Omran Ahmed Ali Alshamsi
Chief AI Officer, Director of the Labour Market Information Department, Ministry of Human Resources and EmiratisationOmran AlShamsi is the Chief AI Officer at the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, leading the integration of artificial intelligence into national labour systems. With 14 years of experience spanning public sector innovation, digital transformation, and data strategy, he has driven major initiatives in workforce planning, data governance, and systems development. He is focused on harnessing AI to enhance efficiency, support evidence-based policymaking, and advance more resilient and future-ready government systems.
Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
Chief AI Officer
Joseph Nadi
Chief AI Officer, Abu Dhabi TammJoseph Nadi is a senior technology leader specializing in large-scale transformation through Data and AI. He is currently the Chief AI & Technology Officer at TAMM, leading the evolution of Abu Dhabi's government services platform into an AI-native, agentic ecosystem that is redefining how citizens, residents, and businesses interact with government services.
He has held senior leadership roles across government and industry, including at Core42 as Chief Delivery Officer, and previously as Chief Data Architect for the Abu Dhabi Government. Earlier in his career, Joseph held senior roles at Microsoft, Oracle, Avanade (Accenture), and KPMG, and he holds an MBA with honors from IE Business School.
Abu Dhabi Tamm
Chief AI Officer
Dr. Abdalla Sulaiman Ahmed Sulaiman
Chief Innovation Officer & Director of Strategic and Future Department & Chief Innovation Officer, Ministry of Justice UAEDr Abdalla Sulaiman Alhammadi is the Chief Executive Officer for Innovation at the UAE Ministry of Justice. He leads national initiatives that leverage artificial intelligence, data and advanced technologies to enhance judicial services, improve access to justice, and support evidence-based decision-making. He also oversees the implementation of the Ministry’s transformational programmes and innovative projects, drawing on more than 23 years of experience in government excellence, strategy and organisational innovation, during which he has led major government projects and large-scale transformation initiatives.
Dr. Abdalla Sulaiman Ahmed Sulaiman
Chief Innovation Officer & Director of Strategic and Future Department
Alex Shchepetilnikov
Chief Technology Officer, TabbyAlex Shchepetilnikov is the Chief Technology Officer at Tabby, one of the MENA region's largest fintech platforms. He has led Tabby's technology from the earliest idea to a company valued at billions of dollars, building the engineering organization and infrastructure behind the platform. Before Tabby, Alex was CTO at Robot Vera, an HR-automation company, and held engineering and leadership roles at Lamoda, IPONWEB, and Tvigle Media. He holds a degree in Computer Science, and has spent more than a decade building and scaling high-performing engineering teams.
Alex Shchepetilnikov
Chief Technology Officer
Bishoy Sawiris
Chief Data Officer, Chief Data OfficerDr. Bishoy Sawiris is a results-driven Chief Data Officer with over 15 years of experience leading transformative data initiatives across technology, AI, and business strategy. With a PhD and DBA in Big Data and AI, he seamlessly blends strategic leadership with technical expertise to foster innovation and deliver measurable business value.
He has successfully guided organizations in leveraging advanced data and AI technologies to optimize operations, enhance business models, and drive sustainable growth. His approach centers on aligning data and AI strategies with business objectives, promoting change, and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement.
As a passionate leader, Dr. Sawiris is dedicated to building high-performance teams that harness data as a strategic asset to tackle complex challenges. He believes in creating scalable solutions that not only meet current needs but also position organizations for long-term success and competitive advantage.
In addition to his leadership role, he teaches at the university level, shaping the next generation of data professionals and demonstrating how AI can transform various industries.
GB Corp
Chief Data Officer
Shumon A Zaman
Group Chief Information & Digital Officer, Ali & Sons GroupA digital native with over 20 years’ experience in digital disruption and transformations. With executive education from MIT coupled with Silicon Valley experience; Shumon brings a different mindset to delivering value having led global projects across Europe, US and the MENA region and is currently leading Ali & Sons digital transformation journey in Abu Dhabi.
Ali & Sons Group
Group Chief Information & Digital Officer
Mario Foster
Group Chief Information Officer, Al Ghurair Group, UAEMario Foster is a veteran IT executive with over 30 years of experience, including 15 years serving as Group CIO for leading conglomerates across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. As the Group Chief Information Officer at Al Ghurair Group, he is responsible for overseeing the Group’s digital strategy and IT governance across a wide-ranging portfolio that includes manufacturing, real estate, and investment sectors.
Mario has led numerous enterprise transformation programmes, including ERP implementations, AI-driven automation, and the deployment of comprehensive cybersecurity frameworks. His leadership style balances strategic foresight with practical execution, empowering individual business units to operate with autonomy while maintaining alignment with Group-level standards and risk controls.
Before joining Al Ghurair, Mario held Group CIO positions at Al Naboodah Group, Pan Gulf
Holding, and Rawabi Holding. Earlier in his career, he worked with global technology leaders including Microsoft in Canada and RSA Security in Boston, USA — experiences that helped shape his international outlook and innovation-first mindset.
Mario is widely respected for his ability to align technology with business objectives, enhance operational efficiency, and drive innovation across complex, decentralised environments.
Al Ghurair Group, UAE
Group Chief Information Officer
Krishnan Gopi
Group Chief Transformation Officer, Apparel GroupKrishnan “Krish” Gopi is the Group Chief Transformation Officer at Apparel Group, UAE, where he leads enterprise-wide transformation to build AI-powered, future-ready organizations, operating at the intersection of business transformation and technology leadership. With over two decades of global experience, he has driven large-scale digital and AI-led transformations across Fortune 100 companies, global banks, conglomerates, and public sector entities, bringing deep expertise in both transformation strategy and enterprise technology execution. An entrepreneur at heart, Krish has built and exited multiple ventures, including a SaaS firm backed by private equity, and has created over $600M in technology IP spanning super apps and enterprise AI platforms. He holds U.S. AI patents pending and continues to push the frontiers of deep-tech innovation. An MIT alumnus and certified board director, he advises governments and investors, mentors startups, and contributes to global initiatives including the UN Pact of the Future and UNESCO’s SDG4 Council.
Apparel Group
Chief Transformation Officer
Jaspreet Randhawa
Managing Director, Burkhan World Investments UAEJaspreet Randhawa brings over two decades of experience at the nexus of global financial services, capital markets, and technology, with a deep specialization in transforming innovation into high-performing investment strategies. She has led multi-asset portfolios across private equity, private credit, and strategic technology investments, with a sharp focus on long-term value creation and transformative growth.
Throughout her career, Jaspreet has held senior leadership roles at some of the world’s most respected financial institutions, including SunGard (FIS), Broadridge, Corvil, ICAP, and DTCC, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of capital markets infrastructure and financial technology. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving complex initiatives involving securities processing, post-trade modernization, market data optimization, and regulatory innovation.
Jaspreet’s investment acumen is rooted in her ability to build and scale global portfolios, structure sophisticated transactions, and identify asymmetric opportunities across diverse asset classes. She is known for navigating dynamic regulatory environments, scaling fintech and infrastructure platforms, and forging strategic cross-border partnerships that deliver sustained capital growth.
Burkhan World Investments UAE
Managing Director
Dr. Jojo O’Driscoll-Kearney
Future Skills Alliance Member, World Economic ForumDr. Jojo O’Driscoll-Kearney is an Irish Harvard Business Impact and Hult Professor of Practice, a senior government advisor, and a leading authority on leadership development, AI-enabled learning, AI ethics and human capital strategy across public and private sectors. With 20 years of C-suite experience spanning five continents, from Silicon Valley to Saudi Arabia, she advises governments, Fortune 500 companies, and boards on AI, talent strategy, transformation, and leadership at scale.
As former Chief Learning Officer at Majid Al Futtaim and Head of Learning at Meta, Jo has designed and delivered learning strategies for 50,000+ employees globally. She is a trusted government advisor to GCC ministries and international bodies, including the World Economic Forum, where she advises global governments on skills policy, AI disruption, and national human capital strategy. Her public sector advisory work spans the Abu Dhabi Army, the Irish Revenue Commissioners, Singapore Ministry of Defence, and multiple GCC government entities.
She is now a leadership and ethics of AI professor across Europe and the GCC.
Jo is a trained actor and sought-after keynote speaker on culture, leadership, AI disruption, and organisational transformation. She is from Ireland, and holds a PhD in Business, an MBA-F from Oxford, and is a CLO100 Board Director, Global Policy Network Advisor, ICF and Gallup Strengths Coach, and accredited mediator.
World Economic Forum
Future Skills Alliance Member
Ahmed Samir Elbermbali
Sustainability Growth Director – Middle East, Caspian and Africa Region, Bureau Veritas GroupAhmed is a seasoned professional in the sustainability and clean energy industry, currently serving as the Director of Sustainability for the Middle East and Caspian and Africa Region at Bureau Veritas. He is a trusted advisor to clients across the region, helping them to establish and achieve their net-zero goals. Ahmed has a deep understanding of the clean energy and sustainable mobility sectors, having served as the Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Lead at the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, where he promoted and advocated for the ZEV Declaration launched at COP26 in Glasgow and launched the Accelerating to Zero (A2Z) Coalition. He also served as the Managing Director of the MENA Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting clean energy and clean technologies and solutions in the MENA region. He also worked with organization like the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN), International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).
He holds MBA in Sustainable Mobility Management from the Technical University of Berlin and bachelor’s in aerospace engineering from the University of Science and Technology, Zewail City.
Bureau Veritas Group
Sustainability Growth Director – Middle East, Caspian and Africa Region
H.E. Renat Bekturov
Governor, Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), Republic of KazakhstanMr. Renat Bekturov, ex-Director and CEO of AIX. Previously held a position of the Head of Asset management development department of AIFC Authority. He has over 16 years of experience in financial services industry.
Prior to joining AIFC Authority he was head of Treasury at the National Investment Corporation of the National Bank of Kazakhstan.
Mr. Bekturov also worked at the Development Bank of Kazakhstan and was involved in number of the landmark debt capital market transactions, such as first Sukuk issue in CIS region. Renat holds MSc degree in Banking and Finance with Distinction from University of Leicester and is a CFA Charter holder.
Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), Republic of Kazakhstan
Governor
Andy Tang
Partner at Draper Associates, Founding partner at Draper DragonAndy is a partner at Draper Associates, founding partner at Draper Dragon, and chair of the executive committee for Draper University.
Over 20 years of venture investing across ten fund vintages at Draper, he’s seeded over 15 technology unicorn companies in the software/AI, healthcare/biotech, crypto/fintech, and deep-tech spaces.
Andy first worked in R&D for semiconductor technologies at MIT, where he earned a US patent, before moving into commercial operations at Intel during its generations of chip design dominance. Following this, he moved into investment banking (Credit Suisse), then corporate venture (Infineon Technologies and ABB) before co-founding Draper Dragon with Tim Draper in 2006. Subsequently, he partnered with Tim to launch Draper Associates’ first outside fund in 2014. Finally, he manages DA’s limited partner co-investment program, as well as directs VCx, an invite-only alliance of family offices that promotes generational relationship-building, education, and investing.
