Event Overview
Future Tech Event (FTE) was Oman’s First Virtual Expo and Summit, that took place from 07-08 October 2020. We are committed to keep this event engaging by getting all the attendees involved through live interactions and direct one-on-one meetings by utilizing the latest and state of the art virtual event technologies available today.
The Event is a premier, most anticipated and must attend one, showcasing the latest ICT products and services, hi-tech gadgets, consumer electronics and cutting-edge smart technology across all sectors, with unique launches, exciting interactive features and innovative solutions by top developers, manufacturers, retailers and international brands from the local, regional and global market.
EXPOrience
the Future
A new way to experience an Exhibition
A virtual event works very much the same as our in-person events, with many of our physical features transferring across to the digital experience. The Event will run for 48 Hours to make sure global attendance from all time zones.
Unique Offerings
1-2-1 Meetings
Watch Live
Discuss
On-Demand
Product Showcase
Generate New Leads
Exhibitor Virtual Booth
Webinars & Round Tables
Key Speakers
Sophia the Robot
Humanoid Robot
Hanson Robotics
Sophia the Robot
Humanoid Robot
Hanson Robotics
Sophia personifies Hanson Robotics’ greater mission of developing intelligent, empathetic robots that make a positive impact on humanity and co-create a better future for all.
Sophia is Hanson Robotics’ most advanced human-like robot, created by combining breakthrough innovations in robotics, AI, and artistry. She is endowed with remarkable expressiveness, aesthetics and interactivity, and can simulate a full range of facial expressions, track and recognize faces, and hold natural conversations with people.
Sophia became a much-sought-after media personality, advocating for AI research and the role of robotics and AI in people’s lives. She has appeared on CBS 60 Minutes with Charlie Rose, the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning Britain, and has been a keynote speaker and panel member at some of the world’s most prestigious conferences. She has also addressed members of the UN, ITU, and NATO.
Sophia is a vessel for AI research and development. Working with labs, universities, and companies around the world, Sophia donates her body, brain and AI to help advance AI research and development for a benevolent future.
Sophia has also received the title of Innovation Champion for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to promote sustainable development with the use of technology and innovation in developing countries. She was also named the 2018 Gold Edison AwardTM winner in Robotics.
Walid Yehiaa
Sr. Presales Director for Turkey, Africa, and Middle East
Dell Technologies
Walid Yehia
Sr. Presales Director for Turkey, Africa, and Middle East
Dell Technologies
Walid Yehia, is the Dell Technologies regional Sr. presales Director for Turkey, Africa, and Middle East.
Walid has more than 20 years of extensive IT consulting experience managing all facets of Information Technology from Strategy, System Integration, to design and delivery.
Walid has been with Dell Technologies since 2006 in different leadership positions. During this period, Walid closely worked with many large enterprises from different industries to support their IT strategy around Cloud, big data and Digital transformation.
Prior to joining Dell Technologies, he worked for various multi-national vendors and systems integrators.
Tarek Shahawy
Senior Director Technology & Cloud Solutions
Oracle
Tarek Shahawy
Senior Director Technology & Cloud Solutions
Oracle
Tarek has been with Oracle and in the region for more than 20 years. Tarek leads the Technology & Cloud Solutions team in Oracle across the Gulf. Tarek and his team help customers in their digital transformation journey while adopting the latest in Technology like Cloud, Data Management, AI, ML, IoT, Data Science and Analytics. Tarek has been responsible for many regional roles with Oracle in ECEMEA while covering Industries like PS, Telecom, O&G, and Aviation. In these roles Tarek provided Business Advisory and Technology Consulting to many high-profile customers across the region
Mohammad Al-Jallad
Chief Technology Officer and Director
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Middle East & Africa
Mohammad Al-Jallad
Chief Technology Officer and Director
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Middle East & Africa
In his role, he drives business, develops and manages long term strategic relationships with executives and business managers and works on shaping corporate strategies to accelerate digital transformation leveraging a technology portfolio spanning edge, cloud, data and services. Mohammad has an extensive geo and global experience in various sectors.
He is ambitious, passionate for customers and has a rich experience and a track record of success in geo and global roles encompassing consultancy, business development, sales and management.
Mohammad holds a first honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering from King Fand University of Petroleum & Minerals and is a member of Jordan Engineers Association (JEA) and Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE).
Savio Tovar Dias
Senior Director - Sales Engineering
Avaya
Savio Tovar Dias
Senior Director - Sales Engineering
Avaya
Abdul Hakeem Amur Al-Muslahi
General Manager
Datamount
Abdul Hakeem Amur Al-Muslahi
General Manager
Datamount
General Manager at Jebel Akhdar Data Centre (Datamount) with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Skilled in Marketing, Product Management, Data Center, Cloud Computing, Business Alliances, and Managed Services.
Firas Altaf Al Lawati
Head of Fintech Committee
Central Bank of Oman
Firas Altaf Al Lawati
Head of Fintech Committee
Central Bank of Oman
Firas Al Lawati, Head of Fintech Committee at the Central Bank of Oman. I have been working at the Central Bank of Oman since 2007. He is holding master’s degree in Accounting and Business Information Technology from the University of New South Wales and Bachelor degree from Sultan Qaboos University. He managed to accomplish a number of projects and initiatives in different business and information technology areas, in addition he has participated in a number of local and global conferences and seminars.
Ali Hassan Moosa
Chief Executive Officer
Oman Banks Association
Ali Hassan Moosa
Chief Executive Officer
Oman Banks Association
With 25 Years of experience in banking, technology, real estate development, and tourism, Ali Hassan Moosa was the first full-time employee of the Oman Banks Association in June 2017, as a Chief Executive Officer. Ali holds an MBA, and a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science from the University of Reading, England, United Kindom.
