Gitex Europe: High-tech trade fair comes to Berlin from Dubai

Gitex Europe, an offshoot of the largest IT trade fair in Asia and the Middle East, will be held in Germany for the first time in May. The organizers from the United Arab Emirates are expecting around 40,000 visitors to the Berlin exhibition grounds. Messe Berlin is a partner of Gitex and is promoting the event through a joint venture with an investment in the millions.

"We are not a trade fair, we do not sell new security solutions," said Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of organizer Kaoun International, at an event to launch Gitex Europe in Berlin on Wednesday. "Gitex is an ecosystem." The trade fair sees itself as a platform for new technologies, bringing together large and small companies, start-ups and investors.

AI, quantum and digital health

With various exhibition areas, Gitex Europe aims to provide a platform for different industries and technologies from May 21 to 23. As in Dubai, "North Star Europe" is the meeting place for start-ups and investors. However, the trade fair boss emphasizes that Gitex is not intended to be a pure start-up event. Big tech and other industry giants have also announced their attendance.

Artificial intelligence also plays a central role at Gitex Europe, with other areas focusing on quantum computing, cyber security, digital healthcare, environmental technologies and small and medium-sized enterprises. Heise Meiden is cooperating with Gitex Europe and presenting the "Talent Hub" for job seekers and companies at the trade fair.

As one of the major European startup centers, the capital is a natural candidate for such a tech trade fair, according to the organizers: Berlin is one of the most important locations for the German startup scene. According to an analysis by the Startup Association, 498 new companies were founded here last year. "Berlin is a European hub with a lot of research and development," said LohMirmand. "We believe in Berlin."

The contracts have already been signed for 2023. The state-owned Messe Berlin and Kaoun International, a subsidiary of the Dubai World Trade Center, have founded a joint venture for Gitex Europe, in which both partners are investing a low single-digit million amount, according to media reports. The responsible Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey (SPD), expressed her delight on Wednesday that the trade fair is coming to the capital: "Berlin is the most innovative place in Europe."

Roots in Dubai

Gitex has its roots in a classic IT trade fair for the Middle East and Asia, which has been held annually in Dubai since 1981. Since then, Gitex Global has grown significantly and aims to provide a platform for new technologies, start-ups and investors. In October 2024, the five-day event attracted over 200,000 visitors.

In recent years, Gitex has been expanding and forming offshoots in other countries. Gitex Africa has been taking place in Morocco since 2023; last year, the organizers counted around 30,000 visitors in Marrakech. Gitex Nigeria will take place for the first time in September. There are other events under the Gitex banner in Singapore and Thailand.

"Companies there often don't have the means to come to us. So we bring the world to them," says LohMirmand, explaining the strategy. "They lack access to markets, access to capital." This also applies to European companies: "Gitex Europe gives you access to markets." This access is affordable for start-ups: a standardized trade fair stand costs them 2500 euros.

The organizers are expecting around 40,000 trade visitors and over 2,000 exhibitors at the first Gitex Europe in Berlin – AWS, Ionos and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), among others, have confirmed their participation. These are ambitious goals for a debut at a new location. But even if it doesn't work right away, the goal is clear for trade fair boss LohMirmand: "In perhaps two or three years, we want to be the biggest tech trade fair in Europe."

Gitex Europe: May 21 to 23, 2025, Messe Berlin.

(vbr)