Speakers

Dr.Ohoud is an aspiring Emirati who has scripted her success story with relentless determination and commitment towards promoting the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Industry in UAE. The Government at the “UAE Pioneers Award” has recognized her pioneering role and she continues to inspire success.

She holds many academic qualifications to her credit, a bachelor’s degree of Software Engineering (Information Technology, 2005), a Master's of Business Administration (2011), a Doctorate degree of Business Administration (2021) and lately a second Masters of Strategic and Security Studies (2022).

 Her experience and expertise in the ICT industry has earned her many keynote speaking and proactive panelist opportunities on global platforms such as UN.

Currently, she is leading the team of Department of digital Ajman as their Director General. She is also serving as a member in many high esteemed committees across the UAE such as: a member of Ajman Executive Council, a member of the Artificial Intelligence and Block Chain Council of UAE, a member of the National Cybersecurity Council, a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Computing and Informatics at the University of Sharjah, and a member of the Board of Ajman University Innovation Center. Her career path is dotted with remarkable achievements and milestones in all the government positions she has served.

A strong believer in the spirit of teamwork, her leadership qualities are reflected in her impeccable work ethics and empowered team that grows with her vision. Her exceptional management and strategic planning abilities has resulted in UAE being represented in local, regional and international forums of the ICT industry. The exemplary achievements of the Ajman Digital government are ideal case studies presented on such platforms to showcase the remarkable accomplishments.

Her principle of life and work “Realize the ambitions of our visionary leaders, determination of a will for a great nation rooted in the wisdom of our culture and traditions of our beloved country, WE, Emiratis make success a way of life, wherever we go, whatever we pursue”.

Mérouane Debbah is a researcher, educator and technology entrepreneur. Over his career, he has founded several public and industrial research centers, start-ups and is now Professor at Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi and founding Director of the KU 6G Research Center. He is a frequent keynote speaker at international events in the field of telecommunication and AI. His research has been lying at the interface of fundamental mathematics, algorithms, statistics, information and communication sciences with a special focus on random matrix theory and learning algorithms. In the Communication field, he has been at the heart of the development of small cells (4G), Massive MIMO (5G) and Large Intelligent Surfaces (6G) technologies. In the AI field, he is known for his work on Large Language Models, distributed AI systems for networks and semantic communications. He received multiple prestigious distinctions, prizes and best paper awards (more than 40 IEEE best paper awards) for his contributions to both fields and according to research.com is ranked as the best scientist in France in the field of Electronics and Electrical Engineering. He is an IEEE Fellow, a WWRF Fellow, a Eurasip Fellow, an AAIA Fellow, an Institut Louis Bachelier Fellow and a Membre émérite SEE. His recent work led to the development of NOOR (upon it release, largest language model in Arabic) released in 2022 and Falcon LLM (upon its release, top ranked open-source large language model) released in 2023. These two models have positioned the UAE as a global leader in the generative AI field.

Mohamed Al Breiki is responsible for leading the advancement of sustainable development at Masdar City, from investment and planning to delivery and sustainable community management. Al Breiki provides strategic planning, value creation, and financial oversights in the development of real estate assets while maintaining highest standard of excellence.

He has over 20 years of development management experience, including planning and design, new construction, commercial tenant fit-out, operations optimization, and business plan execution. Previously, he has held roles at Mubadala, ADEK, and the Urban Planning Council.

During his 10 years at Mubadala, he managed major projects in various sectors such as real estate, health care, education, aerospace, and information and communications technology. Some of his notable Abu Dhabi projects include the design and delivery of New York University, the Four Seasons Hotel, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and Khazna Data Center.

While at the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Al Breiki contributed to the master planning of various mixed-use developments across Abu Dhabi and worked collaboratively with real estate developers to ensure their plans were professionally designed, sustainable, and well-managed. At ADEK, he managed the development and implementation of a schools master plan in Abu Dhabi.

Al Breiki holds a BTEC national diploma in business studies from Southampton City College in England. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, a post-graduate diploma in business administration, and a master’s degree in engineering management from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.

