GITEX Global: dates, who attends, and how founders get in
“GITEX GLOBAL stands as the world's most established and iconic large-scale tech exhibition. For over four decades, it has been the premiere gateway for tech creators, investors and enthusiasts to collaborate.”
- Next edition
- Dec 7–11, 2026 · GITEX GLOBAL 2026 source
- Where
- 2025: Dubai World Trade Centre; Expand North Star, the startup and investor show, at Dubai Harbour. Announced 2026: Dubai World Trade Centre for the 7 December GITEX Scale Summit and Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai, for the 8–11 December expo., Dubai, United Arab Emirates source
- Format
- in-person · Five days (2025 and announced 2026 editions)
- Tickets
- Free–AED 630 (2026). Official pages show a free Expand North Star registration option, an Expo City Visitor Pass at AED 465 early-bird/AED 520 standard, and a separate GITEX GLOBAL registration option at AED 630. The offers are on different official pages and their inclusions differ or are not fully itemised. source
- Startup pass
- For a full startup stand, submit the Expand North Star 2026 exhibitor enquiry and discuss requirements with the sales team. The Founder’s Pass is an enquiry for a limited-edition, one-day startup pod rather than a full stand. source
- Supernova 0X (Expand North Star 2026); Supernova Challenge 2.0 was the 2025 edition.
- 2026: “Cash Prize Pool of $200,000 Equity-Free!”; the organiser lists additional stage-specific growth, mentorship, business set-up, cloud-credit, market-access, buyer-introduction, and exposure packages, without publishing a cash allocation by stage. 2025 Supernova Challenge 2.0: US$300,000 total prize pool; US$100,000 first prize, US$50,000 second prize, and US$25,000 third prize. source
- Cadence
- Annual; the 2025 edition ran 13–17 October. The announced 2026 edition shifts to 7–11 December, with a new Expo City Dubai home.
GeneralistAIHealth & biotechFintechClimateDeeptechHardwareRoboticsPre-seedSeedSeries AGrowthPublicFoundersInvestorsCorporatesPolicy & government
Next edition
| Dates | Dec 7–11, 2026 source |
|---|---|
| Edition | GITEX GLOBAL 2026 |
| Venue | Dubai World Trade Centre (GITEX Scale Summit); Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai (GITEX GLOBAL Expo), Dubai, United Arab Emirates source |
| Timezone | Asia/Dubai |
| Tickets | mktg.gitex.com source |
Deadlines that matter to founders
- Oct 14, 2026 — Early bird: Visitor Pass — Expo City bundle · apply
- Nov 2, 2026 — Supernova 0X (Expand North Star 2026); Supernova Challenge 2.0 was the 2025 edition. application · apply
Ticket tiers as published
| Tier | Price | Includes | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor Pass — Expo City bundle source | AED 465 early-bird; AED 520 standard (2026; includes 5% VAT) | Exhibition access to GITEX GLOBAL, Expand North Star, and LivX at Expo City from 2026-12-08 to 2026-12-11; free-to-attend conferences at the Dubai Exhibition Centre; official mobile-app networking and matchmaking. Excludes certified trainings, workshops, and the 2026-12-07 Summit at DWTC. | 2026 |
| GITEX GLOBAL pass — separate visitor-registration form source | AED 630 (2026) | The separate official visitor-registration form lists a GITEX GLOBAL pass at this price but does not itemise its inclusions. | 2026 |
| Expand North Star visitor registration source | Free (2026) | The separate official visitor-registration form lists an Expand North Star option as free; its access inclusions are not itemised there. | 2026 |
How founders get in
The organiser describes GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star as a “one mega event” where founders, investors, and tech leaders connect. For 2026, the Scale Summit is scheduled at DWTC on 2026-12-07; the Expo is at Expo City from 2026-12-08 to 2026-12-11, while Expand North Star runs there from 2026-12-08 to 2026-12-10. This is a Dubai venue move from the 2025 DWTC/Dubai Harbour arrangement; no cancellation or postponement is announced in the cited organiser information.
