5G, AI, and data centres were a focus at GITEX GLOBAL 2024

GITEX GLOBAL 2024, the world's largest tech and startup event, hosted the Middle East's largest data centre gathering on 17 October at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Taking place from 14-18 October the 2024 event is the 44th edition – welcoming over 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, 1,200 investors alongside governments from more than 180 countries—marking the highest-ever international participation—along with 200,000 visitors.

Source: GITEX. A panel discussion on future trends and investment opportunities of data centres.

The conference programme underscored the implications of AI in data infrastructure, a driving force behind a global data centre market that is projected to reach US$256 B by end-2024 and US$775 B by 2034. 

Hassan Al Naqbi, CEO of Khazna Data Centers, the MENA region's largest hyperscale wholesale data centre provider, explained during a panel discussion that more data centres not only boost the market's growth but also build capacity, supporting talent development to meet the increasing demand.

He said, "A lot of people think that data centres are not a job creation machine. However, data centres are vital for economies and have different roles involved. If you look at all the hyperscales, their data centres are having a huge impact on the economy as people can secure jobs which are vital for the day-to-day operations."

Marc Marazzi, VP of Legrand Data Center Solutions, shared his perspective on the need for careful planning and environmental responsibility. He believes the industry will go from strength to strength but organisations must exercise caution in their decision-making when building data centres. It will be key to include long-term considerations of how the world will evolve over the next decade.

He said: "It's great to see many taking the green initiative very seriously and looking at the way they are building and cooling data centres. Today, they are bigger than ever before and being built faster but we must not lose sight of the importance of how we manufacture, what we are installing and how they are managed. Data centres are built with 15 years in mind and we have to think what they would look like in a specific time and get it right from the beginning."

5G was another focal point at GITEX, with visitors getting a glimpse of the possibilities of the wireless technology with AI and its role to powering a hyperconnected future. 

The Intelligent Connectivity event has been held at a time where GSMA projects a seismic shift in connectivity. According to the association, 1.4 billion devices set to be linked with 5G by 2025, further fueling a US$1.1 T Internet of Things (IoT) market within a US$3.9 T mobile economy.

The expertly curated programme brought together some of the most influential voices from global enterprises and organisations including Khalid Murshed, Chief Technology & Information Officer at e&, Wang Hui, President, NCE Data Communication Domain at Huawei China and Thomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary General at ITU Switzerland. They were also joined by Roque Lozano, SVP, Network Infrastructure MEA at Nokia, Kazuhiro Gomi, President and CEO of NTT Research and SG Chung, Chief AI Global Officer at SK Telecom.

Away from the stage, the showcase featured a diverse range of impressive technologies from leading exhibitors, Huawei, e&, Nokia, China Telecom, Ericsson, Cisco, and Beyon among them. These industry giants presented cutting-edge solutions, highlighting next-generation 5G applications with their participation underscoring GITEX GLOBAL’s role as a key platform for exploring the future of connectivity and digital transformation.

Khalid Murshed, Chief Technology & Information Officer of e&, one of the largest telecommunications operators in the Middle East and North Africa region, said: “5G and 5G advanced serve as a platform for everyone to come in to innovate with applications that can drive demand for the network to be enhanced further and further.

“We have to build a network with the capabilities and then fit in the AI applications and this is what we’re doing hand-in-hand. We’re not just building a network for the sake of technology leadership. It’s a bilateral game by all means and we are building them to enable new cases while today we have live networks and private 5G.”

Another leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, Huawei, identified several technologies as underpinning its solutions that facilitate an intelligent future. 5G-Advanced (5G-A) remains vital to supporting rapid and low-latency communication - critical for building advanced applications, in addition to big, unified data, AI, and cloud computing, the company said.

The future of mobility and how autonomous vehicles can benefit from 5G was another highlight. In a panel, Siyuan Liu, Head of IoT Partnership & Strategy, Greater China, at China Unicom Global, said the company is accelerating its efforts into the AI and vehicle connectivity industries with 5G playing a central role. Liu highlighted that 5G is vital for the growth of autonomous vehicles, reshaping society and helping make accurate decisions – all of which can enhance the efficiency of transportation and safety.

Wang Hui, President of Huawei NCE Data Communication Domain, also touched on AI and vehicles. Wang highlighted that AI applications are being leveraged extensively in China’s autonomous vehicles and in AI health services.

E& announced a collaboration with Vodafone Business IoT at GITEX. The agreement covered the use of the Vodafone Global SIM+ eSIM solution to provide in-vehicle connectivity and enhanced digital services for Mercedes-Benz AG drivers in the UAE. The service will be commercially available in 1H25.

The company also displayed the Nissan Hyper-Force, an all-electric high-performance supercar, connected through e& UAE 5G SIM cards to deliver an in-driving experience. Its human-digital advisors, combining hologram technology and AI, were also introduced.

GITEX GLOBAL in Dubai is part of a network of tech events that includes GITEX ASIA Singapore.