Andy holds a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, an MS in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Andy was honored as a distinguished young alumnus by the Texas Governor Greg Abbott on behalf of The University of Texas at Austin.
Draper Associates
Partner,
Pujya Brahmavihari Swami
Spiritual Leader, Head of BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu DhabiPujya Brahmavihari Swami (Swami Brahmaviharidas) leads the BAPS Hindu Mandir project in Abu Dhabi, the first traditional stone temple in the Middle East, serving as a powerful symbol of cultural harmony and interfaith collaboration. He is also responsible for international relations at BAPS, steering the organization’s global outreach through its devotional, humanitarian, and spiritual initiatives.
Under his guidance, the temple has become a beacon of peace and unity, frequented by leaders and dignitaries from both the UAE and India. Notably, Swami Brahmaviharidas has held bilateral conversations with key figures such as Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, emphasizing shared values of coexistence and dialogue
The mandir’s inauguration itself was a landmark diplomatic moment: it was inaugurated by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and was further endorsed with land granted by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, underscoring the high-level support for the temple’s mission.
Head - BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi
Spiritual Leader,
H. E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti
Head of Cyber Security, United Arab Emirates GovernmentDr. Al Kuwaiti was appointed by the Cabinet as the Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government since 2020. As the Head of Cyber Security, his mandate includes responsibilities as the Chairman of the UAE Cyber Security Council as well as Managing Director of the National Data Centre under the Supreme Council for National Security. As the Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government by investiture, Dr. Al Kuwaiti has legal authority over all aspects pertaining to securing the cyberspace for the entire Nation. In his current role, Dr. Al Kuwaiti is tasked with the responsibility of charting the cyber security strategy for the Nation that not only equips the UAE to enter the digital era with capabilities to deal with the new threat landscape exacerbated by the pandemic, but also ensures UAE’s leadership in cyber security globally; towards establishing the UAE as the world’s leading trusted digital hub and supporting the Nation’s digital transformation agenda and the digital future of all residents who made UAE their home. Towards that end, he leads the Council to outline an implementation plan to protect the UAE cyberspace through emerging technologies such as Cloud, Big Data and AI in a whole-of-government approach coordinating and orchestrating efforts between Emirates and government entities via a unified platform built and managed by the Council. Under Dr. Al Kuwaiti’s leadership, the UAE has advanced 42 positions in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, rising to the 5th place globally from 47th in the previous assessment. Dr. Al Kuwaiti has also led UAE to many firsts, including Guinness World Records for having the most users in a cyber capture the flag (CTF) competition, the largest bug bounty competition and the largest cyber drill; all initiatives that aim at capacity building in cyber security and improving the technical competencies of cyber security professionals and enthusiasts. More importantly, he has been instrumental in advocating for realizing the value of cyber security by demonstrating cyber security as a critical business enabler. Since 2021, Dr. Al Kuwaiti plays the role of an ambassador for collaboration between the government and cyber agencies, helping to bridge the discussion between the two major stakeholders in the digital economy. Under his chaperone, key public-private partnerships were established between the UAE Cyber Security Council and leading local and international cyber security organizations with the goal of making a positive contribution to the UAE cyber agenda and be a major force that will benefit the global cyber security industry. Additionally, bilateral agreements established with countries both within the region and across the world contributed towards mutual information sharing, capacity development and legal assistance aid treaties, all key outcomes as a result of the National Cyber Security Strategy that he has put in place to realize the vision of the UAE for the next 50 years. Underscoring the UAE’s leadership in cyber security on a global stage under Dr. Kuwaiti’s tutelage, UAE plays a pivotal role in the Arab Regional Cybersecurity Centre with UAE being elected as the Vice Chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Computer Emergency Response Team to respond to cyber emergencies during the 10th Regional Cybersecurity Week for Arab Countries and OIC Member States in 2022. UAE also co-chairs the Information Sharing Committee in the White House Counter Ransomware Initiative, a coalition of 37 international partners. His contributions to accelerate the cyber security maturity of the Nation and fostering a vibrant cyber security ecosystem in the UAE have been recognized in multiple forums, including the (ISC)² Government Professional Award for EMEA. Dr. Al Kuwaiti also sits on the Boards of the UAE Council for Digital Wellbeing, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), Federal Geographic Information Center and is on the Advisory Committees of the College of Information Technology under United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC) under Khalifa University. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor under the Homeland Security Program at Rabdan Academy and a visiting lecturer on Cyber Security at universities such as Khalifa University and National Defense College in Abu Dhabi. Prior to his current appointments, Dr. Al Kuwaiti was with the National Electronic Security Authority in various appointments and capacity since 2013 where he was most recently the Executive Director of Government Operations managing National and International government relations. He had served as the Chief Technical Analyst at the Ministry of Interior where he had held other positions, such as Operations Director and CTO of the Counter Terrorism Center. Dr. Al Kuwaiti started his 20 year-long career as a Defense, Air, and Naval Military Attaché with the Embassy of The United Arab Emirates based in Washington, D.C. Dr. Al Kuwaiti has published numerous papers and keynoted at many conferences such as IEEE, RSA, Cyber Warfare Europe, Tele Strategies, ISS World MEA, IDEX, International Anti-Cyber Crimes Conference and Future War Summit. He is a highly sought after speaker internationally and has provided the main keynote address for more than 50 international, regional, and national cybersecurity events such as GITEX, GISEC and the World Government Summit, and has presented the UAE Cyber Security Framework at INTERPOL Global Cyberspace and Cybercrime Complex located in Singapore. Dr. Al Kuwaiti holds a Doctorate in Computer Engineering and Network Security from George Washington University in the U.S. and a master’s degree in Telecommunications and Computer Networks. He also holds a M.A. degree in International and Civil Security. Dr. Al Kuwaiti is an honorable member of the Society of Engineers, IEEE Society, Golden Key National Honor Society and Computer Society. His research interests are detecting, monitoring and responding to cyber warfare, network forensics, corporate governance & processes, and national cyber policy.
United Arab Emirates Government
Head of Cyber Security,
Dr. Marwan Alzarouni
CEO -AI, Dubai Economy and TourismDr. Marwan Al Zarouni is a leading figure in emerging technologies, serving as CEO of AI for Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the CEO of Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC). His appointment is part of Dubai's ambitious 'Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence', which aims to position the city as a global leader in AI innovation and implementation.
In his role at DET, Dr. Al Zarouni works closely with both the public and private sector to roll out policies and initiatives to harness AI to enhance the quality of life for Dubai's residents and enrich visitor experiences. As the CEO of Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC), he has been instrumental in driving blockchain adoption in the region. With over two decades of experience in technology, information security, digital forensics, and AI, he has driven significant advancements in blockchain adoption and AI innovation.
As a founding member of the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) and the Artificial Intelligence Ethical Committee (AIEC), Dr. Al Zarouni is recognized globally, including being named one of the top 100 influential figures in blockchain and cryptocurrencies by CoinTelegraph in 2022. His contributions to the field have also earned him a place as a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Cryptocurrencies from 2020 to 2021.
Dubai Economy and Tourism
CEO - AI
Cathy Hackl
Tech & Gaming Executive and CEOCathy Hackl is the Co-CEO of Future Dynamics and a globally recognized tech and gaming executive, futurist, and speaker known as the “Godmother of the Metaverse.” She is one of LinkedIn’s top tech voices, named among Ad Age’s Leading Women of 2023, featured on the cover of Forbes Latam’s 100 Most Powerful Women, and included in Vogue Business’s 100 Innovators list.Cathy has held leadership roles at Amazon Web Services, Magic Leap, and HTC VIVE, and has worked with Nike, Louis Vuitton, Walmart, Ralph Lauren, and Clinique on their emerging tech and gaming strategies. She has been featured by CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, The Economist, Time, and Good Morning America, and made history as the first person to ring the NASDAQ opening bell in both physical and avatar form.
Future Dynamics
Tech & Gaming Executive and CEO
Janet Adams
COO, SingularityNETJanet Adams is a Board Director of the Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) Alliance Council and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SingularityNET. She plays a pivotal role in leading AI and Blockchain initiatives across multiple vertical markets, including robotics, biotech, gaming and metaverse, media, DeFi, music, and arts.Janet Adams brings her extensive expertise and insights to the stage, captivating audiences with her deep understanding of disruptive technologies and their potential impact on various industries. With a passion for AI ethics and regulation, Janet’s talks often revolve around the responsible and ethical use of AI in today’s rapidly evolving world, alongside the positive potential of decentralised Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Her dedication to a positive and beneficial Singularity for the benefit of humanity makes her an influential thought leader in the AI and blockchain industries.
SingularityNET
COO
Thomas Clozel
CEO & Co-Founder, OwkinThomas is the CEO and Co-Founder at Owkin, leading medical research and business intelligence. He is a former Assistant Professor of Clinical Onco-Hematology at Hopital Henri Mondor in Paris and former member of Ari Melnick’s lab at the Weill Cornell Medical College where he co-led several projects focused on prediction of resistance to chemotherapy in B-cell lymphoma. He ensures that patient health is prioritized when developing breakthrough medical technologies, bringing a patient-centric approach to each Owkin project.
Owkin
CEO & Co-Founder,
Najyb Al Maskari
Executive Director‑ Gov Cybersecurity Ops, Department of Government EnablementNajyb Al Maskari serves as the Executive Director of Government Cybersecurity Operations at the Department of Government Enablement (DGE), Abu Dhabi. The DGE is mandated to drive digital transformation, government talent development, procurement efficiency, and service integration across Abu Dhabi’s public sector. Through its GovDigital portfolio, the department leads initiatives such as TAMM, the unified government services platform, and other programs designed to deliver secure, seamless, and citizen-focused services.
Department of Government Enablement
Executive Director‑ Gov Cybersecurity Ops
Andreas Feil
First Secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment Policy, German Embassy Abu DhabiAndreas Feil is a key expert on sustainability in the UAE, with deep insights into Germany’s and the UAE’s sustainability landscape, including the EV car industry. He studied Theology and Chinese Studies in Munich before joining the German foreign service in 2019. After three years in the department for humanitarian affairs, he was posted to the UAE in 2023, where he acted as key focal point for the preparations of COP28 at the German Embassy.Through his impactful Climate Talks initiative in the UAE, Andreas has organized numerous successful events on climate and sustainability, fostering collaboration with a wide range of organizations and partners. His particular expertise includes renewable energy, hydrogen, water management, desalination, waste management, and sustainable mobility. Passionate about languages and cultural exchange, he is currently learning Emirati Arabic.As a father of two, Andreas sees his work on sustainability as both a professional duty and a personal mission. For him, preserving a livable and prosperous planet for future generations is of utmost importance. In his free time, he enjoys camping in the desert and playing online chess.
German Embassy Abu Dhabi.
First Secretary for Climate, Energy
and Environment Policy
Dr. Hyunijin Kim
Strategy Professor, INSEADHyunjin is an assistant professor of Strategy at INSEAD. Her research focuses on how data and artificial intelligence (AI) impact firm decisions, and the implications for how firms compete and build competitive advantage. She leverages field experiments and computational methods to explore these questions, collaborating closely with Fortune 500 companies as well as tech startups.