- Attend as a visitor: use the official ticket checkout or visitor-registration form. For 2026, the checkout lists an Expo City Visitor Pass at AED 465 early-bird or AED 520 standard; a separate registration form lists GITEX GLOBAL at AED 630 and Expand North Star as free. Check the different pass inclusions before selecting.
- Exhibit as a startup: submit the Expand North Star 2026 exhibitor enquiry to discuss a stand. For a smaller presence, enquire about the Founder’s Pass, a one-day pod; its form offers 2026-12-08, 2026-12-09, or 2026-12-10.
- Enter Supernova 0X: meet the published stage criteria, book an Expand North Star pod, then apply through the Expand North Star E-Zone with funding-stage proof, a pitch deck, and an English pitch video of no more than 60 seconds. The 2026 application deadline is 2026-11-02.
- Connect with investors using the official mobile app’s networking and matchmaking. Exhibiting founders can also pursue Expand North Star’s human-powered concierge meetings and the curated investor-meeting formats.
| Startup programme | For a full startup stand, submit the Expand North Star 2026 exhibitor enquiry and discuss requirements with the sales team. The Founder’s Pass is an enquiry for a limited-edition, one-day startup pod rather than a full stand. source |
|---|---|
| Includes | A dedicated startup pod for one day on the show floor, intended to let founders showcase their startup, meet investors, pitch, and generate leads. |
| Eligibility | The Founder’s Pass is described for founders. Its enquiry form asks for funding stage, with options from idea stage and bootstrapping through Series C and beyond; no minimum funding stage or founding-date rule is stated. |
| Founder discounts | The published early-bird Visitor Pass is AED 465 rather than the listed AED 520 standard rate (2026); it is not described as founder-specific. |
| Scholarships / free passes | For 2025, Expand North Star advertised grants for 10 approved startups with event-sector solutions; the package included a complimentary all-access pass valued at AED 4,000, a booth or demo pod, mentorship, and investor/corporate/media opportunities. The terms required attendance at the October 2025 event, so this is not a 2026 offer. For 2026, a separate official visitor form lists Expand North Star registration as free; it is not described as a scholarship or founder-specific grant. |
| Sponsoring | The organiser’s 2025 GITEX page displays categories including Digital Enabler, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Strategic, Knowledge, Global, Country, and Future Digital Economy partners, plus lounge and other sponsorship categories. No prices are published there, and no 2026 sponsorship price list is published in the cited pages. |
| Investor pass | Submit the official Investor Programme interest form; Investor Relations follows up about next steps. The form also asks whether the applicant is interested in a Premium Investor Pass. source |
| Investor eligibility | The 2026 investor-interest form asks for investor role/institution, investment stages and sectors, average ticket size, prior startup-investment experience, and fund or angel profile information. The programme is subject to vetting; no minimum fund size or prior-investment threshold is published. |
| Press | For 2026, press and media representatives apply through the official media-registration form. The form asks for professional and outlet information and a link to a profile, website, or portfolio; no deadline is printed. |
| Application required | No, tickets are purchased |
Supernova 0X (Expand North Star 2026); Supernova Challenge 2.0 was the 2025 edition.
