Muhammad Affan

Director of IT, Sharjah Maritime Academy

Muhammad Affan is an award-winning technology leader and Director of IT at Sharjah Maritime Academy (SMA), UAE. With 20+ years in digital transformation, maritime education, and enterprise IT, he drives smart campus strategies and large-scale projects, including Ellucian SaaS SIS, Oracle Fusion Cloud HR, and SMA’s in-house Strategy & Risk Management System. Under his leadership, SMA became the UAE’s first maritime academy to issue blockchain-based micro-credentials. Featured in ITP Top CIO Leaders 2025 and recipient of the World CIO 200 Legend Award, Affan champions Maritime 4.0, AI, Big Data, cybersecurity, and sustainable innovation for education and the maritime sector.

6:00 PM - 6:30 PM

1 Government Vertical Day 2025

Expert Panel

AI, Data & Cybersecurity in Government Operations Top CIOs and industry experts discuss the role of emerging technologies in safeguarding national infrastructure, enabling data-driven policy, and strengthening cyber resilience
Moderator:
George Yacoub - Chief Digital & Information Officer, Healthcare IT Executive
Panelist:
Hitesh Lodhi - IT Security Manager, Technology Services Division/ Abu Dhabi Global Markets
Muhammad Affan - Director of IT, Sharjah Maritime Academy
Fayid Kadambodan - IT Director, Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ)
Noman Ejaz - Deputy Director AI and Digital Transformation, Tatweer Middle East and Africa LLC