Her research has received generous funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the Foundation for Human Behavior, and has been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Forbes, TIME, and Harvard Business Review. Hyunjin serves as an editorial board member at the Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, and Strategy Science. She also co-leads the Conference on Field Experiments in Strategy (CFXS).
Hyunjin earned her bachelor's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University, and masters degrees from the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics. Prior to academia, she co-founded and managed an early-stage venture capital fund, and worked at Knewton and McKinsey & Company
INSEAD
Strategy Professor
Marius Raileanu
Chief Data Officer, Department of Health Abu DhabiAs the Chief Data Officer at the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi, I’ve had the opportunity to work in a role that focuses on transforming healthcare through cutting-edge AI solutions. I'm proud to be working in a role that is helping to drive the use of AI across the healthcare system in Abu Dhabi.
Currently, my team and I are working on projects such as using AI for medical imaging and screening for diseases like breast and lung cancer. I’m particularly focused on global trends, including large language models (LLMs) for doctors and AI tools for early disease detection.
Before this, I worked at Microsoft, leading Data & AI for Retail and Travel. I’ve also held positions as Head of Data & Analytics at Al-Futtaim Group, Director of Analytics at Peakon, and Lead at both Majid Al Futtaim and Clariba. Through my previous experiences, I was able to build a bank of skills that have helped me throughout my career.
Why not follow me as I discuss how we're ensuring that AI is used safely and responsibly as we work towards creating a smarter, more efficient healthcare system in Abu Dhabi?
Department of Health Abu Dhabi
Chief Data Officer,
H.E. Eng. Amal Abdulrahim
Assistant Undersecretary for The Support Services Sector, Chief AI & Innovation Officer, UAE Ministry of Climate Change and EnvironmentH.E. Eng. Amal Abdulrahim serves as the Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector, as well as Chief AI Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE). In her leadership role, she spearheads the development and execution of strategic plans designed to enhance the Ministry’s operational efficiency while fostering innovation and creativity in alignment with the UAE's national goals. Her work is pivotal to advancing the UAE's climate action strategies, promoting environmental sustainability, and ensuring biodiversity protection. The Ministry focuses on policies that address climate change, ensure food security, and manage natural resources efficiently. It also champions green development initiatives that align with the UAE's national and international commitments. Eng. Amal plays a critical role in driving the integration of AI and digital transformation projects within the Ministry, supporting the nation's environmental and sustainability goals. She oversees key operational functions such as human resources, finance, and digital transformation, ensuring they align with the Ministry’s objectives and cultivate a culture of excellence. She has held numerous prominent leadership roles in various UAE government entities. At the Ministry of Education, she led strategic initiatives centered on innovation and process improvement, managing national strategies such as the MOE Innovation Strategy 2030 and the Higher Education Strategy 2031.
She also contributed to global efforts, including COP28. During her tenure at the Prime Minister’s Office, she oversaw performance management across federal entities, playing a pivotal role in the development of the UAE’s 50-Year Government Performance Roadmap. Her work provided
strategic guidance across critical sectors such as healthcare, energy, and education. At Dubai Municipality, she excelled in managing quality systems, strategic planning, and public infrastructure projects, achieving ISO certifications and driving customer satisfaction through process reengineering
and service enhancements. H.E. extensive expertise in leading both national and international projects has enabled her to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to implement solutions that align with the UAE’s ambitious environmental and sustainability targets.
Assistant Undersecretary for The Support
Services Sector, Chief AI & Innovation Officer,
UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
Sally Saab
AI Strategy & Transformation Coach, MubadalaSally Saab is an experienced professional with a strong background in productivity coaching, operations management, and client relations. Currently serving as a Productivity Coach and Consultant at Mubadala since May 2019, Sally successfully implemented M365 Copilot for 800 users globally, contributing to the organization's AI initiatives. As Co Partner at MeetNTrain since August 2021, Sally focuses on enhancing productivity. Previously, as Operations Manager at Canon Emirates, Sally conducted more than 200 Quarterly Review Meetings, achieving a 100% client retention rate with major clients like Mubadala and Dubai Airports. Additional roles include serving as the Ambassador's Personal Assistant at the Greek Embassy in Abu Dhabi and various internships including positions with the United Nations. Sally holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut and is pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration at Audencia, alongside a Master’s degree in International/Global Studies from the University of Wollongong in Dubai.
AI Strategy & Transformation Coach
Mubadala
H.E. Dr. Ohoud Shehail
Director General, Department of Digital AjmanHer Excellency Ohoud Shehail has been serving as the Director General of the Ajman Digital Authority since 2017, where she leads the Emirate’s digital transformation strategy, driving innovation, cybersecurity, and smart government initiatives. She is also a Board Member of Air Arabia and a member of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Ajman, as well as several national councils focused on AI, digital governance, and cybersecurity.Previously, H.E. Shehail held senior leadership roles including Director of the Sharjah e-Government Department and Acting Director of the Ajman Digital Department, where she oversaw major public sector modernization projects.A recipient of the “Distinguished Employee Award” from the Sharjah Government, H.E. Shehail holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Abu Dhabi University, an MBA from the American University of Sharjah, a Master’s in Strategic and Security Studies from the National Defence College of the UAE, and a Higher Diploma in Software Engineering. Her work continues to champion innovation, leadership, and digital excellence across the UAE’s public sector.
Department of Digital Ajman
Director General
Bushra AlBlooshi
Director, Governance and Risk Management, Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC)Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC)
Director, Governance and
Risk Management
Maitha Alnuaimi
GIS Center Department Director, Dubai MunicipalityMs. Maitha currently the director of the GIS Center department at Dubai Municipality, Maitha is Dubai’s first female Emirati drone pilot specialized in 3D mapping. She obtained her professional license as a drone pilot from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority after going through intensive training. She graduated with distinction from the UAE University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Geographic Information System (GIS). And holding two master’s degrees in city science and big data and business analytics. In 2019, she graduated from the National Program of Artificial Intelligence and She has been chosen as one of the top 20 young individuals from emerging talents in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries for the year 2021, who are under the age of 35.
Dubai Municipality
GIS Center Department Director,
Sandeep Nailwal
Co-Founder & CEO, Polygon FoundationSandeep Nailwal is the founder of Polygon and CEO of the Polygon Foundation, building infrastructure for a decentralized internet. He works with Marc Borion, CEO of Polygon Labs, to guide the protocol’s long-term growth. Nailwal began in blockchain with Bitcoin in 2013, later launching Polygon (originally Matic) in 2017 to scale Ethereum. Today, Polygon powers payments, RWAs, and Web3 adoption, with Agglayer as its next frontier. Beyond Polygon, Nailwal co-founded Sentient, launched Blockchain for Impact, and created the Nailwal Fellowship. He holds an MBA from NITIE.
Polygon Foundation
Co-Founder & CEO
Joseph Bradley
CEO, JMB X & Ex-CEO, TONOMUS (NEOM subsidiary)Joseph Bradley is a CEO and applied futurist with over 30 years of experience leading transformative innovation. He served as CEO of TONOMUS, the first subsidiary of NEOM, where he is building the world’s first cognitive community—overseeing a $500 billion
initiative to design and implement AI-powered infrastructure that anticipates human needs.Previously, Joseph spent 15 years at Cisco Systems as Global Vice President of IoT, Blockchain, AI, and Incubation Businesses. He also held leadership roles as CEO of C3 Communications and as Division CFO at AT&T.As a globally recognized applied futurist, Bradley is the author of two groundbreaking books. His first,
Questioneering: The New Model for Innovative Leaders in the Digital Age (2018), introduces a decision-making framework for leaders in the digital era. His forthcoming book, You to the Power of Two: Redefining Human Potential in the Age of AI, explores how a new and previously unexamined era of artificial intelligence will redefine our understanding of personal identity, enterprise value, and the human experience itself.
JMB X & Ex-CEO, TONOMUS (NEOM subsidiary)
CEO
Alex Aliper
Co-Founder and President, Insilico MedicineAlex Aliper, PhD, is the President of Insilico Medicine. He pioneered the application of AI in multi-omics data for drug discovery and drug repurposing, generative chemistry and generative biology and put an AI-designed drug into human clinical trials. He built a team of over 100 AI engineers that developed state-of-the-art software products for target discovery, small molecule generation and clinical trial outcome prediction, and he has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications. He was recognised as "Top 100 AI Leaders in Drug Discovery and Advanced Healthcare" by Deep Knowledge Analytics. In 2020, Endpoint News selected Alex Aliper as the top 20 under 40 biotechnology executives globally.
Insilico Medicine
Co-Founder and President,
Mohammad Almansoori
Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Ministry Of Foreign AffairsHe leads the Ministry’s digital transformation agenda, focusing on the deployment of AI and emerging technologies to enhance efficiency, security, and the customer experience across consular services. He has overseen major initiatives including Smart Mission, an AI-powered consular service point that integrates facial recognition, holographic interaction, and predictive analytics, and eDAS 2.0, MoFA’s digital attestation system that streamlines document authentication and ensures accuracy and transparency.
These initiatives earned national recognition, including the UAE AI Award for Service Excellence (2024) and the Zero Bureaucracy Award for Innovative Solutions (2025), positioning MoFA as a model of digital governance and AI adoption in government services. Al Mansoori holds degrees in Physiology (University of Manchester), Forensic Toxicology (University of Glasgow), and Global Aairs and Diplomatic Leadership (Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy).
Ministry Of Foreign Affairs
Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer
Kevin McAleenan
Chief Executive Officer, BigBear.aiKevin McAleenan is the CEO of BigBear.ai and serves on the company's Board of Directors. Before his promotion to CEO, Kevin served as President of BigBear.ai, where he led teams offering cutting-edge computer vision, simulation and modeling, and digital identity tools to support customers critical security and operational decisions. Kevin co-founded and led Pangiam as CEO and Chair of the Board until its acquisition by BigBear.ai, developing cutting edge biometric and AI products for security applications, for both government agencies and commercial customers.
Kevin brings experience from almost two decades of leadership in the U.S. Government to his role. He was the first career civil servant to be appointed and confirmed as Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2018, and he served most recently as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Donald Trump, where he led over 240,000 employees and oversaw operations at CBP, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the U.S. Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Secret Service, and others.
His past experiences include implementing innovations to the U.S. international arrival and departure process, developing comprehensive counterterrorism and risk management strategies, and overseeing the implementation of the U.S. government’s single window for international trade, a project that spanned over 4-dozen agencies. Kevin received several awards for his service and leadership including a Presidential Rank Award—the nation’s highest civil service award, a Service to America Medal, and multiple awards from travel and trade industry groups.