Safder heads Huawei’s Digital Industry Center of Excellence, prior to which he has held various leadership roles in global blue chip companies. With over 25 years of experience across the world he has an extensive background in the built environment including smart cities, connected real estate and sustainable development.

Having held senior leadership positions as the client, the consultant and the vendor, this 360 degree view combined with over 15 years in the Middle East region gives Safder a rounded perspective of the market, challenges and opportunities. He has worked directly with governments, developers and city leaders to help formalize their strategies.

With more than 20 years in mobility field, Samer played a key role in developing different in-vehicle smart systems, he joined Streamax Technology in 2016, in his capacity as CEO for middle east and north Africa.

Samer leads the implementation of many successful projects like the new taxi solution in the emirate of Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi 2018), STS Smart School Bus Project (Dubai 2019), Abu Dhabi Police stop arm project (Abu Dhabi 2020) launching of King Khalid airport green taxi project in kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh 2020) and the full city bus solution in kingdom of Saudi Arabia(Damman 2022)

Focusing on the transportation solutions for commercial vehicles and how to create value using AI technology for safety, security and efficiency.

MSc in economics and business administration. Specialty: Economic Structure and Economic Development. Madrid, Universidad Autónoma, 1993. Mr. Gasco is fully proficient in Spanish and English and speaks German, French and Portuguese at intermediate level.

Back in 1998 he was Director of the Office of the Secretary of State for Economy and Energy of Spain. Prior, he was Adviser of the Spanish Vice-President of the Government and Secretary of the Treasury. Member of the Economic Policy Committee in the European Commission from 1997 to 2003.

In 2005, he was the General Director of the Fundación de Estudios Financieros (Financial Studies Foundation) and Assistant Secretary General of the Instituto Español de Analistas Financieros (Spanish Institute of Financial Analysts) in Madrid.

In 2007 Carlos Gascó joined Iberdrola Renewables, the Spanish energy giant as Head of the Prospective Regulation Department. From 2007 to 2011 he was Vice Chairman of the Global Wind Energy Council and Board member of the European Wind Energy Association.

In January 2011, he joined the Renewable Energy Direction of the International Energy Agency in Paris, as Senior Analyst.

In late 2012 he returned to the public sector in Spain, as Senior Advisor for Energy Policy Affairs to the Minister of Energy and later as Executive Director of the Office of the President of SEPI (Public Industrial Holding Corporation), a group of public companies with more than 80.000 employees.

From 2014 to 2018 Carlos Gascó Travesedo was Senior Advisor for International Corporate Affairs in Iberdrola, the Spanish international utility, with a workforce of over 35.000 employees and approx.80 billion euros in market capitalization. The company, is considered the largest private developer of renewable energy at global scale, strategically invests in different energy markets and technologies across four continents.

From late 2018 Carlos Gascó Travesedo has been Acting Energy Policy Executive Director in the Department of Energy (DoE) of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in the UAE. In that position, Carlos Gascó is responsible for managing three General Directorates (Policy Development, Partnership and Sector Risk and Sustainability and Energy Efficiency).

Abdulla Al Ameri, Vice President – Human Resources,  joined CERT (the investment arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology) in 2020. With more than 18 years of HR and strategic Leadership and Management experience since being headhunted by ADNOC in 2006, Abdulla has worked extensively in a variety of consultancy, advisory and managerial roles including that of Head and Management Advisor at the Petroleum Institute (PI) from 2010 – 2020. With a BA in Information Technology, an MBA and a Master’s in Human Resources, Abdulla has proven expertise in technology, entrepreneurial and corporate decision making, leading development strategies and coordinating all aspects of statutory compliance regulations.

Mohamed Ali Hamad Futais Al Marri is a pioneering Emirati technology expert with over 29 years of experience in government and semi-government sectors. As the First Arabic PHP Developer and first emirati Microsoft Certified Professional, he has led numerous large-scale technology and data analytics projects in Abu Dhabi. Al Marri currently serves as the Director of Dissemination Department and Act. Director of Research & Innovation Dept. at SCAD.

