Agenda
CIO Summit Saudi Arabia
Day 1
Registration & Networking
Event Opening
IDC Welcome Address
Jyoti Lalchandani
Head of WW Events & MD – META, Central Asia, India, IDC
Opening Address: Government Affiliation
IDC Keynote: Scaling AI for the Agentic Future: Closing the Enterprise Gaps
IT spending is growing at its fastest pace since 1996, and enterprise AI spend is on track to hit $1 trillion by 2029. The infrastructure is in place — execution is the gap that remains.
This keynote gives CIOs a practical framework for the agentic shift: deploying and managing agents at scale, agentifying core business processes, and building the cross-functional leadership needed to turn AI ambition into measurable outcomes.
Matthew Eastwood
Senior Vice President, Enterprise Infrastructure, Cloud, Telecom, Security, Developers, Channels and Enabling Technology, IDC
End User Panel: Leading the Global AI Stage: Saudi Arabia’s Vision for AI Excellence
Saudi Arabia has set out an ambitious target: to become a global AI powerhouse. Backed by a national investment of $100 billion tied to Vision 2030, the Kingdom has built its own Arabic-language model, developed sovereign data infrastructure, and structured global technology partnerships on its own terms. Saudi has already been ranked one of the world leaders in government AI strategy, and its AI talent base has grown faster than almost any other market globally. This panel brings together the Kingdom’s national policy leadership and its leading CIOs to discuss what makes this model work in practice and what the rest of the world can take from the way Saudi Arabia is building its own path to AI leadership.
Moderator
Matthew Eastwood
Senior Vice President, Enterprise Infrastructure, Cloud, Telecom, Security, Developers, Channels and Enabling Technology, IDC
Security for Autonomous Systems: Risks and Countermeasures
High-Performance Compute and Networking: Building the Backbone of AI-driven Enterprise
Governing AI at Scale: From Experimentation to Enterprise Control
Most organizations have already invested in AI. Very few have control over it.
As AI adoption accelerates, the challenge is no longer experimentation; it is governance, cost accountability, and the ability to scale AI across the enterprise with confidence. At the core of this challenge lies a critical foundation many organizations underestimate: data readiness. Without unified, reliable, and accessible data, AI initiatives remain fragmented, limiting both impact and scalability.
This executive session explores how leading organizations are moving beyond isolated pilots by strengthening their data foundations and introducing a structured, AI-Native operating model one that enables them to govern, measure, and truly own their AI strategy at scale.
Amr Abou Reslan
Regional Director, UnifyApps
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Last Mile Decides Your Mileage
This session explores how enterprises can bridge the “last mile” of AI—the critical gap between experimentation and real business impact. It highlights how stronger data foundations, governance, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and operating models can help organizations move beyond isolated AI pilots and build scalable, secure AI capabilities that drive growth, efficiency, resilience, and trust.
Ali El Kontar
Cloud Practice Leader, NTT DATA
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National AI Sovereignty: Balancing Competitiveness with Control
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Sovereign by Design: Completing the Stack with Agentic AI
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Next Generation Enterprise Networks (Network as a Service)
Hatem Elkady
Chief Executive Officer (MEA), Nile
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Leading in the Age of AI-Native Enterprises
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Powering the Future of AI: From Oscillation to Orchestration
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Building the Agentic Future: From Pilots to Production-Ready Enterprise AI
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Advisory Council Felicitation
Tea / Coffee & Networking Break
Engage, Explore, and Network—Where Technology Meets Unforgettable Moments!
Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster A (Parallel Tracks)
12:30 pm Start of Session Raffle
Arrive on Time, Walk Away a Winner — 120 Cabin Bags Up for Grabs!