BigBear.ai
Chief Executive Officer,
Jim McLaughlin
Acting CTO, BigBear.aiJim McLaughlin will be BigBear.ai’s panel participant for the Future Trends in AI: Preparing Governance Ecosystems for the Decade to Come
Jim is currently the Acting CTO for BigBear.ai, a leader in AI-powered decision intelligence solutions, where he oversees solutions to support national security and strengthen critical infrastructure across government and commercial business. His 28-year career in technology and innovation began with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, leading national security systems, and progressing to become the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for technology as the Deputy CIO. Jim’s technology and thought leadership helped shape the U.S. Customs and Border Protection mission and programmatic efficacy for decades to come. Following his career in government, he was previously the CTO of Pangiam leading solutions in biometrics and commercial aviation. Jim has driven enterprise-level policy, operational procedures, and protocols by blending the responsible adoption of technology solutions aligned to the realities of practical and effective application to meet user's workflow needs. The experience of building and operating large scale, high-consequence, government systems has shaped and informed the creation and deployment of leading commercial solutions and products.
BigBear.ai
Acting CTO,
Zach Casper
Vice President of Technical Solutions, BigBear.aiZach Casper will be BigBear.ai’s panel participant for the Strengthening National Security through a Resilient Cybersecurity Framework panel within the AI Governance section.
Zach is the Vice President of Technical Solutions at BigBear.ai (BBAI), a leader in AI-powered decision intelligence solutions that operationalize artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) at scale to bring clarity to the world’s most complex challenges. With over 25 years of experience supporting U.S. defense and intelligence missions, Zach is a multidisciplinary engineer with deep expertise in the cyber domain. His background spans microelectronics, hardware and software reverse engineering, and software and firmware development, skills that have positioned him at the intersection of advanced technology and national security. He holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Akron and an M.S. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. At BigBear.ai, Zach leads the strategic application of the company’s AI solutions, driving innovation that delivers measurable impact for both government and commercial customers facing mission-critical challenges.
BigBear.ai
Vice President of Technical Solutions,
Emirates Health Services (EHS)
Chief AI Officer,
UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)
Chief AI Officer,
Dr. Víctor Mateu
Chief Researcher - Cryptography Research Center, Technology Innovation InstituteDr. Victor Mateu leads the research and development of cryptographic solutions in the cryptographic research center at TII.
His extensive expertise in applied cryptography spans among different areas such as secure protocol design, cryptographic engineering, security architecture for embedded systems, design of electronic voting solutions, zero knowledge proofs, and quantum resistant cryptography.
Dr. Mateu has written multiple conference papers, and also IEEE and Elsevier journal papers and book chapters. Moreover, he has also actively contributed in several open source projects supporting cryptographic libraries and its integration in company products for international companies.
Technology Innovation Institute
Chief Researcher - Cryptography Research Center,
Zaid Kamhawi
Chief Research & Development Officer, Saudi Credit Bureau - SIMAHZaid Kamhawi is a driving force behind innovation in Saudi Arabia’s credit reporting and financial data ecosystem. As a senior leader at SIMAH, he contributes to the transformation of the Kingdom’s financial infrastructure through AI, advanced credit risk analytics and open innovation, positioning SIMAH as a key enabler of the national financial ecosystem.Formerly the CEO of Qarar, Zaid focuses on building scalable, technology-driven businesses and fostering collaboration across fintechs, regulators, and financial institutions. He brings deep expertise in the decision automation and risk analytics industry. He has also worked across multiple industries including trade credit insurance, HR consulting, and management consulting giving him a broad perspective on innovation, risk, and organisational transformation.
Saudi Credit Bureau - SIMAH
Chief Research & Development Officer
Dr. Saeed Al Mansoori
Director of the Remote Sensing Department, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC)Dr. Saeed Al Mansoori is the Director of the Remote Sensing Department at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and the head of the MBRSC Lab at the University of Dubai. He has received B.Sc. degree in Communication Engineering from Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR), Sharjah, UAE in 2010 and the M.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from American University of Sharjah (AUS) in 2016. In 2024, Saeed received a PhD in computer science from the British University in Dubai. Saeed's research interests include signal and image processing, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, GIS, etc. He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a Senior Member of the international society for optics and phot
Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC)
Director of the Remote Sensing Department
Philippe Gerwill
Executive Advisor - Digitalization Humanist, Futurist/Board Member, PGEA LtdPhilippe Gerwill is a Digitalization Humanist and Futurist who bridges the gap between advanced technology and human-centered innovation. Known globally for his keynote talks, he advocates that technology must serve humanity, not replace it. His expertise spans digital health, AI, IoT, big data, AR/VR, 5G, blockchain, and the emerging frontier of healthcare in the Metaverse.
With nearly three decades of global leadership roles in the specialty chemicals and pharmaceutical industries, Philippe has cultivated deep industry expertise and cultural insights. Since 2022, he has dedicated his career to advisory and thought leadership, driven by a commitment to shape a sustainable, human-centric future.
He now serves as an executive advisor, board member, and consultant to companies worldwide, focusing primarily on healthcare, while also contributing to manufacturing and supply chain transformation. His work with organizations such as Aimedis, DayOne Tech, Tata Elxsi, MicroGrid Inc., Future is Meta, Med-Tech World, HIMSS, and the African Medical Tourism Congress reflects his global impact.
Philippe’s mission is clear: to ensure that technology enhances empathy, accessibility, and progress — keeping humanity at the center of digital transformation.
PGEA Ltd
Executive Advisor - Digitalization
Humanist
Latifa Al Shehhi
Chief AI Officer, Ministry of InvestmentLatifa Alshehhi is a visionary Data-Tech leader and AI strategist shaping the UAE’s future through data-driven policymaking, intelligence enablement, and data governance. With over a decade of experience across key government entities, she has played a central role in advancing national data strategies, AI adoption, and digital transformation.Currently serving as the Chief AI Officer at the UAE Ministry of Investment & Ambassador for Women in Ai UAE. As CAIO and Director of Investment Data Department , she leads the development of Data and AI strategies that support the UAE’s investment agenda, building a robust intelligence ecosystem that delivers marketing analysis, country profiles, and strategic insights while ensuring international data compliance and strengthening the UAE’s position as a global investment hub.
Ministry of Investment
Chief AI Officer
Maria D. Toler
Founding Partner, SteelSky VenturesMaria D. Toler is the Founding and Managing Partner of SteelSky Ventures, a $100 million venture capital fund transforming healthcare through AI-driven technology investments. SteelSky backs bold, scalable innovations that improve access, care, and outcomes across the healthcare ecosystem.
The fund’s limited partners include influential institutions such as Eli Lilly, Bank of America, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford Health, WellStar Health System, and Blue Shield of California.
SteelSky’s portfolio, now valued at over $7 billion, features category leaders like Zipline, an autonomous drone delivery platform expanding access to prescription medicines and supplies, and MIDI Health, the leading virtual clinic for women aged 40 and older.
A trailblazer in venture capital and health innovation, Maria is a sought-after voice on building inclusive markets and funding the next generation of healthcare disruptors. She has spoken at forums including the Milken Institute, Aspen Institute, and the American Hospital Association. In 2024, she advised the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research and was featured on The Today Show.
Her leadership has earned recognition such as the NYU Stern Alumni Changemaker Award, Forbes’ Top VCs to Watch, the 2025 Health Equity Leader of the Year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship.
Maria holds a B.S. in Information Systems from Wake Forest University and an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from NYU Stern. She serves on high-impact boards including the Yale Center for Health and Innovation, MassChallenge, and the National Patient Advocate Foundation.
SteelSky Ventures
Founding Partner
Paula Naoufal
Senior Reporter and Presenter, CNN Business ArabicPaula Naoufal is an award-winning journalist and Senior Reporter at CNN Business Arabic with over a decade of experience in media and communication. She has interviewed heads of state, prime ministers, and global business leaders — including the President of Iraq, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Prime Minister of Scotland, the CEO of Aramco, GCC ministers, and Royal Highnesses.She has covered major international events including the World Economic Forum in Davos, OPEC+ meetings in Vienna, and the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in DC, among other high-level global gatherings. Beyond reporting and presenting, Paula has moderated high-level panels across the region alongside ministers, CEOs, and Royal Highnesses, bringing regional insight to global economic discussions.She also serves on the Selection Committee of the International Energy Journalism Awards, selecting the yearly winners in energy and business reporting.Before joining CNN, she worked at Asharq News with Bloomberg and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She holds a master’s degree in Risk Analysis from King’s College London and is currently pursuing a PhD in Media and Communication at the University of Leicester.
CNN Business Arabic
Senior Reporter and Presenter
Alsaadi Alya
INTERPOL Cyber Program Coordinator, INTERPOLAlya Mabrouk AlSaadi is a Cyber Programme Coordinator at INTERPOL, based at the Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore. With over ten years of experience in cybercrime analysis, risk management, and cybersecurity operations, she leads global partnerships and strategic initiatives to strengthen law-enforcement capacity worldwide. Before joining INTERPOL, she served with Dubai Police, where she managed cybercrime investigations and awareness campaigns that advanced national cybersecurity resilience. Alya is also recognized for her leadership in developing training programmes and coordinating international Cyberdrills, including the world’s largest exercise held at GISEC Global 2024.
INTERPOL
INTERPOL Cyber Program Coordinator,
Stanford University
Director of Compassionate
Sustainability /School of Medicine
John Lilic
Shareholder & Advisory Board Member, Hilbert GroupJohn Lilic is a long time blockchain and cryptocurrency community member whose exposure to the sector started in 2014 at the NYC Bitcoin Center locaed at 40 Broad Street next to the NYSE in the heart of Wall Street, where he volunteered.
John is also an early Ethereum contributor and one of the first team members of ConsenSys. During his 6 years at ConsenSys, John participated in driving core infrastructure, enterprise adoption and global growth of the Ethereum ecosystem. He later became a founding contributor to Polygon, supporting its rise as Ethereum’s leading scaling solution. John is also an active venture capital investor focusing on Ethereum and Web3 projects (cryptographic infrastructure and decentralized finance), quantum cryptography and AI ventures.
Hilbert Group
Shareholder & Advisory
Board Member
Nader M. Ghazal
Chairman, African-Asian Council for AI & Cybersecurity-CAAAICDr. Nader is a pioneering voice in artificial intelligence and digital transformation, with over three decades dedicated to advancing innovation, education, and ethical technology leadership. Holding a Ph.D. in AI from the U.S. and certifications from MIT, the University of Virginia, and UNSW, he has shaped national and organizational strategies across education, cybersecurity, and digital policy.
As Chairman of the African-Asian Council for AI and Cybersecurity and a member of the Global AI Forum Advisory Board, he continues to influence the global dialogue on responsible AI adoption. A former advisor to the Lebanese Prime Minister and adjunct faculty at Khalifa University, he is celebrated for bridging academia, government, and industry to drive human-centric technological progress.
African-Asian Council for AI & Cybersecurity-CAAAIC
Chairman
Prof. Samir El-Masri
Founder and President, Arab Society for Digital Transformation, United Arab EmiratesProf. Samir El-A person in a suit and tie
AI-generated content may be incorrect.Masri is a leading authority in Digital Transformation with 30+ years of experience spanning academia, global consulting, and executive advisory roles. He is the Founder and President of the Arab Society for Digital Transformation and CEO of Digitalization, with impact across Oil & Gas, Energy, Finance, Telecom, Healthcare, Government, and beyond.
A Full Professor of Artificial Intelligence, he holds a PhD in AI, has published over 150 research papers, and served in senior academic positions in France, Japan, Australia, and the Gulf. His corporate career includes leadership roles with INPG (France), GE (USA), NTT (Japan), and DWS (Australia).