| Prize | 2026: “Cash Prize Pool of $200,000 Equity-Free!”; the organiser lists additional stage-specific growth, mentorship, business set-up, cloud-credit, market-access, buyer-introduction, and exposure packages, without publishing a cash allocation by stage. 2025 Supernova Challenge 2.0: US$300,000 total prize pool; US$100,000 first prize, US$50,000 second prize, and US$25,000 third prize. source |
|---|---|
| Format | In 2026, Supernova 0X is stage-based: Pre-Seed and Seed semi-finalists pitch for 3 minutes followed by 2 minutes of judge Q&A; Series A pitches for 2 minutes followed by 4 minutes of Q&A. The organiser says there is no separate final round: winners are selected from the semi-finals, with an award ceremony on 2026-12-10. Each stage lists 20 semi-finalists. Applications are reviewed for market opportunity, differentiation, traction, team, and business model. |
| Eligibility | For 2026: Pre-Seed is an MVP or prototype with under $250,000 raised; Seed is a product in market with $250,000–$3 million raised; Series A is $3–$15 million raised with proven traction. Applicants must provide verifiable funding-stage proof. The organiser says startups that book an Expand North Star pod are automatically eligible to enter, but they must apply through the E-Zone. The page calls for a pitch deck and an English pitch video no longer than 60 seconds. |
| Application deadline | Nov 2, 2026 source |
Winners
- AIM Intelligence (2025) — US$100,000 (1st place), Haon Park source
- Chucao Technology Consultants (2025) — US$50,000 (2nd place) source
- Aerialoop (2025) — US$25,000 (3rd place) source
Meeting investors there
Founders can exhibit at Expand North Star and use the organiser’s concierge team, which matches startups to investors based on investment thesis. The event also promotes app-based matchmaking. The Backers Pitch provides a route from investor interest to curated follow-up meetings with founders. source
| Investors attending | 1,200 investors across GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star, with US$1.1 trillion in combined assets under management (2025) source |
|---|---|
| Matchmaking | The official mobile app provides networking and matchmaking; the organiser does not give it a separate product name. source |
| Formats | Human-powered, thesis-based concierge meetings between investors and startups. · Investor Lounge access is identified among the investor-programme benefits. · Networking and matchmaking through the official event mobile app. · Supernova 0X stage pitches grouped by startup funding stage. · The Backers Pitch: investors present portfolio startups, followed by curated Dealroom meetings with founders when other investors signal interest. |
| Meetings arranged | 13,000 pre-scheduled meetings (Expand North Star 2025) source |
Investor firms the organiser lists (Most recently completed: GITEX GLOBAL 2025 (45th edition), 2025-10-13–2025-10-17 at Dubai World Trade Centre; Expand North Star 2025, 2025-10-12–2025-10-15 at Dubai Harbour. Next announced: GITEX Scale Summit on 2026-12-07 at Dubai World Trade Centre, followed by the GITEX GLOBAL Expo from 2026-12-08–2026-12-11 at Expo City Dubai; Expand North Star runs 2026-12-08–2026-12-10 at Expo City Dubai. The 2026 editions reunite at the new Expo City venue, moving from the 2025 venues; GITEX describes TechCation as the new 2026 format. Expand North Star’s 2026 pitch competition is announced as Supernova 0X; no 2026 winners are published in the sources cited here.)
GNE VENTURESBidraDesert VenturesFuture Eenergy VenturesFinance in motionNatural Venturesoctopus energyOW VenturesUnicef ClimateSC VenturesAbVenturesJ.P.MorganMOURO CapitalMorgan StanleyQNBs60Scalar North CapitalTibaSven TuresHala VenturesInvest in TurkeyPioneerTargetBurdaGalileiiOld Mutual AlternativeTruffleEndeavorEarlyBirdUCBWhitestarSigulerAIIMApisBorsaGobiLake StarMbalPicusPlugandPlaySpeedInvestAntler
Before you go: the hub's cold email to VCs playbook covers the pre-event outreach that fills a meeting calendar, and Causo matches your stage and thesis to the funds in its database so you know who to ask for a meeting.
