Events

Dana Alomar is a journalist and moderator focused on the future of industries. She currently serves as the Future Editor at The National News, where she explores how emerging technologies and societal shifts are shaping what’s next. Prior to this role, Dana was The National’s technology reporter. She also held the position of senior technology, media, telecom, and health reporter at CNN Business Arabic, and business reporter at Arab News, contributing significantly to both publications’ coverage of key economic and innovation-led developments. She has moderated several panels at renowned events such as the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP28, The Hili Forum, Dubai Future Forum, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, and TradeTech by the World Economic Forum. She was also one of the UAE judges for the James Dyson Award. Dana’s contributions to journalism extend beyond her written work, as she has also made a mark as an on- camera reporter for The National and CNN Business Arabic. Her interviews with notable figures such as the Lebanese Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and Displaced Kamal Shehadi, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar Al Olama, Frederic Moll, the Founder of the da Vinci Surgical Systems, Physics Guru Michio Kaku, Director of the Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health Department of the World Health Organization Maria Neira, Saudi Princess Lamia Bint Al Saud, and other prominent personalities have showcased her ability to engage with diverse subjects and deliver compelling stories to her audience. A graduate of the American University of Sharjah, Dana holds a major in mass communication with a concentration in journalism and a minor in history.

Ahmed Ibrahim is a passionate technology leader and speaker with a proven track record of driving innovation across the telecom and IT landscape. Known for his forward-thinking approach, clear communications and ability to simplify complex technologies.

Currently at Cisco, Ahmed leads AI Sales and Go-to-Market strategy across Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Romania, and the CIS region—helping customers navigate digital transformation and unlock the potential of AI and next-gen networks.

Throughout his career, Ahmed has worked with global technology giants, playing a pivotal role in advancing the adoption of cutting-edge technologies among IT, Cloud, and Communication Service Providers.

Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics & Communications
Engineering which laid the foundation for his dynamic career n the tech industry.

Dr. Pallavi Ranjan is a faculty in School of IT and a research scientist specializing in computer vision, image processing, and earth sciences. With over 15 years of experience across the Middle East and India, she is a visionary leader dedicated to mentoring and nurturing the next generation of tech professionals. She completed her doctorate in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in 2024 and holds both Senior Fellowship and Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy (UK) in recognition of her teaching excellence. Currently, she leads the School of IT at Murdoch University Dubai. Her research focuses on developing novel algorithms in computer vision, generative AI, data science, and machine learning, with applications in remote sensing, hyperspectral imaging, urban development, and disaster management. She has published more than 30 papers in SCI/E journals and conferences, authored book chapters, filed patents in India and Australia, and actively contributes to government and industry-funded projects.

Laura Thomson is an accomplished General Counsel and executive coach with two decades of international experience in legal, regulatory, and commercial leadership roles.
Recognized for her ability to drive organizational transformation, Laura has successfully led major integration projects, established robust governance frameworks, and managed high-performing teams across diverse business functions.

Currently serving as General Counsel at EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company) in Abu Dhabi, Laura is a key member of the executive management team, overseeing legal, compliance, risk, and governance functions. She has played a pivotal role in shaping EWEC’s strategic direction, including leading the company’s transition to independence, implementing comprehensive regulatory and ethics programs, and supporting the integration of all new generation assets.

Laura’s career spans leadership positions in both private and public sectors, including board roles and asset management responsibilities across the Middle East. Her expertise in negotiating complex agreements, resolving high-stakes disputes, and fostering cross-functional collaboration has delivered measurable value to organizations and stakeholders alike.

Driving Force in Business Restructuring and Transformation in the Mobility Industry to Accelerate Growth, Optimize Performance, and Maximize Profitability.
Over her distinguished twenty-year career in the automotive sector, Sanaa Ouahmane has been a driving force of innovation and growth. She embarked on her journey in France with the Hertz Corporation, where her direct involvement in operations and her strategic foresight led to remarkable achievements. Recognized for her expertise, Sanaa was appointed as General Manager at the Qatari Almana Group in 2011. There, she played a pivotal role in elevating Hertz Qatar as a leader in the car rental industry and restructuring the Almana pre-owned cars and multi-brand to be a profitable division.