Prof. El-Masri is the creator of the DC-METRICS framework, adopted by governments and enterprises to drive transformation across Mindset, Strategy, Technology, Innovation, Cybersecurity, and more. He also consults to the G20-affiliated Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), contributing to its Annual Digital Economy Trends Report for 2025 and 2026.
Recognized as Instructor of the Year (AI & Digital) for MENA by CertNexus (New York, 2022), he is a sought-after international keynote speaker, consultant, and trainer on AI, Generative AI, Agentic AI, IoT, Cloud, Big Data, and Blockchain. He has delivered hundreds of programs worldwide and authored Digital Transformation Unlocked, a practical guide for digital leaders.
Arab Society for Digital Transformation, UAE
Founder and President
Quentin Reyes
CEO HyperfusionQuentin Reyes is an accomplished executive with a strong background in venture capital, technology, and operations. Currently serving as CEO of HyperFusion since May 2022, a leading Generative AI Cloud provider in the GCC region, Quentin also co-founded and holds the position of Managing Director at Alpha Praetorian Capital, which invests in high-value startups within the digital asset economy. Additional entrepreneurial ventures include co-founding NOWHERE Society, a luxury private membership club, and APC Labs. Previous roles include leadership positions at capital.com and 施北有限公司, as well as project management at Swisscom Blockchain and swissnex China. Quentin holds a Bachelor of Science in Business/Managerial Economics from HEC Lausanne and has pursued further education at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and East China Normal University.
Hyperfusion
CEO,
Government of Abu Dhabi (UAE)
Director - AI Expert - Cyber Security
Maxim Shkvaruk
Founder and Managing Director, Atlas VenturesMaxim is Founder and Managing Director at Atlas Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund based in Singapore. Atlas Ventures backs ambitious founders at the earliest stages of their entrepreneurial journey. The fund primarily focuses on Southeast Asian startups in fast-growing, largely overlooked industries. Maxim has
led investments in 30+ companies, including Group IB (one of the global leaders in providing high-fidelity threat intelligence and anti-fraud solutions), Tier One (the first esports and gaming talent agency in SEA), Mighty Bear (a Singapore-based studio building the next generation of Web3 games), HealthifyMe (India’s largest health and fitness app), Workmate (Southeast Asia’s largest online staffing platform for the blue
collar workforce), Right-Hand Cybersecurity (leading cyberawareness provider in APAC), etc.
Prior to joining Atlas Ventures, Maxim spent five years as an investor at Frontier Ventures, a US$50M early-stage venture fund focused on startups with strong network effects globally. Maxim helped spearhead investments into a number of leading players in various spaces and geographies, including ivi.ru (largest “over the top” online video company in the Eastern Europe), Profi (leading online services marketplace company in the Eastern Europe), Chope.com (biggest restaurant reservation platform in SEA), Expert360.com (largest online marketplace for
professional consultants in APAC) and Frontier Car Group (one of the largest online used car platforms in SEA, LatAm and Africa).
Atlas Ventures
Founder and Managing Director,
Bilal Baloch
Partner, ShorooqDr. Bilal Baloch is a Partner at Shorooq, the region’s leading multidimensional investment firm. He is the exited Co-Founder and previously CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Enquire AI, a software company that uses artificial intelligence to verify and deliver expert insights to organizations worldwide. He has spent the past fifteen years in Washington, New York, and London at the intersection of research, consulting, and technology with a focus on global macro and political risk. He received his doctorate from the University of Oxford, master’s from Tufts University, and bachelor’s from the London School of Economics.
Shorooq
Partner,
Dr Asma Almannaei
Executive Director Digital Health, Department of HealthDr. Asma Al Mannaei is the Executive Director of the Health Life Sciences Sector at the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH), where she drives the emirate’s life sciences strategy and oversees transformative initiatives at the intersection of healthcare, research, and innovation. With over 20 years of experience in health and life sciences, strategic planning, and quality, she combines a strong academic foundation in public health, research, and artificial intelligence with a forward-looking vision for global health systems.
Passionate about building resilient and sustainable health systems, she is committed to cultivating innovation, advancing biomedical research, and forging global partnerships with academia, industry, and policy leaders. Her mission is to integrate genomics, AI, and big data into life sciences strategy, delivering equitable, patient-centered care while driving Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become a world-leading center of healthcare and life sciences
innovation.
Department of Health
Executive Director Digital Health,
Dr. Ali Ismail Awad
Associate Professor of Cybersecurity, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)Ali Ismail Awad (Ph.D., SMIEEE, MACM) is an Associate Professor at the College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, where he coordinated the master’s program in Information Security(2022–2025). He was an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K. (2023–2025), and a Visiting Researcher at the University of Plymouth, Plymouth, U.K. (2018–2023).
Dr. Awad joined the Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering at Luleå University of Technology (LTU), Luleå, Sweden, in 2013. In 2017, he was promoted to Associate Professor (Docent) and served as the coordinator of the master’s program in Information Security (2017–2020). In recognition of his teaching excellence and pedagogical achievements, he was promoted to the rank of Recognized University Teacher at LTU in 2021. His research interests include cybersecurity, network security, Internet of Things (IoT) security, and image analysis with biometrics and medical imaging applications. He has edited or co- edited several books and authored or co-authored numerous journal articles and conference papers in these areas of interest. He was recognized as one of the top 2% of influential scientists worldwide (2021–2025).
Associate Professor of Cybersecurity
United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)
Marwan Alkaabi
Chief Executive Officer, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical CityDr. Marwan Al Kaabi is the chief executive officer (CEO) at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC). With over 20 years of hands-on experience in successfully performing complex operations and leading large teams, Dr. Al Kaabi has earned a reputation as an expert in driving operational efficiency, improving customer care and enterprise risk management.Dr. Al Kaabi served as the chief operations officer (COO) at Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), where his visionary leadership steered the organisation through multiple strategic initiatives. Driven by a commitment to advancing healthcare delivery, Dr. Al Kaabi brings a wealth of experience, expertise and a proven track record of success to SSMC. Additionally, he is a member of the Advisory Board of the United Arab Emirates University and the Leaders Advisory Board of the Arab Hospitals Federation. He has recently been appointed as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Khalifa University to collaborate with Faculty members on research projects in compliance with policies and procedures.Dr. Al Kaabi is a Medical Doctor (M.D.) and holds a Master’s degree in Health Emergency Management from Boston University, United States, and executive certificate in managing healthcare delivery from Harvard Business School. His academic pursuits have equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of medical practice and healthcare management.
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City
Chief Executive Officer,
Deepak Gupta
Group Chief Technology & Product Officer, Automotive Manufacturers Private LimitedDeepak Gupta is a multi-award-winning technology executive with over 25 years of experience in AI leadership, digital transformation, and enterprise architecture across FinTech, automotive, telecom, e-commerce, and global enterprises. He currently serves as Group Chief Technology & Product Officer (CTPO) at AMPL,and was previously Group CTO & VP of Engineering at CARS24, where he scaled multi-cloud
engineering, GenAI adoption, and developer productivity transformations.
At CARS24, Deepak established the company’s AI-first operating model, driving initiatives in Generative AI personalization, AI-powered pricing engines, fraud detection, credit scoring, and conversational AI platforms. Under his leadership, LLM-powered assistants and AI-driven chatbots were deployed to streamline customer journeys, automate NBFC/insurance workflows, and reduce operational turnaround by 40%. He also introduced AI-enabled cloud FinOps, cutting costs by 40%, while AI-powered customer 360 insights boosted retention by 15%.
Before CARS24, Deepak served as Chief Technical Architect at Airtel Africa, where he built AI-first digital platforms across 14 countries, serving over 100M+ customers. His leadership delivered AI-powered credit scoring, fraud detection, and customer 360 platforms, enabling new financial inclusion models and reducing fraud losses at scale. These platforms became the backbone of Airtel’s digital transformation, driving data-driven lending, AI-based risk management, and hyper-personalized customer engagement across the continent.
Automotive Manufacturers Private Limited
Group Chief Technology & Product Officer,
Hassa Al Mazrouei
Medical Director, SSMC/ International Patient Experience, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical CityDr. Hassa Al Mazrouei serves as Executive and International Patient Services and Patient Experience at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), one of the United Arab Emirates' foremost tertiary academic hospitals. With over 15 years of clinical and leadership experience, Dr. Al Mazrouei is widely recognized for her contributions to advancing patient-entered care, operational excellence and medical education. Her work is centered on
enhancing the patient journey, optimizing clinical efficiency and leading strategic service improvements across complex healthcare pathways. In 2025, she established and now leads SSMC's Rare Disease Program-an initiative focused on improving access, coordination and outcomes for patients with complex and underserved conditions.
Dr. Al Mazrouei is also a prominent advocate for digital transformation in healthcare. She completed the distinguished International Executive Program in Artificial Intelligence at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), equipping her with the expertise to lead AI integration initiatives within clinical operations. Her approach combines deep clinical insight with a forward-looking vision to harness technology in elevating healthcare delivery.
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City
Medical Director, SSMC/ International
Patient Experience
Samantha Evans
Managing Director, MENA Startup GenomeSamantha is a global innovation strategist with over 15 years of experience designing and delivering high-impact, creative economic development initiatives that accelerate technology adoption, entrepreneurship, and sustainable growth. Her work spans the UK, Europe, the U.S., Asia, and the Middle East, where she has helped governments, corporates, and scaleups unlock new markets, attract investment, and build globally competitive innovation ecosystems.As Managing Director for MENA at Startup Genome, Sam leads regional strategy across the GCC and North Africa - developing practical, results-oriented strategies rooted in her global experience of what drives success in leading tech ecosystems. She works closely with government entities and innovation leaders to future-proof national innovation strategies, while designing and delivering programs that align with economic development goals and commercial growth pathways for high-potential startups and scaleups.Previously, Sam led the international division at Tech Nation, the UK’s flagship tech growth platform, where she launched and scaled global expansion programs for over 500 high-potential startups. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade in Silicon Valley and New York, leading the UK Government’s trade and innovation efforts in the U.S., and working hands-on with some of the world’s most dynamic tech companies entering international markets.
Startup Genome
Managing Director, MENA
Helen Ye
CEO, Qubit UnderwritingHelen is the founder and CEO of Qubit Underwriting, the first and only Lloyd’s Coverholder specialised in digital asset insurance in APAC. With 20 years in (re)insurance, she pioneered digital asset insurance in 2021. Previously, she led Verisk’s Asia operations, grew Aon Re into China’s top reinsurance broker, and held executive underwriting roles at Bank of China Group Insurance and QBE Asia. A Peking University and University of Chicago graduate, she combines deep risk expertise with a passion for Insurtech innovation.