Who speaks (Most recently completed: GITEX GLOBAL 2025 (45th edition), 2025-10-13–2025-10-17 at Dubai World Trade Centre; Expand North Star 2025, 2025-10-12–2025-10-15 at Dubai Harbour. Next announced: GITEX Scale Summit on 2026-12-07 at Dubai World Trade Centre, followed by the GITEX GLOBAL Expo from 2026-12-08–2026-12-11 at Expo City Dubai; Expand North Star runs 2026-12-08–2026-12-10 at Expo City Dubai. The 2026 editions reunite at the new Expo City venue, moving from the 2025 venues; GITEX describes TechCation as the new 2026 format. Expand North Star’s 2026 pitch competition is announced as Supernova 0X; no 2026 winners are published in the sources cited here.)
- H.E. Omar Sultan AlOlama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications · UAE Government
- Dr. Yannis Ioannidis, President · Association of Computing Machinery
- Jason Derulo, Award Winning Singer & Song Writer · Investor
- Shivam Kishore, Sr. Advisor, Digital Transformation Programme · United Nations Environment Programme
- Priscilla Chomba Kinywa, Chief Technology Officer · Greenpeace
- Steve Nouri, Chief Data Scientist · In2iTy Lab
- Dr. Luc Julia, Chief Scientific Officer · Renault Group
- Ines Montani, Founder & CEO · Explosion AI
- Tan Hoe Soon, Assistant Chief Executive, Strategy · Maritime and Port Authority
- Lord McNicol of West Kilbride, Deputy Speaker and Member of the House of Lords · UK Parliament
Full lineup: official speakers page.
Notable past speakers
- H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications · UAE (2025)
- Peng Xiao, Group CEO · G42 (2025)
- Sam Altman, Co-Founder & CEO · OpenAI (2025)
- Andrew Feldman, CEO · Cerebras Systems (2025)
- Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research & Innovation · European Commission (2025)
- THE HON. EVAN SOLOMON, Minister of Artificial Intelligence & Digital Innovation · Canada (2025)
- Sanjay Poonen, CEO & President · Cohesity (2025)
- H.E. Liisa-Ly Pakosta, Minister of Justice & Digital Affairs · Estonia (2025)
Sponsors and partners
Country Partner 1
Brazil
Official Telecom Partner 1
Official Innovation Partner 1
Investor Lounge Partner 1
10X Stage Main Partner 1
Club House Partner 1
Official AI Accelerator Partner 1
Presight
Impact Partner 1
Social Impact Partner 1
Media partners: a&s Middle East, Ad Tech Edge, aDubai eye, AGBI, AI Bussiness, AI Magazine, AI News Hub, AI Press Room
Government partners: Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (host of Expand North Star 2025), Brazil (Expand North Star 2025 Country Partner)
Startups there
2,000 startups (GITEX GLOBAL 2025 closing report); 2,050 exhibiting startups (Expand North Star 2025 official show numbers). · official startup directory
Alumni the organiser highlights
- Desolenator (2022) — Supernova Challenge 2.0 top-prize winner; the organiser says its win accelerated trust and helped it secure regional clients. source
- Accredify (2023) — Supernova Challenge 2.0 champion; the organiser says winning helped accelerate its brand recognition. source
Programme
| Tracks | 2026 GITEX programme structure: the GITEX Scale Summit at DWTC on 2026-12-07, followed by the GITEX GLOBAL Expo at Expo City from 2026-12-08 to 2026-12-11. · 2026 GITEX Expo focus includes AI and quantum technologies, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing. · Expand North Star’s 2026 core themes: Founder Restructure; The New Capital Stack; Commercial Deeptech; Scaleup Advantage & Emerging Markets. · Expand North Star Founders Academy: a three-day 2026 programme connecting founders with investors, operators, and unicorn builders through five specialised labs. · Supernova 0X: 2026 pitch competition organised by Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A stage. · The Backers Pitch: 2026 investor-led startup pitches and curated follow-up Dealroom meetings. · The 2025 Expand North Star showcase featured AI, climate tech, deep tech, digital health, and fintech. |
|---|---|