Acting Director of Community Services Operations Department. She holds a master’s in business administration and a bachelor’s in mass communication, in addition to two diplomas in Human Resource Management. She is a certified trainer and professional career coach certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and a consultant in happiness and quality of life. She has more than 20 years of experience in employee happiness and engagement. She is the author of the book The Happiest Work Environment and holds the Best Women Leaders Award for the year 2023 within the Arabian Gulf Award for Human Resources.

• With more than 22 years of experience in the ICT sector and working for various organization from satellite communication, broadband operators and technology vendors. Faisal holds a very hands on knowledge and experience in multiple technology domains and their implementation across different industry verticals.
• Faisal has led numerous ICT transformation projects of enterprise and national scale across Middle East ranging from smart city, safe city, network transformation, cloud & data centers.
• As Chief Technology Officer, Faisal is responsible for the alignment and implementation of Huawei’s Middle East business strategy and technology vision and translate it to business success.
• In his 16 years at Huawei, Faisal has been part of both Carrier business and Enterprise division and has always been recognized as one of top achievers in the organization.

Steve Severance oversees numerous projects that balance sustainability and economic requirements, guaranteeing each project meets sustainability, revenue, cost, and schedule targets.

Severance also leads the development of the technology lines of business, including district cooling, mobility, and smart city initiatives. He develops new business models, execution of strategies, and partnerships with leading global companies to implement technology requirements.

He has 20 years of experience in project and program management, strategy consulting, financial analysis, and economic development in the United States, Moldova, and the Middle East.

Severance holds a Master of Business Administration from San Jose State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cedarville University in the U.S.

Dr. Xucheng Li is a professor-level senior transport engineer with over 15 years of working experience in the fields of smart city in China and UK. His research area includes multimodal demand modeling, traffic simulation, intelligent mobility and big data analysis. He worked at Atkins Global UK and participated in major transportation R&D projects as a technical lead. He is now the Solution Director at Shenzhen Urban Transport Planning Center, responsible for the research and delivery of smart city solutions and system platforms.

Dr. Li is also an active researcher and has led the technical team for over 20 national and local major R&D projects. He was awarded national and provincial-level scientific and technological progress prizes, and holds over 20 patents on transport modeling and big data analysis. He has also been recognized as a high-level professional talent in Shenzhen, making outstanding contributions to government decision support, transportation development, and scientific innovation.

Stephen Goldie is the City Planning Advisor at Al Ain Municipality.

He has over forty years’ experience in urban planning and design, mostly at executive level.

His urban planning and design experience ranges from regional and metropolitan strategy to complex inner-city design, from high-level policy and legislation to seemingly intractable local disputes, and from detailed urban design to complex management issues, including:

• An urban expansion for a third of a million people,
• A high density transit oriented development; and
• 100 km of metro rail in three different projects.

Earlier this year Stephen received a 2023 UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure Research & Innovation Award for groundbreaking work on Artificial Intelligence Supporting Urban Planning.

An accomplished professional currently serving as the Director of Smart City Solutions at Core42. In this capacity, my primary responsibility revolves around conceptualizing and realizing the next generation of urban and enterprise offerings. These encompass a wide spectrum, ranging from Smart Grids and innovative Smart Traffic Management systems to robust Public Safety, AI integration, Digital Twin solutions, and Industry 4.0.

Previously served as the Head of Digital Transformation and Innovation at Core42, where I played a key role in designing and implementing many critical and strategic nationwide digital and smart city initiatives for UAE government and private enterprise. Additionally, I am honoured to be an active member of the design authority at Hassantuk, a sweeping safety and security program overseen by the UAE Ministry of Interior.

Spanning a career of two decades, I have extensive expertise in Digital Transformation, Smart Cities, and Enterprise Solution Architecture. A significant portion of this journey has been dedicated to steering digital transformation endeavours at a leadership level, which brings a wealth of knowledge to my role. Prior to joining Core42, I led the Enterprise Asset Management practice at Siemens SIS division, where I held various roles in Solution Consulting, New Product Development, and end-to-end Digital Transformation project delivery for customers across the Middle East from different industrial domains such as Oil & gas, Utility, and manufacturing.

