Following two action-packed days, GITEX Global 2024 has showcased thrilling events and exhibitions across emerging technology frontiers, with participants delving into the current and future cybersecurity landscapes alongside some of the world’s leading experts.
Running from October 14 to 18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), GITEX Global is the largest and highest-rated tech event globally. The 44th edition in 2024 welcomed over 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, and 1,200 investors, as well as government representatives from more than 180 countries.
As this year’s event reached its halfway point, “Cybersecurity Day” highlighted the Wednesday schedule. A series of insightful keynote speeches, fireside chats, and specialized panels addressed the urgent challenges, emerging threats, and innovative opportunities that individuals, enterprises, industries, and nations face in the cybersecurity realm.
With projections indicating that global cybercrime damage will reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, the international tech community is committed to igniting a paradigm shift through renewed determination. This shared mindset was evident at GITEX Global, where top CISOs, CIOs, and GRC leaders gathered with a unified mission to establish the foremost line of defense worldwide.
In 2024, AI-driven fraud in the finance industry surged by 40%, presenting unprecedented challenges for existing players. One of the key conference sessions, “AI-Driven Digital Fraud: Safeguarding the Finance Industry’s Future,” explored how emerging technologies can be harnessed to combat evolving threats.
Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Cybersecurity Council, shared that the country has neutralized millions of threats this year, highlighting AI as a “game-changer” in the cybersecurity resurgence. On the GITEX Tech Waves Podcast, he stated, “Cyber awareness is crucial, and AI is changing the game. The UAE, as a financial hub, faced 71 million attacks in Q1 2024. We are resilient and thwarted these with early threat detection through AI. It’s a hugely beneficial technology supported by our great partnerships globally.”
Todd Conklin, Chief AI Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection at the US Department of the Treasury, also discussed AI’s positive impact. While acknowledging the potential misuse of AI by malicious actors, he remarked, “The US Treasury operates the largest payments ecosystem in the world. We’ve leveraged AI models to reduce fraud by almost $600 million in the last six months. It’s becoming increasingly critical in the counter-fraud space.”
With 88 percent of exhibiting startups making their GITEX Global debut and over 230 new partnerships formed among local, regional, and international entities, the event continues to fulfill its promise as a catalyst for global cooperation and collaboration. By the end of Wednesday, over 13,000 pre-arranged concierge meetings had taken place across GITEX Global and Expand North Star, the world’s largest startup and investment event.