Mohammad AlBlooshi
Sector Head Fintech - Business Development
DIFC Authority
Mohammad AlBlooshi
Sector Head Fintech - Business Development
DIFC Authority
In his capacity as Sector Head of Fintech within the Business Development team, Mohammad Alblooshi is responsible for developing the Dubai International Financial Centre’s financial technology ecosystem. Mr. Alblooshi has helped align the Centre’s FinTech proposition with the needs of startups looking to scale their business across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) by using Dubai as their springboard to the region.
This has led to the introduction of dedicated FinTech and innovation commercial licensing schemes and a more integrated offering for FinTech firms in the DIFC. He has also been a fundamental driver in building the Centre’s reputation as a FinTech hub across the United Kingdom, United States, Singapore and India. Mr. Alblooshi works closely with the DIFC management team to craft the DIFC’s growth strategy on FinTech and enhance the regulatory framework to support the growth of FinTech firms.
Mr. Alblooshi has over a decade of experience in the financial sector, having worked with top global financial services firms within the Middle East & North Africa (MENA). He started his career at Lloyds TSB as a Management Trainee. After spending several years specialising in banking operations, Mr. Alblooshi moved to Barclays Wealth Management, where he primarily dealt with high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) from across the MENA region. Prior to joining the DIFC, he was responsible for managing large corporate accounts at Standard Chartered Bank UAE.
Mr. Alblooshi holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and is also part of the IIF Future Leaders Program for the year of 2019.
Hamad Al-Fouzan
Member - Fintech Committee
Kuwait Banking Association
Hamad Al-Fouzan
Member - Fintech Committee
Kuwait Banking Association
Hamad Al-Fouzan is the Head of Innovation and Partnerships at Boubyan Bank in Kuwait. He has more than 14 years of experience in banking and IT. He has managed platforms related to compliance, trade finance, payments, cards, and automation within the bank. Hamad currently oversees Innovation and Partnerships to overcome new banking challenges. He has attended several academic and executive programs delivered by institutions like Harvard, Wharton, and Imperial College London.
Henk J. Hoogendoorn
Managing Director-Financial Sector Office
Qatar Financial Centre
Henk J. Hoogendoorn
Managing Director-Financial Sector Office
Qatar Financial Centre
Henk Jan Hoogendoorn is the Managing Director, Financial Sector Office at QFC, where he is responsible for delivering on QFC's mission of attracting financial and regulated businesses to Qatar through the QFC platform, in line with the Second Financial Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030.
He has extensive experience in international finance, management, and transforming and building businesses in the financial sector. Henk has held senior management roles at ABN AMRO Bank and Deutsche Bank in the Netherlands and the Middle East and has a solid track record of implementing businesses in the financial sector.
Prior to joining QFC, Henk served as Mashreq Qatar's Country CEO and Managing Director of Deutsche Bank, Head Non-Bank Financial Institutions, where he was responsible for insurers, pension funds, fintech, and implementing strategic and business plans across Europe.
He holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and has participated in executive education at the London Business School and INSEAD.
Serge Tohme
Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa & Turkey
Finastra
Serge Tohme
Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa & Turkey
Finastra
Serge Tohme is the Managing Director for Middle East North Africa and Turkey region for Finastra, a global Fintech force. In his role, Serge is responsible for establishing and rolling-out the Finastra growth strategy across the Capital Markets, Retail Banking, Lending, Transaction Banking and Corporate Banking in the MENAT region.
Under Serge’s leadership, Finastra is successfully driving its mission of transforming a financial institution’s business vision towards financial technology that increases business value. The company’s performance in the region has closely mirrored global market shares, with leadership position across a number of technology areas.
With two decades of financial and banking solutions experience, Serge brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise, having worked across key functions including Treasury front to back solutions and Enterprise Risk Management.
Prior to this, Serge was the Vice-President of Sales at FIS where he led the sales activities and drove exponential growth in the Middle East, North Africa Region & Turkey. Prior to FIS Serge was working for Thomson Reuters where he managed different roles within sales and account management.
Serge’s career started when he joined Citibank as an Account Manager and was responsible for managing sales activities for Citibank’s Global Transaction Services in Beirut & Dubai. In his role at Citibank, Serge conducted several workshops in Dubai, Jordan, Beirut, Afghanistan and Algeria and has been awarded the Citigroup Quality Excellence Award.
Serge holds a bachelor's degree in Banking & Finance from the Lebanese American University and an Executive MBA from the London Business School.
Pēteris Zilgalvis
Head of Unit, Digital Innovation and Blockchain
Co-Chair, FinTech Task Force
European Commission
Pēteris Zilgalvis
Head of Unit, Digital Innovation and Blockchain
Co-Chair, FinTech Task Force
European Commission
Pēteris Zilgalvis is the Head of Unit for Digital Innovation and Blockchain in the Digital Single Market Directorate in DG CONNECT and is the Co-Chair of the European Commission FinTech Task Force. He was the Visiting EU Fellow at St. Antony's College, University of Oxford for 2013-14, where was an Associate of the Political Economy of Financial Markets Programme. From 1997 to 2005, he was Deputy Head of the Bioethics Department of the Council of Europe, in its Directorate General of Legal Affairs.
In addition, he has held various positions in the Latvian civil service (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Environment).
He was Senior Environmental Law Advisor to the World Bank/Russian Federation Environmental Management Project and was Regional Environmental Specialist for the Baltic Countries at the World Bank. He has been a member of the California State Bar since 1991, completed his J.D. at the University of Southern California, his B.A. in Political Science Cum Laude at UCLA, the High Potentials Leadership Program at Harvard Business School. A recent publication of his is “The Need for an Innovation Principle in Regulatory Impact Assessment: The Case of Finance and Innovation in Europe” in Policy & Internet. An upcoming publication is “The Law and Political Economy of Decentralised Digital Ecosystems”.