Currently, as the CEO of AWR Mobility Services and AWR Trading, Sanaa leads a diverse range of strategic initiatives, setting new benchmarks in mobility service excellence. Under her visionary leadership, SHIFT Leasing has been transformed into one of the UAE”s leading car rental companies, boasting a fleet of over 14,000 vehicles across more than 16 locations nationwide. Sanaa also spearheaded the launch of SUBSCRIBE ME, an innovative car subscription service that has revolutionized mobility solutions in the region. With its seamless digital platform and flexible offerings, SUBSCRIBE ME has redefined customer convenience, providing greater flexibility and choice in how people access and experience mobility.

Sanaa’s role extends to managing a diverse portfolio of AWR Automotive divisions, including AWR Allied products, AWR Certified Pre-Owned Cars, NXT Multi-brand Used Cars, Royal Enfield Motorcycles UAE, and Autotrust Automotive Service Centers. With a dedicated team of over 500 professionals, she has been instrumental in driving business growth and maximizing profitability through strategic brand expansions, operational efficiencies, and a strong focus on fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. Her efforts were recognized with prestigious awards such as the Dubai Quality Group ‘Organizational Culture’ Award at Ideas Arabia 2023 for the innovative ‘I CAN WOW’ initiative, which infused the company with a spirit of innovation and attentiveness. Furthermore, she has been honored as the ‘CEO and Trailblazer in UAE’s Mobility Sector’ and received the ‘Best Innovative Mobility Provider in the UAE’ award at the International Business Awards.

Olivia Bellingham leads the Mastercard Direct Sales team, a dynamic B2B sales unit covering several
hundred boutique and high growth banks, fintechs and processors across Eastern Europe, Middle East
and Africa (EEMEA). Olivia is responsible for managing and growing the business, sustaining key client
relationships, and nurturing a high-performance team to contribute to the overall objectives of Mastercard.
Olivia is also an Advisory Council member of Fintech Tuesdays, the UAE’s largest and
fastest-growing grassroots community dedicated to advancing the finance and technology
ecosystem across the GCC.
Olivia joined Mastercard in 2015 and is based in Dubai. Prior to her current role, Olivia led Mastercard
EEMEA’s Strategy, M&A, Pricing & Interchange, Analytics and Sales Excellence functions. Olivia is also
a member of Mastercard’s regional Operating Committee.
Prior to Mastercard, Olivia led global Investor Relations for CA Technologies, now known as Broadcom, in
the U.S. and Dubai. She began her career in Corporate Finance, working both in Investment Banking
and Private Equity.
Olivia graduated from the University of California Berkeley Haas School and has a degree in Business
Administration.

Multiple awards-winning leader. Sales dynamo. Channel & marketing force. She doesn’t just break ceilings — she rewrites the rulebook.

Sherifa joined HPE Aruba Networking in November 2019 and in January 2025 has been promoted to the position of Vice President Worldwide Midmarket & SMB Sales, HPE Aruba Networking. In this role Sherifa leads the global HPE Aruba Networking team responsible for Midmarket and SMB business. Sherifa brings a wealth of sales, channel, marketing, and category experience having previously held numerous senior leadership positions in the EMEA, CEEMA and MEMA regions, including General Manager &; Vice-President EMEA Sales and Vice-President EMEA Channel Sales and one year as interim HPE Managing Director in South Africa.