Track A1
12:35PM – 12:45PM
From Data Protection to Data Resilience: A Strategic Approach
Marwan AlHuthail
Senior Enterprise Sales Manager, Veeam Software
12:44PM – 12:45PM
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12:45PM – 12:55PM
Why Your MFA Is Failing Both Your Customers and Your Fraud Team
Waleed Marji
Regional Sales Manager, Thales
12:54PM – 12:55PM
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12:55PM – 1:05PM
AI Observability: End-to-End Observability for Generative AI, Agentic, and LLM Workloads
1:04PM – 1:05PM
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1:05PM – 1:15PM
The Shift From CDN to IDN: The Rise of Intelligent Delivery Networks
1:14PM – 1:15PM
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Track A2
12:35PM – 12:45PM
Surviving the Agentic Wild West: Move Fast Without Breaking Things
Islam Saber
Senior Solutions Engineer, Netskope
12:44PM – 12:45PM
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12:45PM – 12:55PM
Future-Proofing the Enterprise IT Portfolio
Ahmed Tarek
Director, Sales Engineering, EMEA, Incorta
12:54PM – 12:55PM
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12:55PM – 1:05PM
Modernizing for Autonomy: How Migration and Platforms Enable Agentic AI
1:04PM – 1:05PM
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1:05PM – 1:15PM
The Urgent Risks of Unchecked AI Sprawl
1:14PM – 1:15PM
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Track A3
12:35PM – 12:45PM
Data Sovereignty in the AI Era: Securing Enterprise Data and Maintaining Control
Faris Suleiman
Presales Manager – KSA, Egypt, Levant, FileOrbis
12:44PM – 12:45PM
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12:45PM – 12:55PM
From Experimentation to Impact: Why Engineering Must Become AI Native
Ehsan Shariff
Managing Director, Nagarro
12:54PM – 12:55PM
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12:55PM – 1:05PM
Securing Communication for Generative & Agentic AI
1:04PM – 1:05PM
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1:05PM – 1:15PM
From Innovation to Impact: Leveraging AI on Cloud
1:14PM – 1:15PM
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Track A4
12:35PM – 12:45PM
Delivering Transformative Value with AI
12:44PM – 12:45PM
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12:45PM – 12:55PM
Cloud Strategies for the Agentic Enterprise
12:54PM – 12:55PM
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12:55PM – 1:05PM
Edge Intelligence for the Agentic AI Era
1:04PM – 1:05PM
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1:05PM – 1:15PM
Resilience by Design (Building Adaptable Architectures)
1:14PM – 1:15PM
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Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster B (Parallel Tracks)
12:30 pm Start of Session Raffle
Arrive on Time, Walk Away a Winner — 120 Cabin Bags Up for Grabs!
Track B1
12:35PM – 12:45PM
Data Resilience to Keep Your Business Running
12:44PM – 12:45PM
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12:45PM – 12:55PM
Evolution of the SIEM for the AI Era
Ibrahim Omar
Solutions Advisor, Omnix
Alexandru Savin
Senior Enterprise Sales Executive, Druid AI
12:54PM – 12:55PM
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12:55PM – 1:05PM
Building Networks for AI Workloads
1:04PM – 1:05PM
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1:05PM – 1:15PM
Next-Gen Identity Security: Passwordless Authentication
1:14PM – 1:15PM
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Track B2
12:35PM – 12:45PM
Breaking Software Delivery Barriers with AI-Powered Low Code
Stephen Fernandes
Chief Growth Officer & Head of Middle East, Planview
12:44PM – 12:45PM
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12:45PM – 12:55PM
Embracing the Future: Leveraging AI and ML in Cloud Environments
12:54PM – 12:55PM
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12:55PM – 1:05PM
Copilot-First, Future-Ready: AI-Led Contact Centers Revolutionizing Customer Experience!
