Agenda
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IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2025
Day 1
Registration & Networking
Beyond Reality: The Grand Magical Opening
Step into the extraordinary as Golden Buzzer winners of America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent, James & Marina, kick off the Middle East CIO Summit 2025 with a mesmerizing blend of mind-reading, illusion, and interactive magic. This spellbinding opening will leave you questioning reality and set the stage for an unforgettable experience.But the magic doesn’t end here—James & Marina will be your hosts, infusing every session with their world-class mentalism and charisma for an electrifying experience!
IDC Welcome Address
Speaker
Jyoti Lalchandani
Head of WW Events & MD – META, Central Asia, India, IDC
Government Insights: AI, Cyber Resilience & National Growth
HE Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity Council for the UAE Government, delivers the opening address, exploring how AI is transforming cybersecurity, digital resilience, and national innovation. As AI reshapes industries and cyber threats evolve, his insights will set the stage for discussions on securing the future in an AI-powered world.
Speaker
H.E. Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti
Head of Cybersecurity Council for the UAE Government,
Advisory Council Felicitation
IDC Opening Keynote: The AI Moment: Strategies for CIOs in the Middle East
AI, predicted to have a $19.9 trillion impact on the global economy by 2030, is reshaping economic landscapes, creating new revenue streams, and redefining competitive advantages. This session will provide unique insights and analysis drawn from IDC’s extensive study of CIOs and key decision-makers across the Middle East. It will provide a deeper understanding of current and planned AI strategies and use case road maps, covering key topics such as AI-ready data, unified governance, fit-for-purpose and scalable infrastructure, and AI talent.
Jyoti Lalchandani | IDC
Head of WW Events & MD – META, Central Asia, India
Jyoti Lalchandani
Jyoti Lalchandani is a seasoned business executive with more than 25 years of experience in emerging markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). In his role as IDC’s Group Vice President and Regional Managing Director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META), he has been instrumental in establishing IDC’s presence in the region – first, through the initial expansion of the Dubai headquarters and then by spearheading the development of IDC offices in Johannesburg, Istanbul, Riyadh, Casablanca, Lagos, Nairobi, and Cairo.
Jyoti is responsible for the planning, development, implementation, and coordination of IDC’s market intelligence and advisory services, sales, conferences and events, go-to-market services, and office development activities across the META region. As a respected authority on emerging market tech trends, he is also regularly invited to speak at major industry events throughout the region and is frequently quoted by both the national and international media.
His field of expertise includes key tech areas such as cloud, analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, and he is well known for providing guidance on digital transformation strategies for the entire C-suite. He is a trusted advisor to senior executives in the supplier/enabler space across the ICT ecosystem, as well as to tech buyers from the CIO and line-of-business communities.
Starting at IDC’s CEMA (Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) headquarters in 1995 in Prague, the Czech Republic, Jyoti served as IDC’s regional consulting manager. In this role, he headed several country-based project teams that advised local and multinational IT vendors on issues relating to entry strategy, competitor analysis, ROI analysis, distribution and partner evaluation, and market segmentation. He later took on the additional responsibility of overseeing the CEMA software practice, in which he was responsible for overseeing all related research (applications, system infrastructure, and tools) and advisory work across emerging EMEA countries.
Before joining IDC, Jyoti served on the national board of international non-profit organization AIESEC, where he managed the association’s partnership agreements with leading Indian conglomerates. He graduated from Loyola College, India, where his studies focused on strategy management and business policy. He later attended a corporate-sponsored program at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts.
Event Sessions
Thursday, February 20 2025 8:55 am | Location:
Digital Governance: Leveraging AI to Enhance Public Services
Wednesday, February 19 2025 9:20 am | Location:
IDC Opening Keynote: The AI Moment: Strategies for CIOs in the Middle East
AI, predicted to have a $19.9 trillion impact on the global economy by 2030, is reshaping economic landscapes, creating new revenue streams, and redefining competitive advantages. This session will provide unique insights and analysis drawn from IDC’s extensive study of CIOs and key decision-makers across the Middle East. It will provide a deeper understanding of current and planned AI strategies and use case road maps, covering key topics such as AI-ready data, unified governance, fit-for-purpose and scalable infrastructure, and AI talent.
Wednesday, February 19 2025 8:45 am | Location:
IDC Welcome Address
Agentic AI for Enterprises: Driving Business Transformation
This keynote will highlight the transformative power of agentic AI in reshaping enterprises and businesses. It will explore its core capabilities in autonomous decision-making and multi-agent orchestration, presenting high-impact use cases and real-world examples with compelling ROI. The session will outline essential components for successful adoption, address challenges like ethical considerations and workforce readiness, and offer strategic considerations. It will conclude with a future outlook.
