His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, visited the Expand North Star 2024 exhibition, the world’s largest super connector event for startups and investors. Organized by the Dubai World Trade Center and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the exhibition runs from October 13 to 16 at Dubai Harbour.
Sheikh Hamdan toured the exhibition, which brought together 70,000 specialists, 1,800 startups from over 100 countries, and 1,200 investors managing over a trillion dollars in assets.
He also reviewed the offerings of 400 AI companies participating in Expand North Star 2024 and explored innovative solutions that support digital ecosystems and technology infrastructure. In addition, he highlighted the unique platform for startups, investors, and tech leaders to explore growth opportunities in Dubai and contribute to shaping the future of the digital economy.
Raising UAE’s status as an innovation hub
He noted that hosting Expand North Star 2024 alongside Gitex Global 2024 reinforces Dubai’s prominence in the global tech entrepreneurship and investment landscape. This, he added, also raises the UAE’s status as a hub for innovation and future industries, and a magnet for leading companies, talent, and investors in the technology sector.
Sheikh Hamdan stated that the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has positioned Dubai as a key player in advancing sustainable development and promoting future industries and innovation across sectors. This vision fosters new partnerships that drive growth and create an environment that fosters innovation and creativity.
During his tour of Expand North Star 2024, Sheikh Hamdan also highlighted Dubai’s commitment to rank among the leaders in global competitiveness indices, become an early adopter of smart technologies, and establish itself as a model for a future-ready city, in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
Read: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives sends aid to 250,000 people in Lebanon
Expand North Star 2024
The four-day event features a wealth of content, ample networking, investment, and funding opportunities. In addition, attendees can explore groundbreaking experiences across various technology sectors including blockchain, fintech, marketing, deep tech, climate tech, artificial intelligence, and Web 3 technologies.
Expand North Star 2024 participants include new investors from the biggest funds globally, as well as investors from several new countries including Azerbaijan, Mauritius, Denmark, Peru, Malta, and Cyprus.
The international diversity of investors also matches the expanding range of startups from countries participating in the event for the first time, including Austria, Australia, Canada, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Malaysia, Singapore, and more.
Expand North Star 2024 has introduced six exciting new features in this year’s edition. This includes Corporate Arena, Tech Transfer 3.0, the Future of Media and Creativity, NS Scaleups: 2024 Cohort, Sónar+D, and the Startup Genome Ecosystem Leadership Forum. These new event streams seek to enhance the Expand North Star 2024 experience and accelerate the growth of innovative startups.
For more miscellaneous news, click here.