Arun Sharma
Director
DBT Mission – Government of India
Arun Sharma
Director
DBT Mission – Government of India
Arun Sharma is working as Director, DBT Mission in Government of India, which is responsible for driving the world’s largest identity linked social benefits delivery program across the country. He works on policy, regulatory and supervision aspects of Aadhaar (India’s Unique Identification system); government payments systems and identity linked payments of benefits and subsidies. Prior to joining the DBT Mission, Arun worked with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group, where he was leading IFC’s G2P (government to person) payments practice in South Asia. He has also worked in Ministries of Finance and Urban Development, and in the Office of Controller General of Accounts of India. Arun is a civil servant, specializing in public financial management, government payment systems, digital ID and financial inclusion. He holds an MBA from Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, and a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi, India.
Jaafar Ali Al-Sarraf
Vice Chairman
Gulf Exchange
Jaafar Ali Al-Sarraf
Vice Chairman
Gulf Exchange
Jaafar Ali Al-Sarraf is the Vice Chairman of Gulf Exchange. He has more than 10 years of experience and has a proven track record in managing, directing, and driving growth in both business and talent. His extensive experience spans over the areas of corporate treasury, asset management, credit risk management, and training & development at leading organizations such as HSBC, Commercial Bank of Qatar and WOQOD. During his journey as General Manager at Gulf Exchange, he has succeeded in leading the development of the five-year strategy that focused on people development, customer satisfaction, process optimization, and financial resilience.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance & Management Information System from Saint Louis University in the USA, and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the American University in Dubai. He has also been recognized as Injaz Ambassador for his more than ten-year of volunteering in delivering workshops, seminars, and development programs to youth in various areas such as leadership, entrepreneurship, among others. He has also held the post of part-time instructor at reputable institutions like the College of North Atlantic Qatar (CNAQ) and lectured for continuous professional development (CPD) for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Qatar Chapter.
Faisal A. Hussain
Chief Financial Officer
Reem Capital
Faisal A. Hussain
Chief Financial Officer
Reem Capital
Faisal Hussain has more than 20 years of experience in commercial and investment banking at many domestic and foreign financial institutions. He has had overseas work experience in Kuwait and Oman. Prior to joining Reem Capital, Mr. Faisal served as General Manager at two exchange houses in Kuwait and Oman.
Faisal holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration. He also holds a number of diplomas and certificates in the field of project management, accounts & finance, treasury, and capital markets.
Angelique Assaf
Head of Data Strategy
Cedar Rose Data DMCC
Angelique Assaf
Head of Data Strategy
Cedar Rose Data DMCC
Heading the Data Strategy department at Cedar Rose with a demonstrated history of working in the information services industry. Skilled in Business Planning, Data Strategies, Management, and Business Intelligence. Strong analytical professional with a mathematical background and a Master's degree focused in International Accounting & Finance from Liverpool University.
Akshay Chopra
Vice President, Head of Innovation & Design – Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa
Visa
Akshay Chopra
Vice President, Head of Innovation & Design – Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa
Visa
Akshay serves as Head of Innovation & Design for Visa for 90+ countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA). He leads teams of design thinkers, engineers, and digital commerce specialists based in Visa’s Innovation Centre in Dubai and Visa’s Innovation Studio in Moscow. The Innovation & Design team co-creates new commerce experiences and products with banks, internet companies, FinTechs and merchants across the region. Akshay holds 8 global patents in the FinTech and payments space, and has served in various digital leadership capacities in Asia-Pacific and EMEA. He has played a key the role in the development of numerous commercially successful products in eCommerce and digital banking. A veteran digital and product development expert, Akshay and his teams have run over 200 co-creation sprints with diverse partners.
Karim Darwish Eidok Al Balushi
Manager - Risk Management Department
Central Bank of Oman
Karim Darwish Eidok Al Balushi
Manager - Risk Management Department
Central Bank of Oman
Albert Chan
Head of Industry - eCommerce & Retail
Google
Albert Chan
Head of Industry - eCommerce & Retail
Google
Albert Chan is a sales & marketing professional with 16+ years at Procter & Gamble and Google. He has worked with numerous regional and global retailers (Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc), CPG brands (Schmidt’s, Ring, Garmin, etc), and online DTC retailers (eBay, Instacart, Shutterfly, etc). His expertise is in digital retail transformation between the consumer and brands. Albert has an undergraduate marketing degree from the Kelley School of Business, with a minor in International Business, and is currently earning his executive MBA at Harvard Business School.
Vijay Jaswal
CTO, Middle East and Turkey
Software AG
Vijay Jaswal
CTO, Middle East and Turkey
Software AG
Vijay Jaswal is Software AG's CTO for the Middle East and Turkey region. His main objective in this role is to support organizations in deriving value and increasing competitiveness, by driving their Digital Transformation Journey & streamlining their mission critical processes. He has worked in the field of Digital Transformation & Business Process Excellence for over 20 years. Prior to joining the Middle East and Turkey leadership team, he served as Software AG’s Pre-Sales director for EMEA. He also worked for Staffware (Tibco) in the Netherlands for 9 Years.
Ali Shabdar
Regional Director MEA
Zoho Corporation
Ali Shabdar
Regional Director MEA
Zoho Corporation
An avid user and consultant of Zoho since 2008, Ali fell in love with the platform when he built a CRM for his real estate company in Zoho Creator in a single afternoon.
A multidisciplinary business technologist and a published author, Ali contributes to the steady growth of Zoho's diverse ecosystem in the MEA region.
Experienced in business growth and transformation, business process, marketing, and information management, Ali understands the challenges of modern businesses and helps them utilize the immense power of cloud computing strategically and in day-to-day operations.
Ali also chairs the SME and Entrepreneurship Committee of MENA Cloud Alliance where he contributes with other peers and industry leaders to the advancement and adoption of cloud computing in the region.