I began my career with TATA Consulting Services in consulting domain, working in the USA, India, and Europe in various capacities, including consulting and delivery leadership roles.

I am very passionate about leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as IoT, AI, Digital Twins and blockchain to create innovative solutions and products that aid customers in navigating market disruption and believe in the power of technology to solve both global and enterprise problems.

I hold a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institution of Technology in India and a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Mastery from the MIT Sloan School of Management, USA.

My name is Bader Mushabeb Al-Otibi, an architect and a   town planner by profession, had my bachelor degree of Architectural Engineering   form a UAE University in year 2007.  During my professional journey spanning over a decade, had been associated with excellent organizations in both government and private sector. 

Just to name a few,  Al Ain Municipality a government organization responsible for the development of Al Ain Region, Masder , a leader in the provision of an innovative approach  to green and clean housing, M/s Fosters + Partners and CH2M Hill a leading professional consultants in the fields of urban planning and infrastructure development.   

Played a central  role in shaping up the urban fabric of Al Ain Region, lead various planning teams to develop plans for new neighborhoods, industrial areas and safeguarding futuristic transport modes requirements at local and regional level. Have also provided an inspiration and technical input   in formulating policies and design guidelines, critical  review and evaluation of major development projects and liaison  with government and semi-government  bodies  for a coordinated effort.

Lee Parker is an experienced transport planner with over 25 years working in the sector both in the UAE and overseas.  He is an expert in sustainable and future mobility and is currently focusing on autonomous transport and the transition to electrification. Lee is passionate about developing a safe and sustainable future. He was the former Director of a large municipality in the UK covering infrastructure and planning and is now a subject matter expert for the Integrated Transport Centre.

With more than two decades of professional experience in the realm of smart cities, Guo Yangbo has successfully overseen numerous one-stop digital solution projects across 70 countries worldwide. His extensive expertise lies in the areas of cloud computing, network communications, and other digital foundations crucial to the development of smart cities. In his previous role, he held the responsibility of managing network security and infrastructure across 13 countries and regions in Southeast Asia. Presently, Guo Yangbo is spearheading the comprehensive management of projects at Shenzhen Smart City Group, with a primary focus on the construction of digital twin cities.

Lukas Sokol is responsible for the Masdar City master plan including land use, transportation, public realm, development approvals, and sustainability.

His team explores the latest strategies and technologies to pioneer a new model of development in which people live more meaningful, productive, and sustainable lives.

Prior to joining Masdar City, Sokol came to the UAE to help with the founding of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, where he managed the Urban Design Studio for more than a decade. His work focused on development reviews, urban design, and master planning for the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Sokol has worked internationally in planning and urban design for over 20 years. He is passionate about designing cities that enable people to live meaningful lives and continues to research and lecture on city urban planning and design.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Arizona in the U.S. He also holds a master’s degree in cities from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Wissam holds the position of Senior Director of Innovation at EllisDon MENA region. His primary responsibility is to manage the creation and execution of creative digital delivery approaches for EllisDon's operations, which is a part of the Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services. With over 17 years of experience in developing and implementing BIM and VDC applications for Design-Build-Operate projects, Wissam possesses a diverse range of skills and knowledge in the Digital Project Delivery industry. He is currently leading a team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to design solutions for implementing digital twin and smart building technologies.

Dr. Mohammad Khaled - Safe Digital Thought Leader, has been chosen as one of GLOBAL 200 POWER LEADERS IN Technology 2023 from the UAE 

With over two decades of experience, Dr. Mohammad Khaled is a leading figure in technology and business. His ability to envision and implement pragmatic tech strategies has resulted in considerable outcomes.

A transformative leader, Dr. Khaled's strategic thinking, mentoring, and advising have left a lasting mark on private and public sectors. His leadership has fostered innovation and empowered high-performing teams.

Dr. Khaled's talent for catalyzing growth is demonstrated by his success in leading companies through stages like inception, transformation, merger, acquisition, and revamping. Under his leadership, these companies have become industry leaders.

