presents

UAE Long Flag

National Resilience
Crisis Management

April 15, 2026

BE VIP Arena, Dubai

ABOUT THE EVENT.

Sovereign AI -The GEC Enterprise Intelligence Summit 2026 is a flagship gathering of CIOs, CISOs, CTOs,Chief Data Officers, AI leaders, policymakers, and industry innovators exploring the real impact of artificial intelligence across enterprises and government.

The summit goes beyond hype to address the most urgent questions facing organisations today:How do we scale AI? How do we govern it?

How do we build sovereign capabilities? How do we achieve ROI?

Featuring keynote presentations, executive panels, fireside chats, technical breakouts, and hands-on demonstrations, the summit brings together thought leaders shaping the next decade of AI transformation

This Summit cuts through the noise and the hype.

Numbers speak louder than the hype

How do we scale
AI responsibly?

​ How do we
govern it?​

How do we build
sovereign capabilities?​

How do we achieve real,
measurable ROI?

KEY INSIGHTS THE REALITY YOUR ATTENDEES ARE LIVING

AI transformation isn’t theoretical anymore — it’s urgent, messy, and mission-critical.​ And the numbers speak louder than the hype:

71% of enterprises have launched AI initiatives, but only 14% achieve scaled business
95% of AI pilots fail to reach production due to lack of governance, infrastructure, or ROI clarity.
$1.3 trillion in potential economic value is locked behind poor data readiness.
74% of digital leaders cite skills shortage as the biggest barrier to AI deployment.
68% of CISOs believe AI-driven threats will outpace defensive capabilities by 2027.
Every $1 invested in enterprise AI can unlock $3–$8 in measurable value when properly operationalised.

Voices Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence Meet the AI Visionaries

Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem

Director, Digital Transformation, Cyber Security/AI/ Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing

Latifa AlShehhi

Director of Investment Data Department & Chief AI Officer (CAIO) at Ministry of Investment | Ambassador for Women In AI UAE

Abir Habbal

Chief Data & AI Officer | Accenture Middle East

Arun Shankar

Managing Editor | Head of Growth and Integrated Media

Ashiya Noorie

AI Educator | Credence High School Dubai

Adnan Ghanem

Managing Director EIS Security & AI

Pandiripalli Chandra Ramu

Senior Manager Ai | Zmi Holdings

Ibrahim Adedeji Adefila

IT Security and Governance Manager | Al Rostamani Group

Hussain Al Khalsan

Chief Information Security Officer | Zand

Sridip Ganguli

Partner – Engineering, AI & Data | Deloitte Middle East

Noman Ejaz

Deputy Director AI and Digital Transformation | Tatweer Middle East and Africa LLC

Ahmad Alzarouni

First Vice President | Govt Entity

Hadi Anwar

CEO | CPX

Farid Farooq

Senior Vice President | DWTC

Jeevan Badigari

Head of Cybersecurity | ARADA Group

Anoop Kumar

Head of Information Security | Gulf News

Patrick Pitchappa

CISO | Equiti Group

Faisal Khan

Associate Director Information Security and Compliance | Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC)

GEC AI Summit 2026 ALIGNMENT WITH UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)

Artificial intelligence is a transformative force with global responsibility.

The summit accelerates advancements in AI infrastructure, sovereign compute, digital innovation, and next-generation industrial capabilities — strengthening the region’s competitive and technological foundations.

Responsible AI governance is essential to societal stability. By promoting ethics, model assurance, safety frameworks, & regulatory alignment, the summit supports resilient, trustworthy, &transparent institutions capable of governing the AI era.

Who Will attend The GEC Enterprise
Intelligent Summit

CIOs, CTOs, CISOs

Chief Data Officers

Heads of AI/ML, Engineering, Innovation

IT & Cloud Directors, AI researchers & practitioners

Cybersecurity leaders, Industry CEOs & founders

Government digital leaders

agenda Don't Miss the Buzz!

