Dubai had another presence on the floor, at the Sands Convention Center, where the Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority, Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority and Dubai's Internet City banded together to promote Dubai as a business haven.

CNN: 'International Alley' brings the world to Comdex

Competition from new ports, such as Oman's Salalah, has not stopped growth at Jebel Ali, the Dubai container terminal and free zone that all the others have copied.

ECONOMIST: Beyond oil