CEO
Qubit Underwriting
Mahyar Salek
CTO & President, DeepcellMahyar “Yar” Salek is Co-founder, CTO & President of Deepcell, the AI-powered single-cell morphology company behind the REM-I platform and a foundation model trained on 3B+ cell images. His team has raised $100M+, partnered with leading hospitals and biopharma, and earned industry recognition (BioTech Breakthrough Company of the Year 2023, iF Design Award 2023, The Scientist Top 10 Innovations 2024, Forbes AI 50 2022). Previously at Google, Yar led “Store Visits,” an AI ad product to connect online and offline behavior of customers, and he conducted postdoctoral research at Microsoft Research Cambridge. He holds a PhD in Computer Science (USC) and multiple awards, patents, with publications spanning Nature, FOCS, KDD, AAAI etc.
CTO & President
Deepcell
Hasnae Taleb
Managing Partner, Chief Investment Officer, Miltiply CapitalHasnae Taleb is a multi-award-winning stock trader, investor, founder, managing partner who has made history by becoming the first Arab and African woman to be nominated by the Nasdaq Stock Market and was recognized by the U.S. Department of State for her outstanding contributions to the financial world.
With over 12 years of experience in capital markets, Hasnae helps family offices, HNWIs, and institutional clients manage and grow their wealth through tailored asset management strategies and proprietary funds. At Mintiply Capital, she leads initiatives across M&A advisory, portfolio construction, and algorithmic trading, while co-investing in high-growth startups through a joint SPV with Fuel Venture Capital. She actively supports startup scaling, exits, and cross-border expansion. Her expertise also includes building white-label trading bots for investment institutions and asset managers. Currently, she is part of funds with assets under management exceeding $3.8 billion, making her a trusted partner for those seeking to optimize performance and preserve long-term value.
Managing Partner, Chief Investment Officer
Miltiply Capital
PJ McCloskey
Director, MCC Economics & FinancePJ McCloskey is a consultant who specialises in economics and finance in regulated sectors. His specialist subjects are WACC and rates of return, where he has been an expert witness for a UK regulator, a special advisor to the Australian Energy Regulator, alongside publishing academic research on the Total Market Return, or Expected Market Return, for the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM).
PJ McCloskey also specialises in: corporate finance; project finance; financeability; credit ratings; financial modelling; benchmarking; cost reporting; and business plans.
Director
MCC Economics & Finance
Timur Kudratov
Co-Founder and Board Member, Enlightened Minds InvestmentsTimur Kudratov is the Founder and Chairman of Enlightened Minds Investments, a Dubai-based ecosystem empowering tech founders, start-ups, and global investors. He also leads the Limitless Club, an exclusive network of high-net-worth founders and investors, and co-founded AiXL8, the AI-hub, accelerator, and R&D arm under Enlightened Minds, driving technology adoption and future-skills development. Previously, Timur founded and led World Key Concierge, a diversified holding company spanning lifestyle, events, and real estate services across the UAE and globally. His work bridges innovation, investment, and community — fostering impactful ventures at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship.
Co-Founder and Board Member
Enlightened Minds Investments
Dr. Ruchi Dana
Partner, MFV PartnersDr. Ruchi Dana is a physician-turned-entrepreneur and investor, serving as a Partner at MFV Partners. With a strong background in healthcare, technology, and venture capital, she brings over a decade of experience in medical devices and startup investments. Ruchi did her MD from AMU and her full-time MBA from Stanford University. Ruchi also received her PMP Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation from Stanford University. Ruchi is a frequent speaker at various industry conferences and sits on several Corporate and Startup boards including Dana Group of Companies, UAE and Duluth Medical Technologies Inc, US. Ruchi has been recognized by Forbes Middle East as the “Next Generation Business Leader, Arab World” for 3 consecutive years 2017, 2018 and 2019. She has also been recognized by Campden Wealth as the “Women to Watch” 2018 issue, and was conferred with the Yuva Ratna Award, 2018. Ruchi has also been recognized as “Top 75 Family Business Leaders” 2019 by Campden Research (UK). Recently, Dr Ruchi was featured on the Forbes ME Top Power Businesswomen 2020, Forbes ME Healthcare Leader 2024 and 2025.
Partner,
MFV Partners
Sir Martin Sorrell
Executive Chairman, S4 CapitalSir Martin Sorrell is Founder and Executive Chairman of S4 Capital PLC, a new age / new era, purely digital advertising and marketing services business for global, multinational, and millennial-driven influencer brands. S4 Capital, which started in 2018, has over 7,000 people in 33 countries and is listed on the London Stock Exchange under SFOR.L.Sir Martin was Founder and CEO of WPP for 33 years, building it into the world’s largest advertising and marketing services company, with a market capitalization of over £16 billion, when he left. He was educated at Cambridge University and Harvard Business School, received the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award and was ranked as the second best-performing CEO in the world by the Harvard Business Review in 2016
Executive Chairman
S4 Capital
Dr. Abdalla Sulaiman Ahmed Sulaiman
Chief Innovation Officer & Director of Strategic and Future Department & Chief Innovation Officer, Ministry of Justice UAEDr Abdalla Sulaiman Alhammadi is the Chief Executive Officer for Innovation at the UAE Ministry of Justice. He leads national initiatives that leverage artificial intelligence, data and advanced technologies to enhance judicial services, improve access to justice, and support evidence-based decision-making. He also oversees the implementation of the Ministry’s transformational programmes and innovative projects, drawing on more than 23 years of experience in government excellence, strategy and organisational innovation, during which he has led major government projects and large-scale transformation initiatives.
Chief Innovation Officer
Ministry of Justice UAE
Dr. Mo Khodadadi
Executive Director ‑ Data & AI, PureHealthDr. Mohammad (“Mo”) Khodadadi is a global AI leader and the Executive of AI at PureHealth, the world's largest intelligent integrated health ecosystem, headquartered in Abu Dhabi. He is responsible for architecting the group's AI vision and the AI-powered operating model for the world's largest integrated health ecosystem. That is to drive innovation across an ecosystem of 100,000 clinicians and 40 million patients, redefining what's possible in intelligent medicine. His career is defined by scaling complex AI systems, from the leadership team at Babylon Health during its rise to a £2B valuation, to founding the personalized nutrition and chronic condition management ventures. Mo excels at bridging deep science with enterprise strategy to drive transformative clinical and business outcomes.
Executive Director ‑ Data & AI
PureHealth
Mark Machin
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Intrepid Growth PartnersDr Mark Machin is Founder and Managing Partner of Intrepid Growth Partners. He is also Co- Founder and Vice Chair of Opto Investments. Mark is also a member of GIC’s InternaDonal Advisory Board and Non-ExecuDve Director of CVC Capital and Chair of the RemuneraDon CommiLee. From 2016 to 2021, he served as the President and Chief ExecuDve Officer of CPP Investments. He joined CPP Investments in 2012 and was Senior Managing Director and Head of InternaDonal based in Hong Kong. Prior, Dr Machin had a 20-year career at Goldman Sachs in London and Hong Kong, where for 11 years, he headed Capital Markets and Investment Banking in Asia ex-Japan. He is an advisor to a number of technology funds and AI-related companies, is a Strategic Advisor to FCLTGlobal and OMNIYAT Group and is also on the board of the AtlanDc Council. Dr Machin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Physiological Sciences from Oxford University and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Cambridge University.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Intrepid Growth Partners
Raakin Iqbal
Co-Founder & CEO, Nucleus AIRaakin "Raakin Roll" Iqbal is CEO and Co-Founder of Nucleus AI/ The A.I Brain Company, pioneering the path to Artificial General Intelligence through quantum-inspired memory architectures that solve AI's fundamental context limitations. His work spans frontier AI research and government deployment—with successful pilots at Dubai International Airport demonstrating neural intelligence capabilities, and advising MENASA government leaders on superintelligence readiness. Selected for the DET cohort as the initial 30 companies, which was shared by HH Sheikh Hamdan, Raakin combines deep technical innovation with practical systems transformation across large-scale government infrastructure.A serial entrepreneur who created the first nationwide COVID testing tool in the U.S. (sponsored by Google, featured in Business Insider and The New York Post), he was recognized by The Washington Post as a "South Asian music mogul" before turning his focus to solving AGI's memory crisis. With multiple provisional patents in episodic memory systems and backing from NVIDIA, AWS, and Dubai Future Foundation, Raakin is reshaping how enterprises and governments prepare for the superintelligence era—not through vendor-wrapped solutions, but through fundamental architectural breakthroughs that enable AI systems to think, remember, and reason at scale.
Co-Founder & CEO
Nucleus AI
Mohammed Soliman
Director, Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program, Middle East InstituteMohammed Soliman is Director at McLarty Associates, where he advises global clients on the nexus of AI, finance, and energy across emerging markets. He also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, D.C., where he leads the institute’s AI and emerging technologies policy workstream, exploring the geopolitical and economic implications of emerging technologies.
A trained engineer and alumnus of one of the “Magnificent Seven” AI labs, Mr. Soliman is the author of the forthcoming book West Asia, which redefines the strategic geography of the Middle East in an era of technological transformation. He is also a frequent public speaker at global forums on AI, technology policy, and business strategy.
Director, Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program
Middle East Institute
Diana Hamade
Founder & Managing Partner, Diana Hamade Attorneys at LawDiana is the founder of Diana Hamade Attorneys at Law and a UAE licensed lawyer with right of audience before all UAE Courts. Diana is an expert in civil and sharia law, specializing in family law matters with an emphasis on succession planning and private client practice. She is a highly recommended expert in private client matters by institutions like Chambers and Spears. She has also published many articles on different areas of UAE law for publications such as LexisNexis, ICLG, Thomson Reuters, and Mondaq.
Founder & Managing Partner
Diana Hamade Attorneys at Law
Nena Dokuzo
Head of Project group for New Economy and Blockchain Technology, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology in SloveniaNena Dokuzov is responsible for digital transformation of economy at the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport in Slovenia. She designed first global strategic document on Blockchain – Action plan of Blockchain in Slovenia. As result, blockchain was implemented in different industrial fields in Slovenia.
She was also national representative at European Blockchain Partnership and is an Assembly member of EDIC - EUROPEUM, first blockchain institution in EUROPE.
She is also Head of Delegation of Slovenia at UNECE and was a member of expert team at UN/CEFACT in the preparation on Whiteparer on Blockchain and practical implications of Blockchain Technology for the achievment of SDGs 2030.
She was also a member of OECD BEPAB (Blockchain Expert Policy Advisory Board) and a Vice Chair of Advisory Group for Advanced Technologies at UNECE. She is a member of INATBA GAB (Government advisory board). She is a vice chair of Government Advisory board of INATBA.
She leaded first NFT project launched by a government -NFT of Slovenian Tourism and the Economy at EXPO 2020 in Dubai. She was also active member in designing first COP in the metaverse, METACOP 27 which was presented through COP 27 in Egypt.