 
9:00 am - 10:00 am

Registration | Networking | Booth Visit

10:00 am - 10:10 am

UAE National Anthem

10:10 am - 10:20 am

Welcome Remarks from Board Member of Global CISO Forum

Faisal Khan, Board Member, Global CISO Forum

Faisal Khan

Faisal Khan

10:20 am - 10:30 am

Opening note: UAE - A global pioneer —embracing innovation while safeguarding stability, advancing technology while upholding trust.

10:30 am - 10:40 am

Conference Chair Remarks

Dr Ebrahim Al Alkeem, Director, Digital Transformation, Cyber Security/AI/ Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing

Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem

Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem

10:40 am - 10:50 am

Sovereign AI & Data Residency Focus: National strategy, regulatory readiness, regional AI ambitions

Latifa AlShehhi, Director of Investment Data Department & Chief AI Officer at Ministry of Investment, Ambassador for Women In AI UAE

Latifa AlShehhi

Latifa AlShehhi

10:50 am - 11:20 am

Expert Panel: Resilient Nations, Relentless Continuity: Cybersecurity and BCM in Action During Crisis

Moderator:
Farid Farooq, Senior Vice President, DWTC
Panelists:
Ahmad Alzarouni, First Vice President, Govt Entity
Hadi Anwar, CEO, CPX

Farid Farooq

Farid Farooq

Ahmad Alzarouni

Ahmad Alzarouni

Hadi Anwar

Hadi Anwar

11:20 am - 11:35 am

Keynote Speaker

Abir Habbal, Chief Data and AI Officer, Accenture Middle East

Abir Habbal

Abir Habbal

11:35 am - 11:50 am

Vendor Keynote

11:50 am - 12:40 pm

AI-Powered Cybersecurity and Resilience Case – “Bend but Don’t Break”

Moderator:
Jeevan Badigari, Head of Cybersecurity, Arada Group
Panelist:
Ibrahim Adefila, Information Technology Security and Governance Manager, Al Rostamani Group
Hussain Alkhalsan, Chief Information Security Officer, Zand
Patrick Pitchappa, CISO, Equiti Group
Anoop Kumar, Head of Information Security, Gulf News

Jeevan Badigari

Jeevan Badigari

Ibrahim Adedeji Adefila

Ibrahim Adedeji Adefila

Hussain Al Khalsan

Hussain Al Khalsan

Patrick Pitchappa

Patrick Pitchappa

Anoop Kumar

Anoop Kumar

12:40 pm - 12:55 pm

Industry Keynote

Sridip Ganguli, Partner Engineering, AI & Data, Deloitte Middle East

Sridip Ganguli

Sridip Ganguli

12:55 pm - 1:25 pm

Expert Panel : CIO Perspective - Achieving measurable AI ROI CIOs / CTOs / CDOs share

Moderator:
Arun Shankar, Managing Editor, Head of Growth and Integrated Media
Panelist:
Noorie Ashiya, Artificial Intelligence Teacher, Credence High School-Dubai
Adnan Ghanem, Director Security and AI, EIS Technologies
Pandiripalli Chandra Ramu, Senior Manager AI, ZMI Holdings
Noman Ejaz, Deputy Director AI and Digital Transformation, Tatweer Middle East and Africa LLC

Arun Shankar

Arun Shankar

Ashiya Noorie

Ashiya Noorie

Adnan Ghanem

Adnan Ghanem

Pandiripalli Chandra Ramu

Pandiripalli Chandra Ramu

Noman Ejaz

Noman Ejaz

1:25 pm - 1:55 pm

An open rendezvous with the audience on their thoughts, counteractive measures and resiliency strategy on living and working with the changing circumstances.

1:55 pm -

Lunch and Networking

welcoming SPONSORS & PARTNERS

 

Layout Venue Floor Plan

COMING SOON

REGISTRATION

NOMINATION

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