Ankit Rajpal
Territory Manager Oman
Veeam
Ankit Rajpal
Territory Manager Oman
Veeam
Ankit is a seasoned professional in the data protection & hybrid cloud industry, as a Territory Manager for Oman & Bahrain, he understands the challenges faced by enterprises where Data is their most important asset. Ankit helps his customers in planning & executing solid data protection & disaster recovery strategies. He joined Veeam in 2015, since then he has been specializing in consulting & guiding his customers across different verticals like Telecom, Oil & Gas, Governments, education sectors to offer solutions around backup, Virtualization, & Hybrid Cloud Disaster Recovery. Ankit holds a Masters Degree in Sales & Marketing from IMT, Dubai. When he is not busy engaging with his customers, Ankit likes to travel and play around with his Big boys toys.
A. Karthik
Chief Evangelist
ManageEngine
A. Karthik
Chief Evangelist
ManageEngine
An enthusiastic and passionate presenter, having presented ManageEngine solutions at over 200+ destinations. He has over 15+ years of experience in IT and most of his time has been dedicated to promoting ManageEngine software. He has had the privilege to be a Guest Lecturer at the Caledonian College of Engineering, Oman and also at the National Institute of Ministry of Public Administration, Malaysia.
Anil Titus
Manager - Systems Engineering, Middle East, South Africa & Turkey
Commvault
Anil Titus
Manager - Systems Engineering, Middle East, South Africa & Turkey
Commvault
Anil Titus has 15 years of experience in the Data Management space and has been working with Commvault since 2015. Anil has been instrumental in growing Commvault’s business in the region with his team of Sales Engineers spread across the Middle East, South Africa and Turkey; helping enterprise customers in the region relook at the way their data is stored, protected, managed and secured both within and outside their datacenter, while factoring in local/regional governance and regulations. Prior to this role, Anil has held multiple roles at other leading data management firms, ranging from research, product development, systems engineering and enterprise architecture. Anil holds an honors degree in Computer Science & Engineering.
Patrick Grillo
Director, Security Strategy
Fortinet
Patrick Grillo
Director, Security Strategy
Fortinet
As Senior Director, Solutions Marketing, Patrick is responsible for creating and evangelizing key messages about Fortinet’s cybersecurity solutions. Through his in-depth understanding of the complexities of cybersecurity, Patrick is able to cut through the half-truths and myths to provide clear and concise information to Fortinet’s customers and partners.
Flavio Aggio
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
World Health Organization - WHO
Flavio Aggio
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
World Health Organization - WHO
As Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Flavio Aggio is responsible for Information Security and Cybersecurity at the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, he represents WHO in key forums focused on Information Security and Cybersecurity. With more than 30 years of experience in specialized chemical manufacturing, semiconductor, consumer product, government, and international organization industries, Flavio brings tremendous technical leadership and operational expertise to WHO.
Prior to joining WHO, Flavio was the Chief Technology Officer at the City and County of San Francisco, where he developed technology solutions to modernize and protect the city. Before that, he held technical leadership positions in Enterprise Architecture, Project Management, Telecommunications, and IT operations with Unisys, ASML, Dow Chemical, and Rohm & Haas.
In 2014, Flavio enabled the interconnection of the San Francisco and San Jose WiFi networks. The two cities were using a new technology (Hotspot 2.0) allowing smartphones to automatically connect and roam between their two networks as well as provide a layer of security on what would not normally be available in wide-open public hotspots.
Flavio holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Sao Paulo University in Brazil and an Executive MBA from Temple University in the USA.
Aziza Sultan Hamed Al Rashdi
Director of Cyber Security
Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology
Aziza Sultan Hamed Al Rashdi
Director of Cyber Security
Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology
Aziza AL Rashdi is a Cyber Security Expert with over 18 years’ experience in Information Technology and Security. Currently serves as the Director of Cyber Security Professional Services at Oman National CERT, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.
She was involved in many national, regional and international cyber security projects and initiatives.
Aziza was recognized nationally and regionally, in 2018 she was awarded as ‘Women Security Leader’ by Middle East Security Awards in Dubai, and she received a ward by Al Maraa Magazine in Oman for ‘Al Maraa Excellency Award in Technology’. In 2019, Middle East Security Award awarded her as ‘Government Security Leader’.
Additionally, she is the founder of ‘Cyber Security Forum for Omani Women’, which is a voluntary initiative aiming at empowering women in cyber security in Oman.
Maryam Hamad Al Muftah
Director of Information & Technology Department
Supreme Committee For Delivery & Legacy
Maryam Hamad Al Muftah
Director of Information & Technology Department
Supreme Committee For Delivery & Legacy
As Director of Information Technology, she provides leadership on delivering the IT functions with the department, such as strategy, policies, procedures, guidelines, and ensure that it within the core value of Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).
She is dedicated to provide her passion for technology on continuous innovation and collaborations.
Ann Johnson
Corporate Vice President, Cybersecurity Solutions Group
Microsoft
Ann Johnson
Corporate Vice President, Cybersecurity Solutions Group
Microsoft
As Corporate Vice President of the Cybersecurity Solutions Group at Microsoft, Ann Johnson oversees the go-to-market strategies of cybersecurity and compliance solutions for one of the largest tech companies on our planet.
As part of this charter, she leads and drives the evolution and implementation of Microsoft’s short and long-term security and compliance solutions roadmap with alignment across the marketing, engineering and product teams. She has built and shaped one of the company’s highest performing teams whose digital transformation expertise leverages built-in cloud security capabilities.
As a recognized thought leader on cybersecurity, Johnson is a sought-after global speaker and digital author specializing in cyber resilience, online fraud, cyberattacks, compliance and mobile security.
Prior to joining Microsoft, her executive leadership roles included CEO of Boundless Spatial, President and COO of vulnerability management pioneer Qualys, Inc. and Vice President of World Wide Identity and Fraud Sales at RSA Security, a subsidiary of EMC Corporation. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Weber State University with a dual major in political science and communication. She has completed the majority ofthe required coursework toward her MBA with a concentration in statistics.