Topics to be covered:
– Introduction to agentic AI and its potential for enterprise and business transformation
– Core capabilities of agentic AI
– Multi-agent environments and orchestration needs
– The business case: Uses cases and expected ROI from adopting agentic AI
– Real-world examples
– Essential components for successful enterprise adoption
– Challenges and strategic considerations
– Future outlook of agentic AI in business
Speaker
H.E. Dr. Saeed Aldhaheri
Director, Center for Futures Studies, University of Dubai & President, Robotics and Automation Society
Managing AI Adoption: Internal Readiness & Change Management in the Age of AI
As the MENA region enters the “Intelligent Era,” organizations must do more than implement new technologies — they must evolve to be more agile, resilient, and human centric in the face of digital disruption. This session will explore how AI is transforming industries by enhancing both employee and customer experiences. It will showcase critical insights on aligning AI with business objectives, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and leading through effective change management. And with a focus on internal readiness, strategic leadership, and responsible AI integration, attendees will be presented with proven strategies to help their organizations embrace AI effectively and navigate this transformative journey for long-term success.
Speaker
Miguel A. Villalonga
COO, e& enterprise
Agentic Experiences Will Power the Next Digital Revolution
Agentic is a new way of building digital experiences powered by innovations in AI. It takes us away from building deterministic digital journeys to probabilistic. This requires a complete rethink across the entire stack and the talent base. This session will introduce the audience to agentic, how to leverage it now, and how to unlock significant business value.
Speaker
Sunil Karkera
Chief Executive Officer, BORN (a part of Tech Mahindra)
Unleashing Efficiency: The Synergistic Relationship Between AI and Low-Code Process Automation
The power and promise of AI have led many government and business leaders to adopt an “AI Everywhere” mindset. Across the Middle East, governments and organizations alike are prioritizing AI. Recently, Abu Dhabi announced its Government Digital Strategy 2025–2027, with the goal of becoming the world’s first fully AI-native government across all digital services. AI and low-code process automation have a synergistic relationship, enabling and enhancing the other. This session will explore how low-code automation enhances operational capabilities and provides the necessary data, consistency, and scalability for AI to thrive. This will enable Abu Dhabi and other governments in the region, as well as private organizations, to fully realize the potential of AI-driven innovation
Speaker
Ayman El-Hattab
Regional Vice President, Emerging Markets, Nintex
AI-Native Products: Driving Enterprise Efficiency and Informed Decision-Making
As AI adoption accelerates, enterprises will face a critical challenge — generic AI models that are not built for the scalability, modularity, security, or integration that businesses require. This session will explore how domain-specific AI solutions are being pioneered to drive real business outcomes. It will also highlight a foundational AI platform designed to integrate various models and enable scalable, agentic AI solutions tailored to enterprise needs. Additionally, the session discusses an approach to responsible AI, examining how large language models are built to ensure trust and provide equitable access to AI.
Speaker
Ashish Koshy
Chief Operating Officer, Inception
Enabling Industries: The Global AI Infrastructure Capacity Build Out
Speaker
Talal Al Kaissi
EVP – Chief Government Affairs & Partnerships Officer, Core42
AI-First Enterprise: A CIO’s Journey!
Speaker
Haitham Elkhatib
Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, UnifyApps
Tea / Coffee & Networking Break
Engage, Explore, and Network—Where technology meets unforgettable moments!
Make the most of your networking break with exciting experiences! Enjoy coffee or ice cream from the Robotic Arm Café, capture memories at the AI Photobooth, and refresh at the Mocktail Station. Pick up your exclusive AI T-shirt, craft a signature scent at the Perfumery Station, or get a fun Caricature. Need a quick check-up? Visit the Health Zone for expert advice.
Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster B (Parallel Sessions)
Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster B (Parallel Sessions)
Track 06: Modern Software Development and Deployment Strategies for AI-Enabled Organizations
Track 07: Reimagining Security and Resilience in the AI Everywhere Era
Track 08: Envisioning Resilience, Agility, and IT Automation in the Cloud and AI Era
Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster A (Parallel Sessions)
Track 01: Powering Organizations with AI-Enabled Apps and Experiences
Track 02: Driving ROI from AI and GenAI Investments
Track 03: Delivering Next-Gen Experiences with Data and AI
Track 04: Charting a Security and Cloud Strategy for the Future AI-Fueled Enterprise
Refresh & Regroup
For The CIO- By The CIO Tracks (Parallel Sessions)
Track A: IT Teams for the AI Future: Attracting, Retaining, and Upskilling Talent
Track B: Cross-Functional Collaboration in the Future Enterprise
For The CIO- By The CIO Tracks (Parallel Sessions)
Track C: Driving Innovation While Safeguarding Against Spiraling Costs: Smarter IT Spending
Track D: Delivering Superior Customer Experiences Through AI
Lunch
Day 2
Registration & Networking Arrive Early & Stand a Chance to Win Apple HomePod Mini!