| Hackathon | No separately named 2026 hackathon is described in the organiser’s published programme information; it identifies Supernova 0X and The Backers Pitch as startup/investor formats. The 2025 agenda excerpt mentions a cybersecurity competition, but does not label it a hackathon. |
| Call for speakers | The organiser provides a 2026 speaker-application form. It requests information about the proposed speaker and links to online audio/video and articles; no application deadline is printed. source |
| Official app | GITEX GLOBAL Mobile App |
| Hashtag | #GITEXGLOBAL |
Past editions, as published
| Edition | Dates | Attendees | Investors | Startups | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 source | Oct 13–17, 2025 | — | 1,200 investors (2025; GITEX GLOBAL release); 1,300+ investors from 65 countries and US$1 trillion combined AUM (2025; Expand North Star Investor Programme) | 2,000 startups (2025; GITEX GLOBAL release); over 2,000 startups (2025; Expand North Star) | recap · video · photos |
| 2024 source | Oct 14–18, 2024 | 200,000 visitors (2024) | 1,200 investors (2024) | 1,800 startups (2024) | recap |
| 2023 source | Oct 16–20, 2023 | 187,000+ visitors (2023) | — | 1,800+ startups across GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star (2023) | report |
| 2022 source | Oct 10–14, 2022 | More than 170,000 attendees (2022) | — | — | recap |
| 2021 source | — | — | — | — |
Cities: Dubai, UAE — inaugural GITEX at DWTC (1981); Dubai, UAE — GITEX GLOBAL at DWTC; Expand North Star at Dubai Harbour (2025); Dubai, UAE — GITEX Scale Summit at DWTC and expo at Expo City Dubai (2026)
Formerly: GITEX Technology Week
Who attends
| Geography | Tech representatives from 180 nations (2025); Expand North Star reported founders from over 100 nations (2025). source |
|---|---|
| Roles | Founders, Investors, Corporates, Policy & government |
| Stages | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Growth, Public |
Official links and socials
In the press
- GITEX GLOBAL 2025 closes a landmark 45th edition with record international participation and outcome-driven dialogues — GITEX GLOBAL (official press release) (2025)
- GITEX GLOBAL 2025 Opens Landmark 45th Edition: Uniting Policy, AI and Enterprise Leaders to Shape the Intelligence Economy — GITEX GLOBAL (official press release) (2025)
- World’s Largest Tech and Food Events Set for Landmark Move to Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai in 2026 — GITEX GLOBAL (official press release) (2025)
Prepare for it
- How to cold email VCs — book the meetings before you land.
- The 12-slide seed deck — what to have ready when a partner says "send me the deck".
- Pitch Deck Roaster — a slide-by-slide pass before you submit to Supernova 0X (Expand North Star 2026); Supernova Challenge 2.0 was the 2025 edition..
- Accelerator deadlines — the application windows that open around the event.
Sources
Every fact above was read from one of these official pages on Oct 7, 2026:
- event.expandnorthstar.com/founders-pass-enquiry
- expandnorthstar.com
- expandnorthstar.com/investor-programme
- expandnorthstar.com/news-flash-augusts-biggest-updates-from-expand-north-star
- mktg.gitex.com/2026-press-enquiry
- mktg.gitex.com/2026-visitor-reg
- visit.gitex.com
- dwtc.com/en/press/gitex-global-ai-everything-worlds-biggest-and-most-collaborative-tech-event-of-2021-2021
- expandnorthstar.com
- expandnorthstar.com/investor-programme
- expandnorthstar.com/supernova-0X
- gitex.com/News/gitex-2022-generates-record-698m-in-economic-output
- gitex.com/News/gitex-global-2024-historic-opening-day-marked-by-record-international-participation-and-capacity-crowds-at-key-events-
- gitex.com/News/gitex-global-2025-closes-a-landmark-45th-edition-with-record-international-participation-and-outcomedriven-dialogues
- gitex.com/News/hh-sheikh-mohammed-bin-rashid-al-maktoum-opens-gitex-global
- gitex.com/Uploads/Documents/sales_deck_2024.pdf
- gitex.com/gitex-global-2026
- gitex.com/hotels