Dedicated to giving back to her community, Johnson currently serves on the boards and as a board advisor of the Security Advisor Alliance, the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), Executive Women’s Forum, HYPR (a biometric security firm) as well as the Executive Sponsor of the Microsoft Women in Security Group and co-executive sponsor of Microsoft GLEAM. In addition, Johnson dedicates her philanthropy - in terms of time and fundraising - to animal and youth causes.
Eng. Meshal Al Zayed
CERT Team Leader
CITRA Kuwait
Eng. Meshal Al Zayed
CERT Team Leader
CITRA Kuwait
Ali Sleiman
System Engineering Director
Infoblox MEA, Turkey
Ali Sleiman
System Engineering Director
Infoblox MEA, Turkey
Ali Sleiman is the System Engineering Director for the Middle East, Africa & Turkey region at Infoblox, the global leader of DNS, DHCP and IP Address Management solutions. He is an accomplished technology professional with over 23 years of experience in IT. Prior to joining Infoblox, Ali played key roles in technical management at several leading technology companies and startups including Xerox, EDS, Pictometry International and most recently providing financial software and security solutions at ConServe. Ali has solid abilities to build professional relationships and develop people and align business with success. Ali received his B.S from State University of New York and is currently working on his MBA degree.
Mohannad Alkalash
Founder
CyberX
Mohannad Alkalash
Founder
CyberX
Rhys Tooby
Solutions Consultant
Magnet Forensics
Rhys Tooby
Solutions Consultant
Magnet Forensics
Rhys Tooby joined Magnet Forensics in 2019 as a Solutions Consultant for the EMEA region. Prior to joining Magnet, Rhys had a long career with South Wales Police where he was a Digital Forensic investigator for 7 years before he became the Manager of the Digital Forensics and Cyber Crime Unit for an additional 5 years. He was responsible for managing a dedicated team who provided advanced technical solutions to support the investigation of crime. Believing in Magnet’s mission, Rhys left his policing career to pursue a career working closer with other agencies to help repeat the success of his own former lab. Rhys specialises in developing solutions and custom workflows within labs with digital forensics tools and digital evidence management.
Simon Cwieka
Security Systems Engineer
CyberX
Simon Cwieka
Security Systems Engineer
CyberX
Experienced IT specialist and specialist in the field of IT systems security and monitoring of their stability. Has many years of experience in improving system monitoring tools, specializes in both administration and servicing of Splunk and Elasticsearch, carries out implementation projects of Log Management and SIEM class systems.
Dr. Zahra Rashid Al Rawahi
Director of Innovation Capacity Building
Ministry of Higher Education, Research & Innovation
Dr. Zahra Rashid Al Rawahi
Director of Innovation Capacity Building
Ministry of Higher Education, Research & Innovation
Pedro Pereira
Director & Head of Customer Adoption and Innovation Communication
SAP EMEA South
Pedro Pereira
Director & Head of Customer Adoption and Innovation Communication
SAP EMEA South
Pedro Pereira is a Director & Head of Customer Adoption and Innovation Communication, SAP EMEA South. He is an executive and entrepreneur with successful track records as a corporate innovator and new business development leader, investor, and advisor for startups. Public speaker as subject matter expert in smart city, AI and blockchain conferences, host of the AI Camp at UAE Ministry of State for Artificial Intelligence, chapter lead for SingularityU Dubai, jury for MEED Gulf Capital SME Awards and Dubai 10X, guest professor for IE Business School, SP Jain and others. Startup accelerators mentor with SAP.iO, Techstars and In5.
Born and graduated in Brazil with executive education in the United States from MIT Sloan, Singularity University, and University of La Verne.
Dr. Eva-Marie Muller-Stuler
Chief Data Scientist, Advanced Analytics & AI practice leader
IBM
Dr. Eva-Marie Muller-Stuler
Chief Data Scientist, Advanced Analytics & AI practice leader
IBM
Dr. Eva-Marie Muller-Stuler is the Advanced Analytics & AI practice leader and Chief Data Scientist for IBM MEA. With over 15 years of experience in leading large-scale data science & AI projects and transformations globally she has pioneered highly successful solutions with governments and top-tier organizations alike. Having worked across many different industries including Oil & Gas, Energy, FMCG, Healthcare and the Financial sectors, she is one of IBMs distinguished Data Science Thought Leaders and a Member of the Academy of Technology. Her experience and passion for Data Science, AI and Innovation has made her a regular on the ‘world’s best data scientist’ rankings.
Dr. Eva is a trusted advisor to governments on change management through AI and on the advisory board of the various organizations focusing on AI Ethics.
Dr. Muller-Stuler is a serial entrepreneur and founder, investor and advisor of multiple companies. She is the author and co-author of numerous papers and publications as well as a member of various mathematical societies.
Dr. Jassim Haji
President
Artificial Intelligence Society of Bahrain
Dr. Jassim Haji
President
Artificial Intelligence Society of Bahrain
Dr Jassim Haji has management and executive experience in Aviation, Hospitality, Technology and Telecommunications for over 30 years. He has served on the board of directors of a leading hospitality and tourism technology provider in the Middle East and on SITA Council representing Middle East and North Africa. Furthermore, he has been part of the Bahrain Centre of Excellence, which is over-looking excellence in the public sector.
Dr. Haji has been instrumental in implementing some key innovations at Gulf Air’s IT systems and processes in recent times, most notably, the introduction of advanced technology for Gulf Air World Wide Contact Centre, Cloud Computing, Business Intelligence, Disaster Recovery Centre, Green Technology, In-house Oracle R12 upgrade, Big Data, Electronic Flight Bag and deploying tablets to cabin crew for on-board services plus ISO 27001, 9001, 20000, 240001, 22301, 55000 and 50001 certifications that have helped further improve customer interface services as well as cost efficiency to the company. He managed to achieve forty three top Middle-Eastern technology awards, including four CIO distinguished awards.
