GITEX Dubai visitor guide: registration, days, data and calls

What GITEX is and who goes

GITEX is a well-known technology and digital exhibition held in Dubai, usually in the autumn. It brings together software and cloud companies, cybersecurity vendors, AI and data teams, start-ups, investors and government delegations. Visitors range from procurement managers shopping for suppliers to founders looking for partners, developers who want to see demos, and students who come for the conference talks.

The exact dates, halls, programme tracks and visitor categories change from one edition to the next. Treat this page as a planning frame and take the facts about your edition from the organiser's official website and your registration email.

Register and decide what you are going for

Visitor access usually works through registration with the organiser, and some categories or conference passes may be separate from the basic exhibition entry. Registration terms, eligibility and any fees are set by the organiser and can change, so confirm them on the official site rather than relying on an old blog post, including this one.

Before you register, write one sentence about why you are going. A buyer's list of five product categories, an investor's list of sectors, and a student's list of three talks lead to very different schedules. A show of this size cannot be walked end to end in a day, and the people who leave satisfied are the ones who arrived with a short target list.

Flights, hotels and getting to the venue

Hotel demand in a large city rises sharply when a major show is on, and rooms close to the venue are often the first to be taken or to be priced much higher. Decide early whether you value a short walk or a cheaper room with a longer transfer, and check how the transfer would actually work at the hours you will travel, including the morning rush and the trip back after the evening sessions.

• Book flights that land the day before the show, not the morning of it.
• Save the hotel address in the form a driver can read, plus the venue entrance name for your day.
• Ask your hotel or the organiser which official transport options exist, and check the operating hours yourself.
• Leave buffer time on the last day for check-out, luggage and the airport.

Plan meetings before you land

The strongest use of a trade show is the conversations you set up in advance. Exhibitors' stands are busy, and a walk-up chat with someone senior is rare. Many shows provide an official app or matchmaking tool, and your registration may unlock it. Send short, specific messages in the weeks before: who you are, what you want to discuss, two or three possible time windows, and where you will meet.

1. Write your target list: companies, people, and the question you want answered.
2. Message them with two or three time windows and a named meeting point.
3. Leave gaps between meetings, because halls are large and walking takes longer than expected.
4. Keep a fallback: a phone number or messaging contact for each person, saved offline.

Show-floor days: pace, badge and cards

Wear comfortable shoes, carry a small bag and keep a power bank. Scan or photograph business cards at the end of each meeting and write one line on what was agreed, because by the third day the faces blur together. If the organiser uses QR codes on badges for lead capture, ask what data the exhibitor receives, and be selective about whose scanner you allow.

Money, dress and local etiquette

Check with your bank how your card handles foreign spending and whether it needs to be notified before travel. Keep a small amount of local currency for transport and tips, and compare how your card, a cash exchange and an ATM would treat the same amount, since fees and rates differ by provider. Our currency tool helps you estimate the baht cost of daily spending.

Dress codes and etiquette in business settings vary by company and by the person you meet. Business attire is a safe starting point, and behaviour in public places should respect local customs and the laws of the country you are in. If you are unsure about something, such as photography near a stand or in public areas, ask first.

Staying connected at GITEX

Large exhibitions put thousands of phones in one place, and mobile networks and venue Wi-Fi can slow down at peak hours. Venue Wi-Fi may need sign-in and may have limits, and a shared network is not the place for sensitive business logins. The practical answer is redundancy: more than one way to get online, and the important things stored offline.

• Keep your home SIM active for SMS verification codes from banks and work accounts, and check roaming rules with your carrier before you leave.
• A travel eSIM data plan can handle maps, email and messaging on a second line, so you are not tied to venue Wi-Fi. Check that your phone supports eSIM, and install the profile before you fly so it is ready on arrival.
• Download offline maps, save your e-ticket and badge as screenshots or PDFs, and note meeting details in a notes app.

Calls, messaging and VoIP rules in the UAE

The UAE restricts some internet calling features, so a voice or video call over certain apps may not connect, depending on the app and the network. This is a point where plans and rules change, so check the current situation with official sources and your app's own help pages rather than assuming that your usual call app works.

• Use ordinary phone numbers for calls that must connect, and email or text messages for details.
• Test your messaging apps on arrival, not at the start of a client meeting.
• Do not use tools intended to bypass local rules; follow local law and your employer's IT policy.

Our guides on calls, SMS and OTP costs and on business-trip connectivity explain how to keep reachable without surprise charges.

After the show: follow-up and reimbursement

Send follow-ups within a few days, while the conversation is still fresh, and reference the one line you wrote after each meeting. Keep receipts and a simple log of expenses by day. If your employer reimburses travel, ask early what documents they accept, since requirements differ between organisations and between countries.

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