Working with organizations like e& enterprise, G42, the Department of Energy, and Department of Finance, Dr. Khaled has accrued diverse experience. His strategic influence and technical expertise have fostered advancements across multiple sectors and positioned him as a crucial asset.

In the regional AI and cloud computing sector, Dr. Khaled is a pioneer. His guidance in developing and deploying advanced technological solutions, especially in the public sector, has been instrumental in AI advancement and infrastructure enhancement.

Dr. Khaled's expertise extends to cybersecurity and digital transformation, where he's built secure infrastructures, ensuring seamless integration of IT with Operational Technology (OT), driving organizations towards a safer digital future.

His solutions transcend conventional approaches. His understanding of sector-specific needs, and insight into how AI can be securely and effectively used, have set an industry standard.

His significant contributions have safeguarded sectors against evolving cybersecurity threats, showing technology's potential to revolutionize operations, functionality, and security. His achievements underscore technology's transformative power when aligned with sector-specific needs and security principles.

In academia, Dr. Khaled serves on the boards of Abu Dhabi University and the British University in Dubai, imparting his expertise to groom the next generation of innovators.

Holding a PhD, a Master's in Engineering Management, and a Bachelor's in Computer Science, Dr. Khaled's contributions to scholarly publications, especially in governance, risk, compliance, and smart government services, reflect his commitment to knowledge advancement.

In essence, Dr. Khaled is more than a professional; he's a visionary leader, strategist, and harbinger of positive change. His approach to technology and business exhibits exceptional leadership and a strategic vision that is both forward-thinking and practical.

Before joining MBZUAI as Provost and Professor of Machine Learning, Karray served as the founding co-director of the University of Waterloo AI Institute. He has held the Loblaws Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada.

Karray was honored in 2021 by the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society (VTS) for his novel work on improving traffic flow prediction using weather Information in connected cars through deep learning and tools of AI.

Fakhri has published extensively in the general field of pattern analysis and machine intelligence and is the author of 20 US registered patents. artificial, biological, and social systems.

Fakhri is the co-founder and Chief Scientist of Yourika.ai, a provider of AI-based online learning systems. He is a Fellow of IEEE, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada.

Mujtaba Mir is an experienced Solutions Engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and security industry. He is highly skilled in network, application, and datacenter security and is known for his capabilities to understand customer demands to provide solutions accordingly. His current role at VMware focuses on introducing the NSX portfolio to customers and partners across the region. He generally spends his time delivering technical workshops and demonstrations to customers embracing Private, Public or Hybrid Cloud in the environments.

Jorge Carrasco is a Blockchain and Web3 expert and enthusiast with more than 15 years of experience building and developing lines of business related to emerging technologies. He currently supports clients in developing strategies for enterprise blockchain implementations, advises clients from multinational enterprises to start-ups on their value proposition and product-market fit in the Middle East and gets involved in complex virtual assets regulatory matters.

Mr. Carrasco is a prominent member of the Middle East blockchain industry, involved with numerous organizations, events and endeavours across blockchain, NFT and Web3.

Amira Mohammed is a Journalist and TV Presenter known for her insightful contributions to media and broadcasting in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With a varied selection of thought-provoking programs such as "The Space and Future," "Artificial Intelligence: Future Begins Now," "Abu Dhabi Translate," "Seed," about food security, and high-profile interviews in "The Promise of Fifty", Amira engages and informs viewers on key topics shaping the future.

Amira's journalistic skills led her to cover significant national events in the UAE firsthand. Her coverage included the historic launch of the Emirates Mars Mission 'Hope Probe,' the grand inauguration of Expo 2020 in Dubai, and the unveiling of the groundbreaking Museum of the Future, and much more.

Amira's educational background is impressive, with a Journalism degree from the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication, Certificate in Middle Eastern Studies from American University in Dubai, and a Master of Arts in Diplomacy from the American University in the UAE.

Amira Mohammed's remarkable talent, dedication, and her capacity to deliver informative and engaging content have established her as a highly regarded presence within the realm of journalism and broadcasting. Her influence extends throughout the local media landscape in the UAE, where she continues to inspire and inform.