A record year for France. At Gitex Global 2025 in Dubai, the largest technology event in the Middle East, French representation is massive. More than fifty companies made the trip to the small emirate, including start-ups and more established companies. A record that perfectly illustrates the growing interest of French representatives in the Gulf region. And, according to Christian Pineau, president of International Boost and head of the French Pavilion, this presence is no longer anecdotal.
“This year we have accepted about 55 French companies and we have had to reject some,” he tells us. “The enthusiasm is such that some have discovered a land of opportunities here that they had not imagined.” This is the goal of Gitex Global and its startup counterpart, Expand North Star, which brings together young startups from around the world in more than ten rooms on the edge of the Dubai Marina.
The Persian Gulf, a focus of global technology
Located at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia, the Persian Gulf, and in particular the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has become a global technology hotspot and place to be. Not in vain, the 2025 edition of Gitex brings together 6,500 exhibitors, 2,500 start-ups until October 17 and expects more than 275,000 visitors. With its own and identified space, France occupies a special place there, with a larger surface than ever. “We believe that Gitex has become for us what CES represents for Americans,” laughs Christian Pineau.
“Emerging companies no longer come here by chance or as tourists. They come to do business,” underlines this man who has been working for five years to attract French jewels to Dubai and support them. “They now depend on a very structured local French ecosystem.” In the halls of Expand North Star, we meet a French delegation supported by three large regions (South, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and New Aquitaine) and a private accelerator that gives visibility to startups in the Marseille region, Zebox, owned by CMA-CGM*. At the Dubai World Trade Center, the main site, Orange and many others are present.
And what French companies of all sizes are looking for in the UAE and neighboring countries is economic pragmatism and the responsiveness of the local market. Here, technology and artificial intelligence have become strategic pillars. Since 2008, the emirate of Abu Dhabi has provided financial support to technology companies, particularly those specializing in electronic chips and emerging technologies.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the new international AI hubs
“No one expected us to become a key player in the field of AI, but against all expectations, today we are proving that it is possible,” said Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence of the Emirates, during a Gitex conference. “We don’t claim to know everything, but we listen and learn. Those who come to the UAE to share their experience will find a listening ear and a real commitment to putting their advice into practice.” And on his list are, in particular, the French startups that the minister visits every year.
“Dubai and Abu Dhabi want to become international centers of artificial intelligence. And some French startups have even obtained a Golden Visa, a resident card normally reserved for VIPs, to settle there,” says Christian Pineau. And it should be noted that French projects in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, big data or climate technology are the most popular.
Thus, the start-up Obo World and its AI model applied to human resources caught the attention of local partners and has already managed to raise 20 million euros after three participations. Likewise, there has been talk of Carbon Saver, finalist in an international decarbonization competition, Immersion4 (immersion server cooling) or Everdian (cyber intelligence and AI), semi-finalist of the Supernova challenge.
It is easier to raise funds and obtain aid than in France
What French start-ups are looking for is also what they lack in France: funds and perspectives. “Most of the companies present held between 8 and 10 meetings with investors during the week,” notes Christian Pineau. “I don’t know of any fair in France where you can meet a thousand investors from a hundred different countries, from Silicon Valley to Africa. Not even at CES in Las Vegas is it possible to find something like that.”
Here everyone recognizes finding visibility and faster financing. They make themselves known and identified. By winning an award or even being among the finalists, they gain credibility with Gulf governments and funds. Qista and its eco-friendly mosquito terminal have attracted the Abu Dhabi government, which has awarded it a major contract. Another won a contest at Gitex three years ago and, in the process, signed with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
But if Gitex is a great way to put yourself in the spotlight, it is also a real-size test for entrepreneurs who want to venture into the region. And for that you have to be prepared when you arrive. “It is not enough to come with business cards. You have to prepare your presentation in English, know how to present yourself in less than two minutes, have a one-minute presentation video for competitions and, above all, know what you want to achieve,” says the president of International Boost, who gives his trio of key tips: distribute your equipment between the two places in the room, maximize meetings, validate your innovation in relation to what is done in the sector. And above all, “think beyond the classroom.”
“The Gitex is not a four-day event, it is the beginning of an adventure,” insists Christian Pineau. “Then we must rely on local intermediaries (Business France, French Tech, Bpifrance, CCI) to transform the test.” Because laying lasting roots in the region is the most difficult and the most essential. “Dubai certainly offers attractive free zones, flexible taxes and a conducive environment for partnerships, but we must prepare methodically,” he insists.
A cultural and economic transformation for France
Behind this growing presence, there is also a cultural and economic shift taking place for French technology, which has long been focused on Europe or the United States. Without a doubt, in the Gulf it finds new horizons more open to experimentation and also more direct outlets. Because here technology is seen as a lever of national power and local decision makers actively seek to invest in foreign talent. “Gitex is the place where business is done. And for French companies, it is there where the future is played,” proclaims the Frenchman, who sees this change as a true sign of optimism.
Among the French contingent of 2025, how many will join the more than 600 French companies active in the Emirates, in a wide variety of sectors, from digital to energy, transport and aviation? It must be said that France is one of the main European investors, with nearly 4.4 billion dollars. In return, the Emirates will help develop a data center in France focused on AI (we are talking about an investment of 30 to 50 billion euros). flat Choose France, The Gulf is among the regions that are sources of capital and technological cooperation with France.
Long-term industrial and strategic plans that have technology at the center, but not only that, even if technology fundraising in Europe increasingly comes from the United Arab Emirates in exchange for French funds in local opportunities. And this offers French startups multiple projects with a highly structured ecosystem and real French supervision on site.
Thus, emerging companies that wish to establish themselves will be able to count on accelerators, hubs, communities and other facilitators of access to the local market (French Tech UAE, Business France, etc.). Sometimes it is easier than on the land itself, some regret it.
*Tech&Co, BFM TV and BFM Business also belong to the CMA-CGM group
Source: BFM TV
