flaw is the overly stretched oval tail lamps on an otherwise perfectly executed rear design‭. ‬Still‭, ‬without a shadow of doubt‭, ‬this is one of‭ ‬the most beautiful‭, ‬artfully designed coupés‭ ‬—‭ ‬and perhaps the finest extrusion of human imagination‭.‬ Adding to the luxury experience are colourful animated puddle lamps that project the Bentley emblem onto the ground and effortless soft-closing doors‭. ‬Inside‭, ‬the cabin feels as rich as it looks‭ ‬—‭ ‬blending masculine architecture that uses structured elements with feminine touches through the finest materials‭, ‬some found in‭ ‬luxury handbags‭. ‬Eye-grabbing highlights include 3D diamond-stitched leather upholstery‭, ‬real stainless steel circular air vents with organ pulls‭, ‬and a Bentley‭ ‬'B'‭ ‬on the brake pedal‭ ‬—‭ ‬showcasing Bentley's staggering attention to detail‭.‬ Modern tech includes a customisable instrument display and a 12.3-inch touchscreen backed by physical buttons for essentials like radio‭, ‬phone‭, ‬and navigation‭. ‬The party piece‭, ‬though‭, ‬is the rotating display‭, ‬which elegantly flips between the touchscreen‭,‬‭ ‬three analogue gauges‭, ‬and unbroken dashboard veneer‭.‬ As for gripes‭, ‬the plastic centre console piece would feel more in place finished in wood or glass‭; ‬and the steering column could use just an inch more extension for an ideal driving position‭. ‬And there's no graceful way to enter the rear cabin‭, ‬but your pride is salvaged in knowing you're stepping into a Bentley‭.‬ POWERTRAIN‭ & ‬PERFORMANCE The smooth twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12‭ ‬has now been relegated to history‭. ‬This new hybrid version retains the twin-turbo 4.0-litre‭ ‬V8‭ ‬and adds a 190‭ ‬PS electric motor‭, ‬delivering nearly 800‭ ‬hp and 1,000‭ ‬Nm of torque‭ ‬—‭ ‬enough to pull an 18-wheeler‭.‬ It starts silently in electric vehicle‭ (‬EV‭) ‬mode‭, ‬with a claimed 81km range‭, ‬and glides like a limousine unless provoked‭. ‬It also claims to reach 859km before the tank empties out‭, ‬which may be closer to 650km in the real world‭. ‬One can top up the 25.9‭ ‬kWh battery in 2h45m with an 11‭ ‬kW charger‭, ‬or 8h30m via a household socket‭. ‬In Sport mode‭, ‬the V8‭ ‬burble awakens‭, ‬and with launch‭ ‬control activated‭, ‬it hurls itself from a standstill to 100kmph in just 3.1‭ ‬seconds‭ ‬with no drama‭, ‬tyre smoke‭, ‬or rear-end shimmy‭, ‬thanks to all-wheel drive traction‭. ‬And you'll love the satisfying crackles between shifts‭.‬ For something that weighs 2,459kg‭, ‬this car is unbelievably fast‭, ‬which is a thought sure to upend the scientific mind‭.‬ The air suspension with twin-valve dampers offers a composed ride‭ ‬—‭ ‬more refined than a 911‭, ‬more involving than a Rolls-Royce Spectre‭. ‬Electronic all-wheel steering aids manoeuvrability with an‭ ‬11.3-metre turning radius‭, ‬while the electronic limited-slip differential and massive tyres ensure confidence-inspiring cornering‭. ‬And it comes with some of the largest production brakes‭, ‬too‭.‬ Without a shadow of doubt‭, ‬this is one of‭ ‬the most beautiful‭, ‬artfully designed coupés‭ ‬—‭ ‬and perhaps the finest extrusion of human imagination‭" FEATURES‭ & ‬FUNCTIONALITY The 260-litre boot is sizeable for a coupe and fits the mandatory golf bag‭, ‬but the spare tyre and charging cables reduce it to‭ ‬grocery-bag capacity‭. ‬The standard 650W 10-speaker audio is home-theatre loud‭, ‬but our test car's 2,200W 18-speaker Naim system delivers orchestral-quality sound‭, ‬though Bluetooth playback was occasionally distorted‭.‬ The car's wireless Android Auto worked seamlessly for navigation and apps‭. ‬You can also say‭ ‬'Hey Bentley'‭ ‬to access various functions‭, ‬though the system is sluggish and doesn't support UAE points of interest‭. ‬Thankfully‭, ‬handwritten input‭, ‬though slow‭, ‬worked‭. ‬Also‭, ‬the wireless phone charger is a tad‭ ‬inaccessible‭, ‬being in the centre cubby‭. ‬Keeping you cool is an excellent air conditioning system aided by seat ventilation and‭ ‬enhanced air ionisation‭.‬ Safety features include advanced emergency braking‭, ‬swerve and turn assist‭, ‬adaptive cruise control‭, ‬lane guidance‭, ‬and a 3D surround-view camera‭ ‬—‭ ‬though lane-keeping assist occasionally wandered‭.‬ VERDICT The 2025‭ ‬Bentley Continental GT Speed is timeless beauty manifested as a two-door coupe‭. ‬It features a cossetting cabin crafted‭ ‬from exotic materials‭ ‬—‭ ‬a designer's playground that speaks to the moneyed elite‭. ‬The electric drive and air suspension deliver a soft and silent refinement‭, ‬while‭ ‬the ability to instantly summon all 800‭ ‬horses through brilliant engineering turns this grand tourer into a mad‭, ‬but still refined‭, ‬sports car‭. ‬Minor faults can be swept under the rug‭, ‬unless you're opting for long-haul staycations with friends and luggage‭.‬ GOOD‭: ‬ Gorgeous bodywork‭; ‬exquisite materials‭; ‬superfluous power and comfort‭; ‬81km pure electric range BAD‭:‬ ‭ ‬Steering column could use more adjustment‭; ‬limited trunk space‭; ‬cramped rear seats‭; ‬pricey SPECIFICATIONS Body type‭ ‬ —‭ ‬2+2-seater‭; ‬2-door premium high-performance luxury coupe Engine ‭ ‬—‭ ‬Front-engine‭; ‬twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8‭ + ‬e-motor w‭/ ‬25.9‭ ‬kWh battery‭; ‬all-wheel drive Transmission ‭ ‬—‭ ‬8-speed DCT‭ (‬automated manual‭)‬ Peak output ‭ ‬—‭ ‬782‭ ‬PS‭ (‬system total‭); ‬600‭ ‬PS‭ ‬@‭ ‬6,000‭ ‬rpm‭ (‬ICE‭) + ‬190‭ ‬PS‭ (‬e-motor‭) - ‬1,000‭ ‬Nm‭ (‬system total‭); ‬800‭ ‬Nm‭ ‬@‭ ‬2,000‭ - ‬4,500‭ ‬rpm‭ + ‬450‭ ‬Nm‭ (‬e-motor‭)‬ 0‭ ‬to 100kmph ‭ ‬—‭ ‬3.2‭ ‬seconds‭ (‬claimed‭)‬ Top speed ‭ ‬—‭ ‬335kmph‭ (‬drag limited‭; ‬claimed‭)‬ Price ‭ ‬—‭ ‬Starting at Dh1,750,000‭ ‬approx‭.‬ EDITOR'S RATING‭ - ‬8.5/10‭ ‬stars

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store