Dubai: HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has visited the Expand North Star 2024 exhibition, the world’s largest startup and investor super-connector event.
The exhibition, organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, runs from until 16 October at Dubai Harbor.
During his visit, Sheikh Hamdan toured the exhibition, which has drawn 70,000 specialists, 1,800 startups from over 100 countries, and 1,200 investors collectively managing over a trillion dollars in assets. The Crown Prince reviewed cutting-edge offerings from 400 AI companies, highlighting innovations that enhance digital ecosystems and tech infrastructure.
Sheikh Hamdan emphasized the importance of the event in creating a platform for startups, investors, and technology leaders to discover new growth avenues in Dubai. Hosting this event alongside GITEX reinforces Dubai’s stature as a global hub for tech entrepreneurship and investment. It also strengthens the UAE’s reputation as a destination for leading companies, talent, and investors in future-focused industries.
The Crown Prince attributed Dubai’s success in fostering innovation to the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. Under his leadership, Dubai continues to drive sustainable development, cultivate future industries, and promote partnerships that stimulate growth and creativity.
Sheikh Hamdan reiterated Dubai’s commitment to ranking among the top global competitiveness indices, becoming a pioneer in smart technology adoption, and evolving into a future-ready city. These ambitions align with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which outlines the city’s roadmap toward sustained growth.
Expand North Star 2024 offers a wealth of networking and funding opportunities, along with interactive experiences across industries such as blockchain, fintech, deep tech, climate tech, AI, and Web3 technologies.
The event also features new investors from key global markets, including Azerbaijan, Mauritius, Denmark, Peru, Malta, and Cyprus. New startup participants hail from countries like Austria, Australia, Canada, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Singapore, reflecting the expanding international reach of the event.
This year’s edition introduces six new event streams to accelerate the growth of startups:
- Corporate Arena
- Tech Transfer 3.0
- Future of Media and Creativity
- NS Scaleups: 2024 Cohort
- Sónar+D
- Startup Genome Ecosystem Leadership Forum
The new additions are designed to enrich the Expand North Star experience, further cementing Dubai’s role as a leader in the global tech ecosystem.