He participated as a key speaker and chairman in over 80 technology conferences in Middle-East and Europe to cover latest technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Information Security and Business Intelligence. He also published articles in relation to the above topics. Additionally, Dr. Haji is part of several advisory boards of key technological events in the Gulf and he is participating in several judging panels for reputable technology awards. Furthermore, he has featured on 19 international technology and aviation magazines cover pages with over 80 interviews. Plus published four books in English and Arabic on Organization Culture, Techno-Management, Artificial Intelligence..future of humanity and most recently Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation. Necessity post COVID-19.
Dr. Haji received his Doctorate in Business Administration (PhD) from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK in 2010. He has completed his Master degree in Management of Information Technology from the University of Sunderland, UK and graduation in telecommunications from the famed Cable and Wireless College, Cornwall, UK.
He started his career with Sprint Telecommunications in London before joining Gulf Air in 1985 as a network engineer and moved to Sabre – an airline IT solutions company – to whom Gulf Air outsourced its IT services. He then moved to EDS as an Executive Director, another American IT solutions company with global presence, then in 2008 to Gulf Air as the Director of Information Technology Division. He is currently working as President of Artificial Intelligence Society Bahrain plus AI and Aviation Technology leading expert, consultant and executive Director.
Igor Jablokov
CEO
Pryon
Founder
Yap, Amazon’s 1st AI Acquisition
Igor Jablokov
CEO
Pryon
Founder
Yap, Amazon’s 1st AI Acquisition
Igor is the CEO of Pryon, an AI company focused on augmented intelligence. Pryon’s cognitive technology helps machines better understand people, putting AI at the core of enterprise digital transformations. Impatient with the gap between the invention of AI technologies and their commercialization, Igor left his career at IBM and founded Yap in 2006. Just 5 years later, Amazon acquired the company for its AI technology, which is now found in billions of Alexa, Echo, and Fire TV devices. Igor was awarded both the Eisenhower and Truman National Security fellowships to explore and expand the role of entrepreneurship and venture capital in addressing geopolitical concerns. Igor is a passionate supporter of career and educational opportunities in the STEM fields. As such, he serves as a mentor in the TechStars’ Alexa Accelerator, was a Blackstone NC Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR), and founded a chapter of the Global Shapers, a program of the World Economic Forum. Igor holds a BS degree in Computer Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, where he was named an Outstanding Engineering Alumnus, and an MBA from The University of North Carolina.
Dr. Hatem Bugshan
CEO
Big Innovation Centre – MENA
Dr. Hatem Bugshan
CEO
Big Innovation Centre – MENA
As CEO of Big Innovation Centre in Middle East, Dr Hatem Bugshan aims to redefine the current innovation landscape to be more open and collaborative. Through a local presence of Big Innovation Centre, he will lead the its contribution to transforming the Middle East economy into a smart knowledge-based economy which can unleash the economic growth and unlock the hidden potential of digital, AI and Future-Tech opportunities.
Shijaz Abdulla
Senior Manager, Solutions Architecture - WWPS MENA
Amazon Web Services
Shijaz Abdulla
Senior Manager, Solutions Architecture - WWPS MENA
Amazon Web Services
Shijaz Abdulla leads the Public Sector Solutions Architecture team across the Middle East & North Africa for Amazon Web Services. His team of solution architects helps governments, educational institutions and non-profits build innovative solutions on the cloud. With 16 years of tech experience in the region, Shijaz holds an engineering degree in Information Technology. He is also a tech blogger and an AI enthusiast.
Katie King
Chief Executive Officer
AI in Business
Katie King
Chief Executive Officer
AI in Business
Katie King is a published Author, Speaker and Consultant on Artificial Intelligence (AI). She travels widely around Oman, Bahrain, UAE and globally. Katie has over 30 years’ of consulting experience and has advised many of the world's leading brands and business leaders, as well as schools, colleges and universities. Katie is a member of the UK Government All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) task force for the adoption of AI. She is also an Editorial Board Member for the AI and Ethics Journal (Springer Nature – global publisher). Katie is the author of Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: How to Harness AI and Maintain the Competitive Edge, published by Kogan Page in February 2019.
Jorge Sebastião
Executive Board Member
Global Blockchain Organization
Jorge Sebastião
Executive Board Member
Global Blockchain Organization
A seasoned CTO, Advisor and International speaker, with experience in Blockchain, Cyber Security, AI, IoT, 5G, Cloud Computing, Disaster Recovery, Bigdata, & Managed Services. Jorge is professional advisor in several innovative startups using disruptive technologies with focus on generating business value.He created the powerful framework A6 of security: Assess, Assess, Apply, Administer, Awareness & Agility.
Jorge is a regular speaker at international conferences.
Jorge is action and results oriented with passion to deliver a results… “Cyber Security is a continuous skilled process”
Baha Allawati
Vice President Enterprise
Omantel
Baha Allawati
Vice President Enterprise
Omantel
Eng. Baha Allawati has been VP of Omantel’s Enterprise Unit since March 2019 and brings more than 18 years of experience in the IT, telecom, project management and wholesale business. He has held several Sr. management roles within Omantel spanning from international & carrier wholesale business to managing a portfolio of multimillion dollar telecom and IT projects. Prior to joining Omantel, he worked in the US with Iris Wireless as a network consultant as well as a teaching and research assistance at Vanderbilt University. Allawati holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a Master’s degree in Networking Security both from Vanderbilt University, USA, and a Master’s certification degree in Project Management from George Washington University. Baha is also a graduate of the National CEO program (2017 – Cohort 2) - a PPP leadership program between IMD Switzerland and the Institute of Capability development of Oman (ICD).
Saif Abdullah Al Abri
Sr. Manager - Business Development & Innovation
Space Communication Technologies
Saif Abdullah Al Abri
Sr. Manager - Business Development & Innovation
Space Communication Technologies
Mr. Saif Al Abri has joined SCT in October 2018. He comes with an experience working in the investment industry (infrastructure, power, logistics, FMCG). Skilled in Business Development, Business Planning, Investments and Asset Management with a professional Bachelor degree in Finance.
