An attendee visits the Mobile World Congress, the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on Feb 26, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

BARCELONA, Spain - The 2024 edition of the Mobile World Congress, the world's leading trade fair for mobile technology and related industries, opened in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday.

This year's MWC centers on the "Future First" concept, highlighting the importance of uniting industries, continents, technologies and communities to realize the potential of the future.

GSMA, the organizer of the event, expects some 95,000 visitors from all over the world to attend the congress at Barcelona's Gran Via venue, compared to the 88,500 recorded last year. GSMA is an industry group representing the world's biggest mobile phone operators.

Artificial intelligence applications across devices and networks, advancements in 5G and 6G technologies as well as enhancing connectivity will be among the major topics at this year's event.

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Visitors test Telekom Super Soccer during the Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb 26, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

In his opening speech, GSMA's Director-General Mats Granryd stressed the need to align with the challenges and opportunities. "Together we are strong, and alone we are nobody," he said.

"With over half of our attendees coming from beyond the core mobile ecosystem, MWC no longer represents just one industry. As connectivity brings us together, technology opens possibilities - with connectivity driving a fusion of technology and purpose across all sectors, enabling new possibilities."

A visitor tests the Huawei Mate X5 during the Mobile World Congress 2024, in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb 26, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

This year's MWC features around 2,400 exhibitors and 1,100 speakers, including nearly 300 Chinese companies such as China Mobile, China Telecom, Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo, Xiaomi and iFlytek.

Chinese operators are capturing new business-to-business opportunities across verticals where their services go beyond the traditional core telecoms, Granryd noted.

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The event will close on Thursday.