Coordinator of the Strategy of Digital Transformation of Economy
Ministry of Economic Development and
Technology in Slovenia
Herbert Sim aka Bitcoin Man®
CMO, AICEAN.IOMr Sim was the global operations director at HUOBI (2017-2018) and CMO of russian crypto exchange - Cryptology. He is currently CMO of AICEAN.IO - AI 'Text to Video' project, backed by renown film maker & actor - Stephen Chow.Mr Sim has a MBA from University of Wolverhampton, UK; and BA in Mass communications from Oklahoma City University, USA.Mr Sim, is legacy verified 'blue tick' public figure across all major social media platforms since 2015, with over 3-million followers.Mr Sim, is behind philosophies such as Transhumanism.com (EST 1997), CounterEconomics.com (EST 2011), and more.facebook.com/herbertrsim
Instagram.com/herbertrsim
Twitter.com/herbertrsim
linkedin.com/in/herbertsim
CMO
AICEAN.IO
Carter Tian
Chief Solution Architect, AI Expert of META Region, Alibaba CloudWith fifteen years of experience in the ICT and cloud computing sectors, established a robust career that spans telecommunications, the broader internet landscape and transportation logistics. Expertise encompasses database management, large-scale system architecture design, and streaming media and AI technologies. Throughout professional journey, Carter worked in diverse locations, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Hong Kong, and Macau, demonstrating a strong ability to adapt to different markets and cultural contexts.
Chief Solution Architect,
AI Expert of META Region
Alibaba Cloud
Amina Abdulrahim
Executive Director of ICT and IT Security,American University of SharjahAmina Abdulrahim is the Executive Director of the ICT and IT Security Department at the American University of Sharjah, bringing over 18 years of leadership experience in IT management and strategic planning. In her role, she spearheads the university’s comprehensive digital transformation agenda, overseeing critical projects in infrastructure, cybersecurity, educational technology, enterprise applications, and IT governance. Her work is focused on advancing the institution’s digital capabilities, ensuring alignment with academic, research, and administrative goals, and fostering a secure, innovative, and future-ready technology environment.
Executive Director of ICT and IT Security
American University of Sharjah
Barnabas Reynolds
Partner, Sullivan & CromwellBarnabas (Barney) Reynolds is a partner in Sullivan & Cromwell’s Financial Services Group. He is a leading financial institutions practitioner, advising financial institutions, boards, and senior executives on risk management, regulatory changes, and compliance. He frequently engages with policymakers and regulators on complex domestic and cross-border financial services matters. He helped numerous financial institutions during the 2008 financial crisis, the Eurozone crisis of 2009-2012, and the Credit Suisse and Silicon Valley Bank situations. He has played a significant role in the development of financial regulatory regimes, including advising on the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). He also advised the UK government and market participants on legal and regulatory issues arising from the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.
He was educated at Downing College (Law), and Queens’ College (LLM), Cambridge.
Partner
Sullivan & Cromwell
Ksenia Zaykova
Founder, NODE Communications, Chief Communications Officer, AngelsDeck Global VenturesKsenia Zaykova is a communication strategist, investor relations expert, and professional moderator based in Dubai. As the Founder of NODE Communications and Chief Communications Officer at AngelsDeck Global Ventures, she combines deep expertise in storytelling and investor engagement with a sharp understanding of innovation ecosystems. Ksenia has moderated panels and delivered talks at global investment and entrepreneurship platforms, bridging investors, founders, and policymakers through authentic and insightful dialogue. Her moderation style blends precision, empathy, and strategic thinking, ensuring dynamic and memorable conversations on stage.
Founder, NODE Communications
Chief Communications Officer,
AngelsDeck Global Ventures
Ian Mahoney
Chief Technology Officer, webook.comIan Mahoney is the Chief Technology Officer of webook.com and a seasoned technology and transformation leader with more than 25 years of experience across retail, e-commerce, marketplaces, and omnichannel customer platforms. With a background in software engineering, Ian has led large-scale digital transformations at Cazoo, New Look, Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, and Sky, building high-performing engineering organisations and modernising enterprise systems. At webook.com, he drives the company’s technology and data strategy as it scales to become one of the region’s leading entertainment and experiences platforms.
Chief Technology Officer
webook.com
Faraz Arshad
Chief Technology Officer, STARZPLAYFaraz Arshad is the Chief Technology Officer of STARZPLAY. With over 15 years of experience in innovative platform engineering and technical leadership, Faraz is a seasoned creative technologist who has played an instrumental role in launching STARZPLAY across the MENA region.Faraz oversees the transformation and acceleration of the company’s business growth by shaping the technology strategy, budgeting, and leveraging the next generation of digitisation technologies. At the same time, Faraz focuses on STARZPLAY’s Platform Engineering (AI Strategy & Implementations, Hybrid Cloud Architectures, Microservices Development, Event Driven Architectures, Big Data, Cyber Security, Video Streaming, and CDNs) in close collaboration with the internal business, product and technology teams, and third-party integrators. He is also responsible for establishing IT operating guidelines and governance with the evolving service models of technology as well as operational goals.
Chief Technology Officer
STARZPLAY
Jason Barsema
Co-Founder & President, Halo InvestingPrior to founding Halo in 2015, Jason spent his career at Credit Suisse Private Banking managing portfolios for Ultra High Net Worth Families and Institutions. At Halo, Jason leads the strategic vision of the Company, building Halo from zero into a global platform that has facilitated over $30 Billion in transactions since its 2017 launch. Jason earned his B.A from Northern Illinois University and his M.B.A from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Co-Founder & President
Halo Investing
Rizwan Tufail
Group Chief Data Officer, PureHealthRizwan Tufail is the Group Chief Data Officer at PureHealth. He leads the group-wide data, analytics, and AI strategy and execution at Pure Health, helping the group leverage data to advance its longevity vision. Under his leadership the group has embarked on ambitious projects across PureHealth’s integrated healthcare ecosystem.He brings 30+ years of experience - across North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East - including 10 years leading Microsoft's work across the Middle East and Africa. He also spent 4+ years at the Mozilla Foundation, architecting and leading its global leadership program. It was during this time that the Mozilla Foundation, in partnership with the Ford Foundation, the Omidyar Network, and other partners, started the responsible tech movement which laid down the foundation for the work on Responsible AI.
Group Chief Data Officer
PureHealth
Tannya Jajal
Founder, AIDENTannya Jajal is an educator and technologist who has delivered 40+ keynotes worldwide on AI, machine learning, and consciousness. Before founding AIDEN, an education startup building AI-integrated curricula and learning platforms for schools to disrupt traditional education models, she led cybersecurity and networking infrastructure within a region at VMware, one of the world’s top cloud infrastructure firms. A longtime Forbes contributor, she’s spent over a decade exploring how AI is made, and how it’s transforming the future of learning and work.As a keynote speaker, Tannya has addressed audiences around the world - from Fortune 500 companies to ministries of education - on the future of work, AI ethics, and the evolving roles of consciousness and creativity in an era where AI increasingly matches or surpasses human intelligence. She’s been sharing this vision since 2018, long before AI/AGI entered the mainstream conversation.Outside of work, she’s an ultra trail runner, extreme adventure enthusiast, hot yoga, and philosophy junkie, exploring the same question that drives AIDEN’s mission: how do we keep optimizing the human experience to maximize flow states and self-actualize as technology evolves and deeply affects the human condition?
Founder
AIDEN
Walid Faza
General Partner, Novo CapitalWalid is a Partner at Novo Capital, one of the most active global emerging market investment firms, with holdings across MENA, Sub Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Novo Capital is the Emerging Markets fund of MSA Capital, a leading China based Venture Capital fund with over $2b AUM that has invested in China’s sector leaders like Meituan (last mile delivery) the Beijing Genomic Institute (gene sequencing), Didi (ride sharing), Tuijia (lodging), and YiduCloud (healthcare big data). MSA are also invested in most major private US tech companies via direct investments (eg. Uber, Palantir, Airbnb, etc) or indirect interests (eg. Stripe, SpaceX, Affirm, Wish, PostMates, Epic Games, Instacart, Lyft, NuBank, etc) through investments in the leading American venture capital funds.Previously, Walid was a partner at Wamda Capital and managed the investments of MENA Venture Investments (MVI) investing in high growth and capital-efficient technology businesses which include some of the region’s most prominent exits such as Souq/Amazon, Yemeksepeti/Delivery Hero and Careem/Uber.
General Partner
Novo Capital
Imran Moinuddin
Senior Vice President, Data & AI, VentureDiveImran is the Senior Vice President of Data Operations at VentureDive and previously founder & CEO of NexDegree where he has driven core data strategy and data centric implementations for partners and clients around the globe for nearly two decades. In the US, Imran worked as a research analyst and consultant for a biometrics consulting firm where his clients included both private and government institutions such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), White House Office of Science & Technology Policy and Honeywell. He has co-founded startups in health, cleantech, computer vision, and fintech and has served as an adviser & mentor in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem.
He also holds a patent in AI driven signals analysis with the USPTO and also serves as an adviser on government cyber policies and is a recipient of the Development Leader award from the Government of Pakistan. Imran holds a degree in Computer Science from Stanford University and is the founding president of the Stanford Club of Pakistan.
Senior Vice President, Data & AI
VentureDive
Senior Solution Engineer
Snowflake
Bharathi Vokkaliga Ganesh
Head of Responsible AI Research, Development and Literacy, Infosys Responsible AI OfficeBharathi Vokkaliga Ganesh is a key contributor in Responsible AI, driving both R&D innovation and enterprise-wide Responsible AI Literacy at the Infosys Responsible AI Office. She leads cutting-edge research and strategic initiatives that enable the safe, ethical, and scalable deployment of AI systems across global enterprises.
With over 20 years of industry experience and advanced credentials in Data Science and Machine Learning from the University of Cambridge and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, she brings a strong blend of technical depth and business leadership to the evolving AI landscape.
Recognized for her strategic foresight and commitment to ethical technology, Bharathi plays a pivotal role in shaping how organizations operationalize Responsible AI at scale.
Head of Responsible AI Research, Development
and Literacy, Infosys Responsible AI Office
Infosys Responsible AI Office
Caroline Hoffmann
Chief Medical Officer, OwkinCaroline Hoffmann, MD, PhD. Caroline is CMO at Owkin, an AI-Biotech. She is a medical doctor specialized in oncology, with a PhD in immunology. She did a 3-year fellowship at the European Hospital Georges Pompidou and worked for 7 years as senior physician in head and neck surgical oncology at the Institut Curie in France. Regarding translational research, she earned a PhD in the INSERM Unit U932, Institut Curie, and did a postdoc at City of Hope Cancer Center, CA, USA, with a special interest in tumor immunology and dendritic cells, and single-cell transcriptomics. She has been the PI and co-PI of several clinical trials and has led the ancillary research program of a neoadjuvant preoperative immunotherapy trial using single-cell and spatial proteomics and transcriptomics technologies. She joined Owkin 3 years ago and has been leading the Oncology programs and strategy, notably the creation of the worlds' largest Spatial transcriptomics atlas in cancer, MOSAIC. As a CMO, she is now fully dedicated to Owkin’s mission: using AI and the right patient data to unlock complex biology and find the right treatment for every patient.