Joe brings over three decades of experience in the Middle East and Africa’s
technology sector, holding pivotal roles at leading organizations, including Microsoft,
Nokia, and Digital Equipment Corporation. As a techno-commercial strategist with a
deep passion for Artificial Intelligence, he spearheads KPMG’s Generative AI
initiatives in the Lower Gulf, driving internal innovation and real-world AI applications
from concept to implementation.
In his role as KPMG’s lead AI ambassador, Joe excels at articulating AI’s strategic
value to diverse stakeholders. He also leads KPMG’s Alliance strategy, fostering key
partnerships with technology giants like Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, and ServiceNow. His
expertise lies in bridging technology and business, translating complex challenges
into impactful solutions while collaborating closely with C-level executives.
Joe was instrumental in launching KPMG’s UAE Generative AI Center of Excellence in
collaboration with Microsoft and led the development of KPMG’s first internal AI use
case, KITE (KPMG Information Transformer for Employees), in 2023. He played a key
role in rolling out Microsoft Copilot internally and leads KPMG’s AI thought
leadership, with papers featured at the 2024 and 2025 World Government Summits.
Joe holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Bombay University and
an MBA from Hull University, UK. His commitment to lifelong learning is reflected in
multiple certifications in AI Strategy, Cloud Computing, and AI Governance, including
a professional certification from IAPP.

Amit Gupta leads AI and Fintech innovation as Vice President and Head of Data, AI and Fintech Practice at e& enterprise, orchestrating transformative initiatives across Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. In addition to spearheading e& enterprise’s Global Center of Excellence for AI, he leads the e& enterprise FinTech Practice, Haifin— delivering bank-led, consortium-powered, blockchain- and AI-enabled trade-finance innovation. Haifin currently brings together 14 commercial and Islamic banks and 5 fintechs in the UAE, collaborating to build a more resilient, secure, and future-ready banking ecosystem.

Building on the success of invoice de-duplication, Haifin’s vision has expanded into an industry-wide roadmap featuring digital bank guarantees, e-invoicing, tokenization, and open banking—initiatives designed to enhance transparency, reduce risk, and unlock systemic efficiencies that benefit the wider UAE economy.

With over two decades of experience, he previously led Group AI and Customer Value Management for e& operating companies while running the AI Center of Excellence, establishing strategic frameworks for AI adoption and implementation.

Recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Influential AI and Analytics Leaders and recipient of the 40 Under 40 Data Scientist Award, Amit champions a leadership philosophy centered on ethical innovation and measurable business impact, fostering data-driven cultures that drive sustainable growth across organizations.

Prior to e& enterprise, Amit refined his expertise at KPMG and Deloitte, leading Customer Marketing Strategy & Advanced Analytics practices. Before his consulting career, he spent a decade in the Telecommunications industry, where he led various business functions across Marketing, Products, Customer Experience, and Enterprise segments, developing a comprehensive understanding of industry dynamics and P/L operations through his business and finance background.

Looking forward, Amit remains focused on pioneering the next frontier of AI, GenAI and Fintech innovation. As leader of e&’s Global Center of Excellence for AI, he guides an elite team in building cutting-edge models while championing ethical AI governance—creating new possibilities for data-driven enterprises across the region while scaling impact through Haifin and the broader FinTech portfolio.

Amit holds an MBA from London Business School, an Executive Leadership Program from INSEAD, complemented by an additional MBA credential, a Postgraduate degree in AI and Machine Learning from The University of Texas at Austin, and is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration from SP Jain School of Global Management, Sydney.

As an Advisory Board Member at Institute of Management Technology, Dubai, active Member of the Young Leaders Council (YLC) at AIMA, and participant in global AI Councils, Amit contributes strategic insights that shape industry direction. He serves as a dedicated mentor to students and practitioners while guest lecturing on AI at various institutions in UAE, driving the next wave of AI innovation through knowledge sharing and talent development.

A seasoned B2B marketeer and business development specialist for high-growth markets, Benedicte brings more than 25 years of in-depth experience in complex business transformation across ICT, IoT automation, transport and energy transition sectors. Over the course of her career, she spearheaded operations and processes across the technology, transport and energy transition sectors, in companies such as Vontier, Honeywell, British Telecom and Dun & Bradstreet — where she held multiple commercial, marketing and strategy roles with increased responsibility.

Benedicte is a multiple CEO Kaizen winner, untapping $500M worth of business opportunities and double-digit margin improvement. She has worked in both mature and emerging technology markets, and expanded her leadership across Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific where she enabled companies to transition from a product-focused to a customer-lead approach.

