Associate Professor, ICT Consultant
Kingdom of Bahrain
Ali AlSoufi is an Associate professor of Information Systems. x-faculty member at the University of Bahrain. Has PhD in computer science in 1994 from Nottingham University, UK. Worked for Bahrain Telecom Co for 8 years as a Senior Manager in the Application Programme, where he overlooked a number of mega IS Application projects. Worked at Arab Open University as a Director of IT program and Assistant Director for Business Development during 2007-2010. He is a PT consultant in Bahrain Information and e-Government Authority (IGA) in Enterprise Architecture and Strategic Planning. He is an active member of the Bahrain National ICT Governance Committee. Specialized in Strategic IT Planning and Governance, IT project management, Enterprise Architecture, and Information Systems in Organization.
Assistant Professor, Multimedia Sciences Department
College of Information Technology, Ahlia University
Hasan is currently working in Multimedia Sciences Department (Ahlia University) as Assistant Professor. In 2017, he was awarded a PhD degree from Brunel University in UK with research titled “Factors Determining e-Government Security”. In 2004, he was awarded a Master degree in Multimedia Information System from Brunel University in UK with research titled “Automatic Context Base Indexing and Retrieval". And in 1998, he was awarded a B.Sc. degree in Computer Science from University of Bahrain in Kingdom of Bahrain.
He joined Ahlia University in August 2008 as a Director of Information and Communication Technology Centre, where he was responsible for managing, directing, planning, coordinating, budgeting, evaluating and maintaining the computer systems in Ahlia University. In 2017, he joined Multimedia Science Department as Assistant Professor.
Furthermore, from 1998 to 2008, he had worked in various positions at University of Bahrain.
CTO
Wajda Group
ADEEL AHMAD KHAN is a Program Manager in WAJDA Group, a reputable Group in whole GCC Countries, serving in the field of Telecommunication, Renewable Energy, X- Automation, ICT, Media & Broadcast for more than 3 Decades. Mr. Adeel Ahmad is a capable, result oriented and technology driven professional with more than 16 Years+ successful professional track, recognized by STC, ZAIN, Huawei and Ericsson with appreciation. He is leading Kuwait and KSA operation for WAJDA Group.
His hunger for the innovation and upcoming technologies gave him opportunity to successfully lead the digital transformation and AI journey for the Organization. Further he led WAJDA first ever E-Commerce Portal development and launching with success.
Mr. Adeel Ahmad is having experience of leading teams successfully, increasing efficiency, productivity whilst reducing costs and inefficiencies by using latest tools and technologies. Ability to keep a level head all the time, nurtures and rows business. Evaluate opportunities, risks and deliver innovative solutions to challenges. Possessing excellent client facing skills and highly successful in defining company direction, achieving goals and optimizing business. Always providing his insight and contributing for company future strategies and business direction. Successfully developed and added new verticals of X-Automation and Renewable Energy in WAJDA Portfolio.
CIO
Dubai Cable Company
Group CEO
ThinkSmart
Al Hujairy is Chairman and Group CEO of Gulf Future Business (GFB). GFB Group of Companies includes: ThinkSmart For Training, TechoSmart for ICT Services, and WorkSmart for Events Management. ALHujairy holds an executive MBA (Distinguished Honours) from DePaul University, Chicago, USA and has extensive experience in a range of fields including Telecommunications, Banking, Government, Information Technology and Business Analysis. He began his career with Riyad Bank, Saudi Arabia and subsequently worked with Batelco and Asia Computers before joining the Health Information Directorate where he attained the post of IT Director. Prior to founding Gulf Future Business, Mr. Al Hujairy held the role as Acting CEO, Advisor to the Minister of Health on Health Economics and the CEO of Salmaniya Medical Complex.
Executive Advisor for AI & Data Science
Nasser Artificial Intellignnce Research and Development Centre
Dr Jassim Haji has management and executive experience in Aviation, Hospitality, Technology and Telecommunications for over 30 years. He is an international expert, strategist and researcher in Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, plus President of Artificial Intelligence Group. He participated as a key speaker and chairman in over 200 technology conferences in Middle East and Europe to cover latest technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Cyber Security and Digital Transformation. He also published articles in relation to the above topics.