Chief Medical Officer
Owkin
Sray Agarwal
Head of EMEA, Infosys Responsible AI OfficeSray Agarwal is a seasoned AI and Data Science leader with over 17+ years of global industry experience, recognized for pioneering Responsible AI frameworks and shaping the ethical use of artificial intelligence across sectors. He currently serves as Head of Responsible AI (EMEA / APAC) at Infosys, UK, driving transformative AI governance and compliance strategies for leading enterprises.A Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in AI for six consecutive years (2020–2025), a Certified AI Ethicist (Oxford), and an expert advisor to the United Nations (UN/UNCEFACT), Sray has been at the forefront of defining best practices for ethical AI adoption. His expertise is further reflected in his patent on Responsible AI and his influential book on the subject, published by Springer.Sray is a sought-after international keynote speaker, having delivered talks on Ethical and Responsible AI at over 20+ major AI conferences worldwide. His insights have been featured in podcasts, video interviews, and expert panels hosted by Microsoft, UN, ODSC, and other reputed platforms.
Holding a Dean’s List distinction in Data Science from the Indian School of Business, Sray also holds credentials in AI Governance, Regulation & Compliance from the University of Oxford (Said Business School).
Head of EMEA
Infosys Responsible AI Office
Maaz Sheikh
Chief Executive Officer, STARZPLAYMaaz Sheikh is CEO of STARZPLAY, the leading video-on-demand platform in the region bringing the best of entertainment and sports. Under his leadership, STARZPLAY concluded an investment from E-Vision, a subsidiary of e& and ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company, who acquired a majority equity stake of 57% in the company at a valuation of $420M. Maaz is a prominent LinkedIn influencer with a powerful voice. The CEO Magazine declared him ‘Media CEO of the Year’. He has been recognized in the ‘GCC 100 – Inspiring Leaders’ and ‘DXB 100 – Influential People Helping Shape the Emirate.’
Chief Executive Officer
STARZPLAY
Alp Katalan
MENA Commercial Lead, DesolenatorAlp is the MENA Commercial Lead at Desolenator, a pioneering desalination startup delivering affordable, sustainable, and pure water to water stressed enterprises and communities, including large-scale data centers. Alp has spent his entire career working on climate and innovation, from running government-backed clean energy accelerators and advising businesses on how to reduce their carbon footprint at the Carbon Trust, to investing in early stage climate tech startups at World Fund. He holds an MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment from the University of Oxford.
MENA Commercial Lead
Desolenator
Muhammad Shafique
Global Network Professor, New York UniversityMuhammad Shafique received his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, in 2011. Afterwards, he established and led a highly recognized research group at KIT for several years as well as conducted impactful collaborative R&D activities across the globe. In Oct.2016, he joined the Institute of Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Informatics, Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Vienna, Austria as a Full Professor of Computer Architecture and Robust, Energy-Efficient Technologies. Since Sep.2020, Dr. Shafique is with the New York University (NYU), where he is currently a Full Professor and the director of eBRAIN and iCAS Labs at the NYU-Abu Dhabi, UAE, and a Global Network Professor at the Tandon School of Engineering, NYU-New York City, USA.Dr. Shafique holds one U.S. patent, and has (co-)authored 10 Books, 25+ Book Chapters, 400+ papers in premier journals and conferences, and 180+ archive articles. Dr. Shafique received the prestigious 2015 ACM/SIGDA Outstanding New Faculty Award, the AI-2000 Chip Technology Most Influential Scholar Award in 2020, 2022 and 2023 and Honorable Mention in 2024 and 2025, the ATRC’s ASPIRE Award for Research Excellence in 2021, 2025 QInnovision Challenge Award, 2024 DoH Health Challenge Award, 2025 Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week Innovation Awards Runners Up, six gold medals in his educational career, and several best paper awards and nominations at prestigious conferences.
New York University
Global Network Professor
Dr. Grace S. Thomson
AI Policy Clinic Director, Center for AI and Digital Policy CAIDPDr. Grace S. Thomson is a Policy Advisor and Strategist in AI, governance, public innovation, and education with over 30 years of experience across the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and the USA. She advises on global frameworks on AI and digital transformation to ensure that AI systems are inclusive, rights-based, and human-centered. Her work bridges policy, public innovation, and digital ethics and governance, helping governments and institutions navigate the risks and opportunities of AI in public service environments. She is the Director of the AI Policy Clinics at the Center for AI & Digital Policy (CAIDP), a Think Tank based in Washington, DC, forming 400 policy leaders across 87 countries every semester. She leads the research logistics behind the CAIDP Index—a global benchmark assessment of national AI policies across 80 countries. As a CAIDP Fellow, Dr. Thomson has advised national governments and international bodies on AI governance, including the G7, UNESCO, UK Information Commissioner's Office, the Peruvian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and the UN Digital Compact.
Center for AI and Digital Policy CAIDP
AI Policy Clinic Director
Dr. Dariia Vasylieva
Founder & CEO, RaiseTalksDariia Vasylieva is the Founder & CEO of RaiseTalks, an AI-driven fundraising automation workspace that helps scale-up startups streamline their funding journey through a personalised AI Advisor, investor-grade data rooms, funding-readiness scoring, and dynamic investor matching.A seasoned investment banking executive and serial entrepreneur, Dr. Vasylieva brings 17+ years of capital markets expertise with over $3B in closed deals across traditional finance and emerging technologies.She is also the founder of GETVISION multi-family office, the Founders to Founders global tech community, and FD CAPITAL, a VCaaS firm shaping the blockchain investment landscape in the UAE.Holding a PhD in Corporate Finance and an MBA in Financial Management, she is a dynamic speaker known for her insights at the intersection of finance, technology, and innovation.
RaiseTalks
Founder & CEO
Sami Bashir
Vice Provost - Research Translation & Entrepreneurship, New York University Abu DhabiSami Bashir has over 25 years of experience in invention evaluation, research translation, and new technology deployment, both in industry and academia. Prior to his role at New York University Abu Dhabi, Sami served as a Director of the Technology Management & Innovation Office at Khalifa University of Science & Technology. Also as the Director of the Technology Transfer Office in Masdar Institute of Technology, where he was responsible for building technology transfer platforms and overseeing the commercialization of the IP portfolio. Prior to this, Sami worked as a Manager & Assistant Chief Licensing Officer in the Technology Transfer Office at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
New York University Abu Dhabi
Vice Provost - Research Translation & Entrepreneurship
Ex CEO
SingularityNET / SingularityDAO
Farah Shamout
Assistant Professor, New York University Abu DhabiFarah Shamout is an Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering at NYU Abu Dhabi, where she leads the Clinical Artificial Intelligence Lab. She is also an Associated Faculty at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering (Computer Science & Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Departments) and an Affiliated Faculty at NYU Langone Health (Radiology). At the Clinical AI Lab, Dr. Shamout is interested in developing machine learning methods and systems using heterogeneous real-world data for applications in computational precision health, including electronic health records data and medical imaging. Methodologies of interest pertain to multi-modal learning, foundation models, and trustworthiness, to achieve high performance and utility in clinical practice. Dr. Shamout completed her DPhil (PhD) in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and was a member of Balliol College. She also completed her BSc in Computer Engineering (cum laude) at NYU Abu Dhabi.
New York University Abu Dhabi
Assistant Professor
Dr. Yousef Saadeh
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Global Center for AI ExcellenceDr. Yousef Qteit is the CEO and Managing Director of the Global Centre for AI Excellence (GCAIE), where he leads one of the world’s most advanced institution dedicated to AI excellence, governance, national readiness, and scalable value creation. His work sits at the nexus of AI systems, nuclear power, frontier technologies, large-scale innovation, and national digital transformation, shaping how countries build the infrastructure, governance, and institutional capability required to deploy intelligence systems safely and effectively.At GCAIE, Dr. Qteit leads the implementation of the Global AI Excellence Model (GAIEM), the world’s first fully integrated standard that unifies AI governance, assurance, lifecycle safety, institutional capability, alignment with global standards (EU AI Act, ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF), and measurable ROI. His work helps governments and enterprises convert frontier AI into scalable, safe, and economically meaningful value through system-level governance and institution- wide readiness frameworks.
Global Center for AI Excellence
Chief Executive Officer and
Managing Director
Dr. Lolowa AlMarzooqi
Associate Vice Provost, New York University Abu DhabiLolowa AlMarzooqi is a distinguished leader in the UAE’s educational sector, renowned for her ability to drive innovation and development across diverse organizations. With a career spanning key roles at the Abu Dhabi Childhood Authority, the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee, and Zayed University, AlMarzooqi has successfully blended educational policy with technological advancements to enhance learning experiences. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Technology, a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Zayed University, and a PhD in Management and Leadership from the British University in the UAE.AlMarzooqi’s commitment to education transcends national borders, reflected in her active participation on the boards of the North Africa and Middle East Science center’s network (NAMES), Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and National Present Council for Accreditation of Teachers Education (NCATE). In her current role as Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at NYU Abu Dhabi, she is instrumental in shaping undergraduate curricula, ensuring the highest standards of academic integrity, and advancing student research and learning outcomes.
New York University Abu Dhabi
Associate Vice Provost
Amnah Ajmal
Thought Leader, Public Speaker, Top woman in fintechAmnah Ajmal is the Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard. In this role, she leads the P&L across multiple business verticals including merchants, governments, fintech’s, digital players across 81 markets.
In addition, she also heads the strategy, pricing, analytics and M&A function. Prior to this role she led the North America product & innovation organization, based out of the US, creating sustainable, competitive differentiation for Mastercard with a specific focus on co brands and digitally integrated experiences across retail and commercial products. Prior to joining Mastercard, she was the wealth and retail bank CEO for Standard Chartered Malaysia where she led
the transition of the Malaysia retail bank franchise into a digital bank expanding the lending, credit cards business and delivering a high deposits growth. Prior to that, she was responsible for retail banking strategy for Indonesia, Malaysia & Taiwan in a global role based out of Singapore. Before joining Standard Chartered, Amnah worked at Citi in UAE, Egypt, UK and Poland. She held a number of leadership positions at Citi including the lending business, innovation and distribution head for Poland. Under her leadership Citi’s Poland business won multiple awards for the
most innovative credit co brands and digital lending products.
Thought Leader, Public Speaker,
Top woman in fintech
Carole House
Senior FellowCarole House is a strategic technology executive who has spent her career focusing on leveraging innovative technologies to combat national security threats. She is the founder and CEO of a strategic technology and national security advisory practice, Penumbra Strategies, and serves as a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Association for Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) and a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center. Carole recently departed the White House National Security Council (NSC) as Special Advisor for Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure. She previously served as the NSC Director for Cybersecurity and Secure Digital Innovation. During her time at the White House, Carole architected two Executive Orders driving critical steps to promote innovation in cybersecurity, digital identity, artificial intelligence, and digital assets.Carole has held positions in the private sector as an Executive in Residence at Terranet Ventures, Inc., co-founder and interim COO for a stealth fintech startup, and served on advisory boards for three financial regulatory agencies and three non-profits. She also has been recognized for her leadership in cyber and emerging tech initiatives, including the prestigious "Fed100" award and AFFIRM's "Leadership in Crisis" award, in addition to various publications across the Atlantic Council, Bloomberg, the Small Wars Journal, and the Military Review. Carole’s prior government experience includes service as a U.S. Army Captain as well as positions leading emerging tech, cybersecurity, and national security initiatives across the White House, Senate Homeland Security Committee, and the U.S. Treasury.
Senior Fellow
Atlantic House
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