Starlink-powered maritime connectivity at GITEX 2025/Image: Supplied
At GITEX Global 2025, du positioned itself as a strategic sovereign AI partner under the theme “AI’s not just the future. With us, it shapes your next step.” The company demonstrated how its expanding portfolio of AI, connectivity, and digital infrastructure solutions are enabling both public and private sectors to accelerate their AI transformation journeys.
Located at Digital Cities Hall 19, du’s showcase presented a forward-looking view of how sovereign AI ecosystems and next-generation connectivity will shape the UAE’s digital economy. Two standout exhibits at this year’s event were du Tech’s AI Park and du Business’ Maritime and Offshore Connectivity Services — both underscoring du’s mission to drive innovation across land and sea.
du Tech: powering sovereign AI innovation
At the heart of du’s technology showcase was the AI Park — a 44-hectare facility in Warsan that aims to position Dubai as a global hub for AI research, innovation, and deployment. The Park will feature liquid-cooled hyperscale data centres capable of delivering up to 1.5 GW of compute capacity, supporting the most demanding AI workloads in a secure, sovereign environment.
Beyond infrastructure, du’s AI Park is designed to host AI research laboratories, start-up incubators, and sovereign hybrid AI production clusters — providing a unified environment where innovators can prototype, scale, and deploy AI applications safely within the UAE.
Complementing this vision, du Tech also introduced its National Hybrid AI — an integrated platform that extends du’s National Hypercloud capabilities. It allows enterprises and government entities to develop AI applications across multiple cloud environments and deploy them securely on du’s sovereign infrastructure. By combining sovereign data compliance, advanced 5G and fibre networks, and strategic hyperscaler partnerships, du is offering a scalable, investment-light path for organisations to drive innovation.
du Business: advancing maritime and offshore connectivity
Another highlight of du’s GITEX presence was its Maritime and Offshore Connectivity Services showcase under du Business. Through a partnership with Elcome, a Tier 1 Starlink Authorized Reseller, du is delivering next-generation maritime connectivity solutions that ensure uninterrupted communication from deep sea to shore.
Vessels equipped with Elcome’s integrated systems benefit from Starlink’s high-speed satellite service during offshore operations and seamlessly transition to du’s 4G and 5G mobile networks upon approaching UAE shores. This intelligent network switching — powered by AI and real-time data applications — supports continuous connectivity for critical operations, crew welfare, and vessel monitoring.
The integration of satellite and terrestrial networks reduces communication downtime, enables data-driven decision-making, and enhances safety across maritime routes. For the UAE, it represents a significant step in reinforcing its status as a global maritime hub while accelerating the digital transformation of the shipping sector.
Through its dual focus on AI and connectivity at GITEX 2025, du demonstrated how sovereign infrastructure and intelligent networks can underpin national-scale innovation — shaping not just the future of AI, but the next phase of the UAE’s digital evolution.