A Belgian national, she is fluent in English, French, Dutch Italian with basic commands of Arabic, German and Spanish.

A Certified Advisory Board Chair, she enriched her original Masters in Philosophy and Linguistics with an MBA in International Corporate Planning and a Certificate in AI Applied to Business from MIT/Sloan School of Management.

Benedicte also contributes as a Guest Lecturer and Mentor to MBA students in the areas of AI and its implications to business.

Safeya Almarzooqi, Chief Credit Officer, brings over 30 years of distinguished experience in the banking sector, specializing in credit risk management. She has played a pivotal role in shaping robust credit strategies, enhancing risk frameworks, and leading high-performing teams. Her leadership reflects resilience, innovation, and commitment to sustainable growth.

Qais is an entrepreneurial executive with 20 years of experience in developing IT Hardware and Software businesses in the middle east region. Experienced in setting up businesses coverage in the region and helping organisations gain market share leadership. Qais is a responsible for developing the Diligent’s in-region operations and growth strategy in the middle east and north Africa, thereby elevating the Diligent brand through customer success. Prior to Diligent, Qais served as Managing Director for SAP in the UAE, Founder and board member of Encloud and General manager for EMC in the Gulf and Levant region. Qais is passionate about leveraging his business experience to deliver the value of innovative technology solutions to enterprises in the MENA region.

Ayesha Omayr is an award winning digital entrepreneur advocating women economic empowerment. She happens to be an iconic business leader advocating women empowerment via digital entrepreneurship.

Ayesha is a WePelicans Managing Directress and co-Founder of WeTree.Co, earth’s first Green Eco-Cloud Investing Platform. She is also co-Founder of ROVO Nomadic, a youth empowerment startup nurtured by WePelicans. Ayesha is recipient of Business Excellence Award 2022 and Young Female Entrepreneur Award 2021. She also sits on the board of HexaBrains, a cognitive computing newtech. She’s also board member of FERD (First Enterprise Resource Development), FERD empowers you with the mindset and skillset to build your business and grow it into a successful enterprise. Ayesha advocates and promotes digital enterprising for women economic empowerment.

Amna Alsayegh, Head of Emiratization and Career Services at the Emirates Institute of Finance, is a strategic leader shaping the UAE’s national workforce. Renowned for her expertise in talent development, leadership, and institutional partnerships, she drives transformative initiatives that empower Emiratis, elevate career opportunities, and strengthen the financial sector’s sustainable growth.

Nawal Rashid Al Suwaidi specializes in bridging Human Resources (HR) systems with Artificial Intelligence (AI), focusing on the government sector while extending her vision to private and semi-governmental institutions. Her mission is rooted in serving people and society by shaping a sustainable HR future. She previously served as Deputy Director at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Her work involves consulting HR executives, designing and implementing AI-driven policies, and addressing challenges faced by practitioners through training programs developed in collaboration with government departments. At the core of her research is supporting employees throughout their journey—from entry-level to retirement—while equipping HR professionals with the skills to adapt to evolving market needs.

She values her experience in reducing time and cost through smart HR systems, aligning employee training with job needs, and fostering teamwork as the foundation of every achievement.

Dr. Alia Galadari is a consultant dermatologist at Dubai Health and a core faculty member at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. She is a French and European board-certified specialist with two fellowships in genodermatoses and interventional dermatology. A recognized key opinion leader in aesthetic and procedural dermatology, she is also an active voice in medical education, health innovation, and women’s health. Dr. Galadari integrates art, science, and storytelling to shape the future of patient-centered care. With over a decade of experience in international healthcare systems, she continues to champion excellence, mentorship, and impactful leadership across the UAE and beyond.

She is a visionary leader in philanthropy, sustainability, and social entrepreneurship. As the Head of Philanthropy and Sustainability Advisor to HH Sheikh Marwan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, she empowers women, fosters impact-driven initiatives, and supports startups. Claudia is also the founder of Empowering Women Middle East and a UN board member.