Dr. Haji received his Doctorate in Business Administration (PhD) from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK in 2010. He has completed his master’s 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 American airline Travel IT solutions company. 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 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.
Senior MCT & PowerBI Trainer
ThinkSmart
Training Manager
ThinkSmart
Senior IT Specialist
ALBA
Hayma Rahma, an Electrical Engineer, plays a role in Alba’s technological transformation and exemplifies the company’s commitment to empowering women and promoting equality in the workplace. A proud graduate of the University of Bahrain, Hayma began her career as a Process Automation Engineer In Prudent Solution before transitioning to academia as an Electrical Instructor at the Bahrain Training Institute.
She joined Alba in 2007 as a Specialist in Process Automation SCADA within the IT department, where she made significant strides in advancing industrial systems. Her journey continued with impactful contributions to innovative initiatives in the Research and Development Department.
Now serving as Senior Specialist – IT MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems), Hayma part of Alba’s digitalization projects, driving the company’s transition toward Industry 4.0. Her work integrates advanced technologies to transform operations and enhance efficiency, underscoring Alba’s vision for progress and innovation.
As one of Bahrain’s leading companies, Alba champions equality and the empowerment of women, fostering an inclusive environment where talent thrives. Hayma stands as a shining example of these values, inspiring others through her contributions to Alba’s success and its transformative journey.
CEO
The World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance WITSA
A globally recognized tech industry leader, entrepreneur and mentor with over 3 decades of international experience in the innovation and technology industry, Dan E Khoo is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA). WITSA is a 46-year-old global alliance of tech industry associations from 80 countries and economies. It plays a strategic role in catalyzing tech innovations to better how communities develop, work & play.
Born & bred in Penang, Dan has a lifelong passion for technology, strategy and entrepreneurship. His global outlook is shaped by leadership experience in California, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi and Virginia, USA, with key roles in private enterprise, non-profit and the public sector. Entrepreneurship exits with a trade sale of a tech startup he founded to a Nasdaq-listed enterprise at the height of the dot-com boom and an IPO in Bursa Malaysia came after he led the creation of technology sections in two English-language newspapers.
Khoo’s involvement in non-profit organizations led to stints as Chairman of the National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM), Director of The Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO), President of the Southeast-Asia Information Technology Organization (SITO) and Chairman of WITSA. He has also served as Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation’s Head of Strategy and as CEO of MDEC Americas Inc in Palo Alto, California. He has mentored hundreds of tech startup entrepreneurs from 6 continents as a Google Launchpad mentor in Silicon Valley and has won multiple awards including the WITSA Lifetime Achievement Award and PIKOM Man of the Year .
Strategic CFO & Board member
Ideal Capital Management Consultants, Dubai
Ramesh is a transformational leader & a strategic CFO with over 25 years of international experience successfully steering world leading global MNCs such as FedEx, Inchcape PLC, Ericsson AB, Volex PLC as well as Government entities in the GCC such as Bahrain International Circuit BIC & Ras Al Khaimah economic Zone(RAKEZ) towards greater efficiency and profitability. In addition, he is in multiple boards of diverse organizations driving their ExCo & board committees . In his illustrious career spanning over 5 countries he has built, coached, motivated high-performance multicultural teams that consistently deliver. He has a proven track record of driving business & digital transformations, innovation & growth, improving P&L scenarios, and implementing crucial change initiatives while maintaining employee & creditor loyalty and trust. He excels in shaping business strategies and addressing growth challenges for growing, mature and declining businesses. Ramesh Subramanian is a skilled negotiator with balanced judgement, capable of steering consensus among core business disciplines with diverse agenda.
CHAIRMAN
Bahrain Technology Companies Society
Director
CTM360
Arsalan Iqbal is a Director at CTM360, a global Digital Risk Protection platform. As a growth & strategy specialist, Arsalan has played an instrumental part in the company’s rapid expansion globally. He holds a keen interest in building scalable SaaS platforms that leverage automation and Big Data. Arsalan is also a co-founder of EDX Labs – a technology R&D company that powers CTM360.