1:04PM – 1:05PM
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1:05PM – 1:15PM
Building an Intelligent Data Infrastructure for Accelerating AI Adoption
1:14PM – 1:15PM
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Track B3
12:35PM – 12:45PM
Cyber Resilience in the AI Era
Pierre Nassif
Senior Sales Engineer, Commvault
12:44PM – 12:45PM
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12:45PM – 12:55PM
AI in Oil and Gas: Driving Efficiency and Sustainability
12:54PM – 12:55PM
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12:55PM – 1:05PM
Smarter AI, Stronger Apps
1:04PM – 1:05PM
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1:05PM – 1:15PM
Taking Control and Securing your Cyber Physical Systems
1:14PM – 1:15PM
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Track B4
12:35PM – 12:45PM
Protecting Critical Infrastructure from the Rise of AI-Borne Threats
12:44PM – 12:45PM
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12:45PM – 12:55PM
The GenAI Adoption Journey for Enterprises
12:54PM – 12:55PM
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12:55PM – 1:05PM
The Cloud Imperative: Enabling AI-powered Business Transformation
1:04PM – 1:05PM
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1:05PM – 1:15PM
The Future of Enterprise Cloud: Faster, Smarter, Serverless
1:14PM – 1:15PM
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Lunch & Networking
For The CIO- By The CIO Tracks
Parallel Tracks
2:15PM – 2:45PM
Agentic AI in Action: Industry Use Cases and Early Wins
Moderator
Paul Potgieter
Chief Information Officer, NEOM
Filip Nekvinda
Chief AI & Digitalization Visionary, Petro Rabigh
Bader Aljundi
Director, Digital Transformation and Innovation, Emaar, The Economic City
2:15PM – 2:45PM
The CIO Talent Agenda: How CIOs, CHROs, and Business Leaders Are Shaping the Future Workforce
Moderator
Eng. Manal Al-Bawardi
Chief Information Officer, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM)
Felicitation of Session Speakers
Summary & Conclusion
Day 2
Registration & Networking
Early Birds Win Big: First 100 Delegates Win a Dancing Robot!
IDC Welcome Address
Panel Discussion: Growth Has a New Owner: How the C-Suite Is Rewriting the AI Leadership Order
AI fluency has become a top competency across the C-suite, a skill few executives were expected to own even a few years ago. That shift is changing how the leadership team is built and what it delivers. CXOs are now expected to convert AI literacy into real business outcomes: faster growth, new revenue streams, and reinvented operating models, while also recalibrating how they work across lines of business leaders and the C-suite to get there. This panel explores how today’s C-suite is turning AI knowledge into AI-driven results, and what changes in leadership structure and collaboration are needed to make that possible.
Managing AI Adoption: Internal Readiness & Change Management in the Age of AI
Mutaz Salem
Chief Executive Officer, Dstation
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Agentic AI for Enterprises: Driving Business Transformation
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Agentic Experiences Will Power the Next Digital Revolution
Khaled Moawad
Senior Account Executive, OutSystems
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Unleashing Efficiency: The Synergistic Relationship Between AI and Low-Code Process Automation
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AI-Native Products: Driving Enterprise Efficiency and Informed Decision-Making
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Enabling Industries: The Global AI Infrastructure Capacity Build Out
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Summit Tracks (Parallel Sessions)
10:55 am Opening Act
Track A
11:00AM – 11:15AM
Revolutionizing Customer Experience: Integrating Digital Business Strategies in SaaS (Software as a Service) Solutions
Hyther Nizam
Chief Executive Officer, Zoho Middle East & Africa
11:14AM – 11:15AM
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11:15AM – 11:30AM
Modernizing for Autonomy: How Migration and Platforms Enable Agentic AI
Nadeem Qureshi
Sales Director, Integra Technologies
11:29AM – 11:30AM
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11:30AM – 11:45AM
From AI Ambition to Enterprise Reality
11:44AM – 11:45AM
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11:45AM – 12:00PM
The New Resilience Stack: Observability, Autonomy, and Sovereignty for the AI-First Enterprise
11:59AM – 12:00PM
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Track B
11:00AM – 11:15AM
Building Resilient Security for the AI Era
Saddam Alsad
Senior Sales Manager, Saudi Arabia, Cloudflare
11:14AM – 11:15AM
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11:15AM – 11:30AM
From AI Adoption to AI Value Realization: Turning AI Investment into Business Value and Performance Improvement
Tarek Khattab
Solutions & Services Country Manager, Saudi Business Machines (SBM)
11:29AM – 11:30AM
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11:30AM – 11:45AM
Revolutionizing Customer Experience: Integrating Digital Business Strategies
Jon Griffiths
Field CTO, Dynatrace
11:44AM – 11:45AM
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11:45AM – 12:00PM
From Innovation to Impact: Leveraging AI on Cloud
Georgy Ovanesyan
Chief Executive Officer, Axidian
11:59AM – 12:00PM
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Track C
11:00AM – 11:15AM
Building the Future: Turning Data Insights into Impact
Tom Gamali
Field CTO & Strategic Advisor, MEA-TRC, Splunk
11:14AM – 11:15AM
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11:15AM – 11:30AM
The Agentic Platform for Zero Disruption
Charbel Khneisser
Senior Vice President, Global Solutions Engineering, Riverbed Technology
11:29AM – 11:30AM
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11:30AM – 11:45AM
Building the Agentic Future: From Pilots to Production-Ready Enterprise AI
11:44AM – 11:45AM
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11:45AM – 12:00PM
Powering the Future of AI: From Oscillation to Orchestration
11:59AM – 12:00PM
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Tea/ Coffee & Networking Break
Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster A (Parallel Tracks)
12:15 pm Start of Session Raffle
Arrive on Time, Walk Away a Winner — 120 Cabin Bags Up for Grabs!
