CIO Middle East Conversations

In this episode of CIO Leadership Live Middle East, we sit down with Filip Nekvinda, Chief Information and Digital Officer (CIDO) at Abdul Latif Jameel Enterprises, to explore how he is driving digital transformation and innovation in one of the region’s leading enterprises. With a strong focus on leveraging technology to enhance business agility and customer experiences, Nekvinda shares insights...

Welcome to CIO Leadership Live Middle East, where today we are thrilled to have an insightful conversation with one of the region's most prominent leaders in the world of technology. Joining us is Syed F. Albeez, the Head of Information Technology at Emaar, overseeing technology innovations within the prestigious Economic City. With years of experience at the forefront of IT leadership, Syed plays...

Welcome to a new episode of CIO Leadership Live Middle East! In this episode, we’re joined by a true visionary in the world of technology and leadership—Tanveer, the Group Chief Information Officer at BGC Holding Ltd. With years of experience steering the digital transformation and IT strategies at one of the region's leading conglomerates, Tanveer will share insights into the evolving role of a C...

Welcome back to another insightful episode of CIO Leadership Live Middle East. In today’s episode, we had the privilege of hearing from Abdullah Al Bahkali, the Head of Cybersecurity at Giesecke+Devrient KSA. Abdullah shared his fascinating 18-year journey into the world of cybersecurity, revealing how his early experiences in IT gradually led him to discover the critical role cybersecurity plays...

In this episode, we speak with Paul Potgieter, Director of Technology, Product, and Platforms at NEOM, who brings a wealth of experience as both a technologist and a leader in the Middle East's business and tech sectors. With over a decade of shaping the region’s technology and business landscape, Paul shares what drew him to Saudi Arabia's ambitious GIGA Projects, particularly NEOM. He delves int...

In this episode, we sit down with Shumon Zaman, the Chief Information and Digital Officer at Ali&Sons, to explore the most significant technological advancements and trends shaping 2025. Zaman shares his insights on the evolving landscape of AI, machine learning, 5G, and cloud computing, particularly within the Middle East. As industries in the region continue to embrace digital transformation, he...

Women hold only 32% of leadership positions globally. How can more women rise to leadership and decision-making roles in an organization, and what can companies do to create an environment for that movement?

While many think privacy issues are primarily related to email, documents are also a concern. CIO Middle East talks with Betania Allo about other key areas of privacy concerns.

Playing a vital role in the global economy, the oil and gas industry is a prime cyber threat target. Why cybersecurity is so important for oil and gas industry and what role plays cybersecurity in this industry?

What initiatives were taken by Ajman Bank to be a top bank in digitalisation and innovation? And how the cybersecurity department is supporting this?

One of the projects Anas Mosa and his teams implemented was a Security Operations Center (SOC) that presents several business needs and challenges. The Director of IT explains more about the SOC.

The mining industry is particularly vulnerable to cyber threats and attacks, due to the high degree of digitisation, interconnection and automation in the supply security risks in the cyberspace are more apparent and ever-increasing. Cybersecurity is a critical priority for businesses in all sectors. How did the industry adapt to this rapid growth in technologies such as AI or Gen AI?

Saqib worked before in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, first as CISO, then as head of digital innovation, how was the change to a CIO, and what are the advantages of having a background in cybersecurity for your new role?

How tech has changed the education landscape? How do we encourage more university leaders to see technology’s potential?

John Mankarios is responsible for planning the information technology future for the organization, as well as for the implementation and maintenance of current systems. Where is the company going to invest? How technologies such as GenAI have changed Q Invest operations?

Event preparedness is crucial for media companies, especially before an important event such as the Eurocup. As a security leader, Kenan needs to think about proactive risk mitigation and operational best practices. For example, last World Cup 50% of all of the malicious activity we saw occurred during the first week. How does beIN Media Group prepares from a cybersecurity perspective?

Before CISO, Aus was IT Director at MBC Group, part of his job before was leading the operationalization of Generative AI (GenAI) use cases, utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs) and chatbots, how are these technologies being used within MBC? How was the process of changing from IT Director to CISO?

Ali Saif shares with CIO Middle East facts and figures about Tanmiah’s digital transformation process since he joined last year.

The mining industry is particularly vulnerable to cyber threats and attacks, due to the high degree of digitisation, interconnection and automation in the supply chain. Alaa Khalid, SOC Manager at Maaden, discusses the top attacks in this industry.

What are some of the recent tech projects your Emirates Transport has been working? How 5G wireless, as well as the application of cloud-orientated, data-driven technologies, such as the IoT are helping the company? Jarrod Brown, IT Director at Emirates Transport talks to CIO Leadership Live Middle East.

Nani recently started her new role as Director General, planning & Resource at the Supreme Council For Youth & Sports. Prior to that, she was at the Ministry of Youth and Sport Affair, working to achieve growth and strategic targets by adapting cloud technologies and embracing digital transformation initiatives in the form of AI projects, machine learning and chatbots.

Ramadan Mohamad explains his company's digital transformation processes over the past few years and how those changes helped improve business performance last year.

Companies need the right systems and infrastructure in place to take value from data and offer hyper-personalised experiences to their customers. Yahyah Pandor, Chief Information & Digital Officer at Fine Hygienic Holding, explains his approach and where his company will invest next year.

Before joining Ades Holding, Wissam was Regional Chief Information Technology Officer in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Why did he decide to join ADES Holding and how is background in different industries and territories helping him in his new role at ADES Holding?