IDC Welcome Address
Digital Governance: Leveraging AI to Enhance Public Services
Speaker
Jyoti Lalchandani
Head of WW Events & MD – META, Central Asia, India, IDC
Speaker
H.E. Mubaraka M. Ali Ibrahim
Chief AI Officer, Emirates Health Services Establishment (UAE)
Speaker
Lt. Col. Saeed Al Shebli
Deputy Director of Digital Security Department, Ministry of Interior (UAE)
Speaker
Eng. Saad AlQahtani
Deputy Minister, Digital Transformation & IT, Ministry of Investment (KSA),
Speaker
Eng. Huda Ahmed Mohsen
Chief of IT, Ministry of Information Affairs (Bahrain)
Speaker
Eng. Meshal Bin Hussain
Chief AI Officer, IT Director, Ministry of Finance (UAE),
Approaches for Modernizing Applications
Modernizing enterprise applications like ERP used to mean “retire” or “replace.” Today, technologies like cloud, containers, and microservices can modernize platforms that have been around for decades, allowing enterprises to extend the value of these investments. It also means there is an easier way to take advantage of technologies like AI and analytics without replatforming. Finally, DevOps and agile mean that applications evolve constantly and cannot be “shut down” easily. Join us for invaluable perspectives on this topic, including real-world examples for the best approaches to modernize your applications.
Speaker
Eric Helmer
Senior Vice President & Global Chief Technology Officer, Rimini Street
AI Foundry and AI Force: A Full-Stack Approach to GenAI
This session will highlight how a full-stack approach accelerates innovation and delivers substantial business value by applying GenAI to high-impact use cases. Attendees will gain insights into real-world examples demonstrating how Gen AI enhances customer experiences, optimizes operations, and drives business growth. Join us to discover actionable strategies for organizations to unlock the full potential of AI for scalable, impactful solutions.
Speaker
Aman Gupta
AI Practice Head, SourceFuse Technologies
After AI: Reinventing Data, Insights, and Action Amidst the Noise
AI brings both promise and risk, evolving so rapidly that even experts struggle to keep up. As data leaders, we must shape the responsible use of AI now, particularly as the decisions we make today will define its impact tomorrow. In this session, we will explore key AI and data trends to help you navigate the shift and make informed, future-proof decisions.
Speaker
Martin Tombs
Vice President, Go-to-Market Analytics, Qlik
Pioneering the Future with AI-Infused Modern Application Development
This session will explore the next frontier in app creation. Discover how AI-powered capabilities are transforming the way businesses build, scale, and optimize applications, and learn how organizations are leveraging AI to enhance development speed, improve user experiences, and drive innovation. This session will further provide actionable insights into how modern application development is evolving with AI at its core. Do not miss the chance to stay ahead in the rapidly changing tech landscape.
Speaker
Youhanna Sidrak
Regional Sales Director (MEA), OutSystems
Speaker
Osman Sief
Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Envnt
Driving Innovation Through AI: Strategies for Tomorrow
The current market for datacenter server accelerators is marked by a need for better economics and an open ecosystem that allows vendor choice without sacrificing performance. The introduction of AMD Instinct MI300X marks the next phase of GPU evolution. It offers excellent levels of performance, scalability, and efficiency for AI workloads. Boasting a remarkable combination of high-performance computing and deep learning capabilities, the AMD Instinct MI300X appeals to data scientists, researchers, and developers alike. With its potential to revolutionize the AI industry and accelerate the development of next-generation applications, it is an exciting time for AMD to play an integral role in shaping the future of this rapidly growing industry.
Speaker
Zaid F. Ghattas
Commercial Lead, AMD
Summit Tracks (Parallel Sessions)
Summit Track A: Charting Strategies for Secure and Responsible AI
Summit Track B: Implementing Modern ITOps and Data Strategies in the AI-Fueled Enterprise
Tea/ Coffee & Networking Break
Engage, explore, and network—where technology meets unforgettable moments!
Make the most of your networking break with exciting experiences! Enjoy coffee or ice cream from the Robotic Arm Café, capture memories at the AI Photobooth, and refresh at the Mocktail Station. Pick up your exclusive AI T-shirt, craft a signature scent at the Perfumery Station, or get a fun Caricature. Need a quick check-up? Visit the Health Zone for expert advice.
WORKSHOP: Paint Like Picasso
Refresh & Reorganize
Celebrity Speaker: Peak Performance: Leadership, Teamwork & Growth
Speaker
Adrian Hayes
World-Record Adventurer and Renowned Speaker,
Partner Felicitation
Mega Raffle Announcement
Lunch & Close of Summit
Stay tuned for exciting news!
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