Berlin, Germany – The inaugural edition of GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything was officially opened on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at Messe Berlin. The event, which is the largest tech, startup and digital investment event in the region, was attended by ministers and senior tech stakeholders from the European Union, Germany, and the UAE.
The show arrives at a crucial point in Europe’s digital future, as the continent-wide ‘Choose Europe’ movement gains momentum. This movement aims to anchor the next wave of innovation, research, investment, talent, and deep-tech breakthroughs on home ground. It is also accompanied by a renewed impetus in Germany, with the formation of a new government and the country’s first digital ministry taking stewardship on digital transformation, AI excellence, and data policy.
Born in the UAE, GITEX is the world’s largest and best-rated tech and startup event. Its expansion into Europe echoes the UAE’s commitment to global digital collaboration. This commitment was recently strengthened with Abu Dhabi’s MGX investment and Nvidia partnering to develop Europe’s largest AI data center campus. The UAE is also developing a new 5GW AI campus, the largest of its kind outside the US, in Abu Dhabi.
The inauguration ceremony was led by European and global leaders, including Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin; H.E. Alia Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of State for Entrepreneurship; Clara Chappaz, the Minister of AI and Digital of France; Thomas Jarzombek, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Minister for Digital and State Modernization, Germany; Jan Kavalírek, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Czech Republic; Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin & Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises; and Trixie LohMirmand, EVP of Dubai World Trade Centre, the global organizer of GITEX.
The event brings together over 1,400 tech companies, startups, and SMEs from over 100 countries, as well as more than 600 influential investors and 500 industry leaders on-stage. It sparks strategic dialogues on innovation, investment, policy shifts, and business transformations, while also catalyzing collaborations at scale across sectors and geographies. GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything 2025 is organized in partnership with the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, and the European Innovation Council (EIC).
Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin, expressed his excitement for the event, saying, “As Germany’s startup capital, Berlin is the perfect place for GITEX. We want to create the best environment for founders in our city. Networking events and industry fairs like GITEX are part of that effort.”
H.E. Alia Al Mazrouei, the UAE Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, also highlighted the UAE’s commitment to fostering global partnerships to empower entrepreneurs in the country. She stated, “GITEX EUROPE’s vision of bringing together SMEs, investors, accelerators, incubators, and industry leaders to ignite innovation, foster collaboration, and drive growth aligns with the UAE’s aspirations to strengthen partnerships with Europe in entrepreneurship and the digital economy.”
Clara Chappaz, the Minister of AI and Digital of France, commented on the development of AI, saying, “When you hear about Europe being a continent of regulation, this is the past. Today, Europe is all about innovation. More than ever, we have all the ingredients to succeed as Europeans building these amazing technologies when it comes to AI. The partnership between France and Germany is extremely determined to accelerate Europe when it comes to innovation, and in particular, when it comes to everything we can do on digital innovation.”
Thomas Jarzombek, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Minister for Digital and State Modernization, reiterated the importance of the event, stating, “It’s a great opportunity here to connect startups and also for investment opportunities right now here in Berlin. We have to move forward faster than we did in the past. It should be easy for you to do business in Germany, and easy for every citizen to do everything with an app and to digitalize things you have in your pocket right now.”
Jan Kavalírek, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Czech Republic, emphasized the country’s priorities and investments in AI. He stated, “One of our top priorities right now is to create the best possible environment for AI researchers and to deploy artificial intelligence across all industrial sectors. This is why we invest heavily in AI, both in software and hardware infrastructure, and why we are glad to be part of GITEX EUROPE.”
Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises, expressed her ambition for Berlin to become the number one innovation place in Europe. She said, “We have more than
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.