Ayman Madieh
Chief Technical Officer
Huawei Tech. Investment (Oman) LLC
Ayman Madieh
Chief Technical Officer
Huawei Tech. Investment (Oman) LLC
Ayman Madieh has a vast experience in the ICT industry started back in 1997 (22 Years of Experience). Worked for Nokia Networks & Devices, Zain (Operator) and Huawei Tech Investment. Participated and led major projects such as introducing 3G networks in Jordan back in 2009 and 4G networks in Oman in 2012 and 5G in Oman in 2019. Holding the position of Chief Technical Officer responsible for ICT Technical Solutions and Networks in Oman.
Dr. Sana Farid
President
VR/AR Association MENA
Dr. Sana Farid
President
VR/AR Association MENA
Pioneer in HealthTech, X Reality and Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare Futurist, an avid researcher determined to use future tech solutions for societal well-being. Her ongoing research with NGOs seeking to counter malnutrition and neonatal diseases in 3rd world countries, assisting them to develop awareness through immersive technologies and artificial intelligence. Having a background in General Surgery, and Simulation training, Dr. Sana Farid has contributions with RCSI, Stanford, and Oxford University. Awarded as leading women worldwide in ARVR, she has had distinguished recognitions from Harvard Business Review, Forbes Middle East, and MIT.
Georges El-Khoury
Country Manager - Oman
Dell Technologies
Georges El-Khoury
Country Manager - Oman
Dell Technologies
18 years of experience in IT industry in gulf region – leading sales team, planning winning strategy, project execution, resource management, a proactive leader with a passion to deliver, played major role on expanding Dell Technologies business & shares in Oman.
Sean Hurwitz
Founder & CEO
PIXO
Sean Hurwitz
Founder & CEO
PIXO
Sean Hurwitz is the Founder and CEO of PIXO. A serial entrepreneur with decades of experience building and leading businesses, Sean founded PIXO in 2009 on his belief in the power of emerging technologies to unlock human potential. In PIXO’s early years, the company built groundbreaking immersive experiences for the consumer market, including some of the first mobile gaming titles available in Apple’s App Store. Recognizing the opportunity and need for virtual reality applications in enterprise, Sean assembled a team of award-winning Extended Reality (XR) engineers, graphic artists, and AAA-game designers and began innovating state-of-the-art Virtual Reality Training solutions for business in 2016. In August 2020, Sean and PIXO launched PIXO ApexTM — a patent-pending XR distribution, management, and analytics platform that makes VR, AR, and MR technology easier than ever to use, manage, and scale globally. In addition to leading PIXO, Sean proudly serves as co-president of the Detroit Chapter of the VR/AR Association (VRARA), and co-chair of the VRARA Entrepreneurship Committee.
Faisal Ameer Malik
CTO
Huawei
Faisal Ameer Malik
CTO
Huawei
With more than 18 years of experience in the ICT sector and working for various organizations from satellite communication to broadband operators, Faisal holds expertise in technology domains of IP Networks, Transmission, Wireless & Wireline Broadband, Unified Communication Systems, Surveillance & Security networks, IT & DC solutions. Faisal led numerous ICT transformation projects of national scale in different industry verticals.
As Chief Technology Officer, Faisal is responsible for the successful alignment and implementation of Huawei’s Middle East business strategy and technology vision. He leads all aspects of developing and executing technology initiatives to grow Huawei’s presence in the region.
In his 13+ years at Huawei, Faisal has been part of both Carrier Solution Sales and Enterprise division, and is deeply involved in various industry driven ICT transformation projects at the company of all business & technology scales.
Dr. Anwer Hamim
General Manager
Higher Innovation Center
Dr. Anwer Hamim
General Manager
Higher Innovation Center
Dr. Anwar Hamim is an International consultant and lecturer in human development, Specialized in creativity, innovation and future foresight.
- General Manager of the Higher Innovation Center for Training and Consulting.
- Awarded First place for the best distinguished government employee Award 2015.
- First place winner in the initiative and creativity award 2015.
- First place in the award for the best community service employee 2016 (the Federal Authority for Human Resources’ Award).
- First place winner in the United Nations competition for global sustainability goals under the title of “Innovate or Evaporate” 2016.
- First place winner with the title of the “Arab Champion” in the latest and strongest Arab Speech and Rhetoric competition, DETAC, Toastmasters - Bahrain – 2017.
- Certified Innovation Evaluator.
- Member of the VR/AR Association.
- A guest of honor for several TV channels of more than seven countries and a writer for several Arab newspapers and magazines.
- Was honored as one of the top 100 influential leaders. Arab personalities Trained and contributed to the Qualification of more than 15,000 thousand people of various groups and ages.
Abdulmonem Ali Al Kharusi, PhD
Director
Oman Research and Education Network
Abdulmonem Ali Al Kharusi, PhD
Director
Oman Research and Education Network
Dr. Abdulmonem has over 25 years of experience in higher educational institutions, ICT business projects, consultancy, and support. He has an extensive experience in Student Management Systems, Learning Management Systems, University ERP solutions and Business Process Automation in the Government, Higher Education, and Oil sector. Recently, Abdulmonem joined the Research Council to lead the Oman Research & Education Network (OMREN) project.
Hritik Khimji
Director
Khimji Ramdas
Hritik Khimji
Director
Khimji Ramdas
A passionate and innovative social entrepreneur, Hritik did his schooling in Switzerland and further studies at Babson College in the US where he majored in Finance and Entrepreneurship. He is a Director at Khimji Ramdas, one of the most trusted and respected business conglomerates in Oman, with the Infrastructure cluster of the business since 2008. He is also a Director at the Mosaic Group of Companies, which operates in the real estate, sports and investment sectors. Actively involved with the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) since 2009 as a founder and board member of the Oman Chapter, he recently joined the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). His private equity interests have included financial services, sports and e-commerce amongst others which inspires him to be apprised of technology and development. He strongly believes in integrating technologies in innovative and transformative ways to deliver new business capabilities. He strives to focus on creating new intelligent digital processes that focus on the business outcomes of digital transformation rather than wiring a technology stack together.