App Innovation Lead, Middle East HQ
Microsoft
Sales Leader at Microsoft, responsible for leading the corporate Data & AI sales business for the Middle East with over 17 year’s experience in digital transformation
Co-Founder and Managing Director
Beyond Bourders Consultancy
Hala Ahmed Sulaiman, is the Founder and Managing Director of Beyond Borders Consultancy focused on providing strategic management and communication consultancy. Hala Sulaiman has extensive expertise in the Middle East market and has created and implemented holistic marketing communications strategies, and used her extensive knowledge and skills to engage with the various stakeholders in the various public and private sector roles she has contributed to.
Hala Sulaiman’s experience of over 25 years is in the fields of Strategic Management and Communication and has launched several start-ups in both the Public and Private Sector. In her capacity as an in-house consultant, she is currently the Director of the Executive office of Bahrainouna (the National Plan to Promote the Spirit of Belonging to the Nation and Reinforce the Values of Nationalism). She is also a Co-Founder of AlRawi Media WLL WLL, an innovative and award-winning audiobook application specialised in Arabic Books (@alrawibooks).
Most recently she served a 3-year tenure as a board member of Radio Bahrain Company, a wholly subsidiary of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (Mumtalakat). She formerly served as the Director of Marketing and Communications in Tamkeen during which she was responsible for Tamkeen’s positioning and clarifying the effective role it plays in shaping the future of Bahrain’s labour market and enabling Bahrainis and the private sector. During her tenure at Tamkeen, she was seconded as part of the strategic team responsible for setting the policies and frameworks for the media center at the National Dialogue held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2011.
AI and Automation Lead
EXPERTECH.AI
CTO/CAIO, keynote speaker, Mentor and Coach, I specialize in empowering organizations to embrace the transformative opportunities of AI and attract investment. With expertise in process optimization and project delivery excellence, my team and I develop and implement AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) to streamline processes, programs, and projects, delivering innovative, scalable solutions that drive real business value. Combining technical proficiency in Kubernetes, Python, and Ansible automation with strong leadership and communication skills, I help organizations adopt the right strategies to harness AI's potential, enabling them to thrive in a competitive, future-focused landscape and attract the right
investment'
Vice President of Operations for EMEA
ThreatLocker
Seamus serves as the Vice President of Operations for EMEA at ThreatLocker. Boasting over two decades of expertise in the IT industry, he possesses an extensive wealth of knowledge that empowers him to guide businesses in adopting robust solutions for safeguarding their digital landscapes. Before his tenure at ThreatLocker, Seamus held various positions, notably as an IT Technical Manager for a Managed Service Provider, where he delivered cutting-edge solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Cyber Resilience Advisory Committee Member
Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF)
Ali Beshara is a seasoned cybersecurity consultant and trainer with over 16 years of experience in the field. With a career spanning more than 20 years in government and technology, he has held notable positions, including Head of Information Security and Risk Management at BENEFIT and Head of Quality Management at the Ministry of Youth. Ali specializes in strategic cybersecurity for critical national infrastructure and the financial sector. As the founder of CyberCrest Consulting, he delivers high-level cybersecurity workshops for executives and board members, emphasizing practical insights and impactful strategies. Ali is also a certified CISA, CISM, and CRISC professional, actively shaping the future of cybersecurity in the region.
CEO
Quality Excellence for Quality Consultancy
Dean of Engineering ,Design and ICT
Kingdom of Bahrain
Prof. Christina G. Georgantopoulou has been born in Greece and she is the Dean of Engineering, Design and ICT at Bahrain Polytechnic in the Kingdom of Bahrain. She is a Professional Mechanical Engineer with PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics from the National Technical University of Athens. She is a Senior Fellow of HEA and an Academic Manager for several years. She has been working successfully in the development and international accreditation of new applied technology programs proposing and applying flexible and blended delivery schemes. She has to obtain more than, 25 years of teaching in Higher Education, 80 final dissertations supervision, more than 70 publications in journals and conference proceedings and 12 academic textbooks. Her research interests are focused in academic leadership and quality topics in engineering education but also in industrial flows modeling and clean energy applications.