Track A1
12:20PM – 12:35PM
Scaling AI Apps & Agents from Pilot to Production
12:34PM – 12:35PM
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12:35PM – 12:50PM
Trust But Verify: Implementing a Defense-in-Depth Framework for AI Agents
12:49PM – 12:50PM
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Track A2
12:20PM – 12:35PM
Driving a Secure, Resilient, and AI Ready Microsoft 365 Workplace
Iliass Melgou
META Solution Engineering Team Lead, AvePoint
12:34PM – 12:35PM
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12:35PM – 12:50PM
From Firefighting to Foresight: Engineering Calm with AI
12:49PM – 12:50PM
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Track A3
12:20PM – 12:35PM
Memory Shortages – Reshaping the Device Market in META
Umair Riaz
Field Solutions Architect, Everpure
12:34PM – 12:35PM
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12:35PM – 12:50PM
Key Trends and Insights: Realize Business Value from AI investments
12:49PM – 12:50PM
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Track A4
12:20PM – 12:35PM
Future-Proofing the Enterprise IT Portfolio
12:34PM – 12:35PM
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12:35PM – 12:50PM
Business Reinvention in the Age of AI: A CIO/CTO Playbook
12:49PM – 12:50PM
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Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster B (Parallel Tracks)
12:15 pm Start of Session Raffle
Arrive on Time, Walk Away a Winner — 120 Cabin Bags Up for Grabs!
Track B1
12:20PM – 12:35PM
How to Scale Agentic AI Across Your Value Chain
12:34PM – 12:35PM
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12:35PM – 12:50PM
Building Networks for AI Workloads
12:49PM – 12:50PM
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Track B2
12:20PM – 12:35PM
From Compliance to Competitive Edge: Building an Intelligent, Sovereign Enterprise
12:34PM – 12:35PM
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12:35PM – 12:50PM
Cyber-Resilience Journey Maps — In the Age of Data and AI
12:49PM – 12:50PM
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Track B3
12:20PM – 12:35PM
AI-Human Harmony in the Age of Agentic AI: From Vision to Business Outcomes
Mohamed Assem
Solutions Engineering Director, Global Knowledge
12:34PM – 12:35PM
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12:35PM – 12:50PM
Smarter AI, Stronger Apps
12:49PM – 12:50PM
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Track B4
12:20PM – 12:35PM
From Strategy to Reality: How AI Closes the Execution Gap
12:34PM – 12:35PM
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12:35PM – 12:55PM
Secure Information Management for AI
12:54PM – 12:55PM
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Refresh & Reorganize
Partner Felicitation
Voices of AI Innovations Acknowledgement
IDC introduces the AI Visionaries Acknowledgement, a prestigious platform recognizing organizations across the Kingdom that are setting benchmarks in strategic, impactful, and measurable AI adoption. Nominate your organization to be recognized among the region’s leading AI innovators.