Omar Alrasbi
Chief Executive Officer
Sadara Group
Omar Alrasbi
Chief Executive Officer
Sadara Group
Sustainability, Optimization, and Industrialization, are the core focus values of Eng. Omar as a CEO of Sadara Group, under the umbrella of Mubbadrah Investment.
Eng. Omar has over 10 years of experience as a Project Manager. Sadara team are bringing cutting edge ventures and technologies to the region in the three main sectors, Energy, Digitalization, and Manufacturing.
Abdullah Alzughaibi
Director of Urban planning and GIS Department
Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON)
Abdullah Alzughaibi
Director of Urban planning and GIS Department
Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON)
Working as a Director of Urban planning and GIS Department in MODON, with over 12 years’ experience in the field of GIS, urban planning, and remote sensing. Graduated from the University of Akron, OH, USA, College of Sciences (Geoscience field)
Elia Montanari
Head of Management and Control
European Space Agency
Elia Montanari
Head of Management and Control
European Space Agency
Elia Montanari works at the European Space Agency where he is Head of Management and Control in what can be defined as the 'venture arm of ESA'.
He and his team support and foster the development of commercial Space application as part of ESA Space Solution.
More recently, Elia and his team launched the ASPIRE WITH ESA accelerator after running the prestigious ESA INVESTOR FORUM.
Eng. Naser A. Bin Hammad
Head of Strategic Partnership and International Relations
UAE Space Agency
Eng. Naser A. Bin Hammad
Head of Strategic Partnership and International Relations
UAE Space Agency
Engineer Nasser Bin Hammad is the head of Space Strategic Partnership and International Relations at UAE Space Agency. He was Former Director of International Affairs at Télécommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of UAE with a demonstrated history of working in the telecommunications and ICT industry for more than 19 years. Skilled in Wireless Technologies, Radio Regulations, Management, Strategic Planning, Telecommunications, Space and Strategy. Strong diplomat professional with an Executive Master of business administration focused in Business administration from Zayed University (UAE). He is a Telecom Engineer with first class honors from Khalifa University of UAE (former known as Etisalat College of Engineering) and currently is pursuing a doctoral candidate on International Relations from Geneva School of Diplomacy and international relations. He was elected to be the first Emirati and GCC member of the Radio Regulation Board (RRB) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva from (2014-2018).
Bin Hammad is an experienced International Telecommunications Policy and Regulatory Affairs professional and Telecommunications Engineer, and has been actively participating in the activities of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for the past 19 years.
He has been the Head of Delegation and Deputy Head of UAE delegation and official spokesperson of the UAE Administration at many Regional and International conferences, meetings, forums expressing and defending UAE positions and interests in Telecom and Space sector , and was selected to be the chairperson of the council committee responsible for the 150th anniversary celebration of the ITU.
Bin Hammad received several national and international honors and appreciation certificates from many international organizations including Arab Leagues, GCC Leaque and International Telecommunication Union. In 2016 & 2018 he received the ITU Award from the Secretary General for winning the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) for the category “ International Partnership Impacts and significant role”
Shelli Brunswick
Chief Operating Officer
Space Foundation
Shelli Brunswick
Chief Operating Officer
Space Foundation
As Space Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer, Brunswick serves as a corporate officer, and is responsible for Space Foundation operations, facilities, processes, and personnel. Functions reporting to her include education, development/philanthropy, marketing and communication, operations, human resources and administration, customer service, information technology, facilities, maintenance, security, and assurance. She has primary responsibility for Space Foundation headquarters, the Space Foundation Discovery Center, operational management of the annual Space Symposium and the Faga Forum on Space Intelligence. She also oversees government affairs activities in the Washington, D.C., office including relationships with government agencies, other space advocacy organizations and associations, and corporate interests.
Raihana Al Hashimi
Treaties and Agreements Senior Executive
UAE Space Agency
Raihana Al Hashimi
Treaties and Agreements Senior Executive
UAE Space Agency
Raihana Alhashmi holds the position of Treaties and Agreements Senior Executive at the UAE Space Agency. She previously expanded her career in the IT and Digital Government field for seven years; working in sales, audience marketing, digital literacy and partnerships. Raihana also has creative experience as a filmmaker.
Dr. Hector Upegui
Worldwide Market Development Executive
IBM Watson Health
Dr. Hector Upegui
Worldwide Market Development Executive
IBM Watson Health
Based in Munich, Hector has developed an international profile as a subject matter expert through his work in the healthcare and social sector. His career with an experience of 25 years as a physician in social security fields combines medical aspects with social policy making, as well as operational and management levels, with special emphasis on Coordinating Health and Social Care services and Disability Management.
Within IBM Hector holds worldwide responsibility for research, strategy and market development in Watson Health for Long Term Care, disability management and coordinated Health & Social care. He is responsible for strategic initiatives, identifying new and innovative best practices, developing them into business models and then promoting their success and usage around the world, especially in the field of artificial intelligence, cognitive computing in health care and social care area.
Khalid Ghaloua Adine
Head of Digital Healthcare Industry
ETISALAT
Khalid Ghaloua Adine
Head of Digital Healthcare Industry
ETISALAT
Khalid is a Digital Healthcare Transformation leader, with strong and extensive experience in managing Healthcare National initiatives and eHealth transformation projects. +17 Years of experience in implementing Electronic Medical records and digital healthcare solutions in EMEA and LATAM. Today, Khalid looks after the new Etisalat Digital Health unit for the UAE to develop the market and contribute to the growth of the eHealth sector in the region.
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