Head of Computer Science and Creative Technologies
Global College of Engineering and Technology
Dr. Khoula Al Harthy is an esteemed researcher with a focus on information security and a keen interest in Blockchain technology. Her career is dedicated to the empowerment of local expertise in cutting-edge technologies. As a recognized speaker, she contributes her insights at both national and international events.
In a significant leadership role, Khoula serves as the President of the Oman Blockchain Club for 2 years . This organization is pivotal in disseminating knowledge and education about blockchain applications across Oman, fostering a deeper understanding of this revolutionary technology.
In the academic realm, Khoula holds a PhD in Risk Management. She is the Head of computer science and Creative Technologies department in GCET. Notably, she is the initiator of the Blockchain Research Thematic Group, driving forward the academic exploration and application of blockchain technology. Her work in this area highlights her commitment to integrating advanced tech into academia and beyond, shaping the future of information cybersecurity security and AI in the region.
President
Ahlia University
Data Management Director & Chief Evangelist Middle East
Denodo
Dr. Alexey’s journey with data began over 30 years ago, rooted in a passion so innate it might as well be part of his DNA. His career launched with groundbreaking work at the Russian Academy of Science, where he developed a volumetric model of radioactive pollution for the Chernobyl nuclear disaster zone. Since then, he has become a trusted strategic advisor in every facet of data management.
Before joining Denodo as Chief Evangelist, Dr. Alexey was at the forefront of digital transformation, helping organizations across three continents harness cutting-edge data technologies from Teradata and Informatica. Throughout his career, he has built and led enterprise-wide data integration platforms for global powerhouses such as Nokia and Deutsche Bank, consistently shaping how businesses leverage data for success.
Head of Enterprise Risk Management and Governance
Gulf Drilling International Ltd (Q.S.C.)
Enterprise Risk Management, Information Security and Governance Leader with over 20 years of experience across the Financial Services, and Oil & Gas industries. Expertise in designing IT Governance, Enterprise Risk Management, Regulatory Compliance Frameworks and Execution Strategies. Lead strategic projects in Cloud Transformation, Information Security, Data Protection, Privacy, Security Operations and Enterprise Risk Management.
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Head of IT Strategy & PMO
National Bahrain Bank
Mr. George Faraj is a highly experience information technology expert and speaker, with over 19 years f experience in the field. He leads IT strategy and PMO within NBB Group and previously held multiple positions within Ahli United Bank Group.His Focus is banking digital transformation,Fintech Innovation,AI,PMO nd IT strategic leadership.
During his career he has delivered and governed programs worth $100M++across the MENA region enabling business growth and empowering teams through tech.He holds a Bsc degree from Arab Academy from Science,Tech & Maritime transport in Computer Engineering and Carleton University in IT system Engineering and a diploma in Fintech from Georgetown University US.
CIO
SAICO
CEO
An-Najah Innovation Park at An-Najah National University
Chief of Telecom & SCADA
Electricity and Water Authority
Chairman
Arab ICT Union
CEO
Etisalcom
CTO
Batelco
Head of Business Development IDV
Regula
Yury Padrezenka is at the forefront of the battle against deepfakes and is a key figure in building digital trust. As Head of Business Development IDV at Regula, he leads the development and implementation of advanced identity verification solutions. He's an expert in utilizing AI, machine learning, and computer vision to combat fraud and secure identities in our increasingly digital world.
Yury possesses a deep understanding of the evolving threat landscape and a passion for developing innovative solutions. He's a recognized authority in the field, dedicated to staying ahead of emerging challenges and ensuring the integrity of digital identity verification.
Chairman
Egyptian Governmental Services Co. (Masa holding)
Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications
Kingdom of Bahrain
H.E. Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat) since 2017. In 2024, he was appointed Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications by a royal decree.
In addition, he is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence since 2023 and previously held the position of Deputy Secretary General of the Supreme Defence Council from 2022 to 2024.
Dr. Al Khalifa’s extensive experience in foreign affairs includes serving as Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2015 to 2021 and subsequently as Undersecretary for Political Affairs from 2021 to 2024.
H.E. holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Jordan’s Applied Science University, a Master of Laws (LLM) from Queen Mary University of London, and a PhD in International Relations and Diplomacy from L’École des Hautes Études Internationales et Politiques in Paris.