- gitex.com/media/aim-intelligence-crowned-winners-of-supernova-challenge-20-on-final-day-of-expand-north-star
- gitex.com/media/expand-north-star-by-gitex-global-helps-to-scale-startups-from-180-countries
- gitex.com/media/gitex-global-2025-closes-a-landmark-45th-edition-with-record-international-participation-and-outcomedriven-dialogues
- gitex.com/media/gitex-global-2025-closes-a-landmark-45th-edition-with-record-international-participation-and-outcomedriven-dialogues ; https://www.expandnorthstar.com/expand-north-star-2025-draws-2000-startups-1200-investors-and-40-global-unicorns-to-dubai
- gitex.com/media/gitex-global-media
- gitex.com/plan-your-visit
- gitex.com/speakers
- gitex.com/speakers-2025
- prnewswire.com/news-releases/gitex-global-concludes-reinforcing-its-status-as-the-worlds-largest-and-most-dominant-technology-event-302281001.html
- tiktok.com/@gitex_global
GITEX Global: frequently asked
When is GITEX Global 2026?
GITEX Global 2026 runs Dec 7–11, 2026 at 2025: Dubai World Trade Centre; Expand North Star, the startup and investor show, at Dubai Harbour. Announced 2026: Dubai World Trade Centre for the 7 December GITEX Scale Summit and Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai, for the 8–11 December expo., Dubai, according to the organiser's published dates.
How much does GITEX Global cost?
Published ticket prices run Free–AED 630 (2026). Official pages show a free Expand North Star registration option, an Expo City Visitor Pass at AED 465 early-bird/AED 520 standard, and a separate GITEX GLOBAL registration option at AED 630. The offers are on different official pages and their inclusions differ or are not fully itemised.. Startups: For a full startup stand, submit the Expand North Star 2026 exhibitor enquiry and discuss requirements with the sales team. The Founder’s Pass is an enquiry for a limited-edition, one-day startup pod rather than a full stand..
How do startups get into GITEX Global?
For a full startup stand, submit the Expand North Star 2026 exhibitor enquiry and discuss requirements with the sales team. The Founder’s Pass is an enquiry for a limited-edition, one-day startup pod rather than a full stand. Eligibility as published: The Founder’s Pass is described for founders. Its enquiry form asks for funding stage, with options from idea stage and bootstrapping through Series C and beyond; no minimum funding stage or founding-date rule is stated.
How many investors attend GITEX Global?
The organiser reports 1,200 investors across GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star, with US$1.1 trillion in combined assets under management investors for the 2025 edition. Founders can exhibit at Expand North Star and use the organiser’s concierge team, which matches startups to investors based on investment thesis. The event also promotes app-based matchmaking. The Backers Pitch provides a route from investor interest to curated follow-up meetings with founders.
What is Supernova 0X (Expand North Star 2026); Supernova Challenge 2.0 was the 2025 edition.?
GITEX Global's pitch competition. Prize as published: 2026: “Cash Prize Pool of $200,000 Equity-Free!”; the organiser lists additional stage-specific growth, mentorship, business set-up, cloud-credit, market-access, buyer-introduction, and exposure packages, without publishing a cash allocation by stage. 2025 Supernova Challenge 2.0: US$300,000 total prize pool; US$100,000 first prize, US$50,000 second prize, and US$25,000 third prize.. Eligibility: For 2026: Pre-Seed is an MVP or prototype with under $250,000 raised; Seed is a product in market with $250,000–$3 million raised; Series A is $3–$15 million raised with proven traction. Applicants must provide verifiable funding-stage proof. The organiser says startups that book an Expand North Star pod are automatically eligible to enter, but they must apply through the E-Zone. The page calls for a pitch deck and an English pitch video no longer than 60 seconds.