IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2023

Agenda

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8:00	Registration & Networking
8:40	IDC Welcome Address
	Jyoti Lalchandani Group Vice President & Regional Managing Director (META), IDC
8:45	Opening Address (Government Affiliation)
9:00	IDC Advisory Council Felicitation
9:10	Strategies for the CIO and Enterprise Innovation
	Join IDC's president, Crawford Del Prete, as he outlines what CIOs need to do now — and in the future — to create an environment for long-term sustainable innovation. This fast-paced keynote will highlight research on building a culture of trust, examine the move toward industry ecosystem innovation, and highlight the impact of decentralization. It will also explain why line-of-business investment is a springboard and not an end state. Crawford Del Prete President, IDC Worldwide
9:40	Build a Sustainable Future
	Amr Refaat Chief Executive Officer, GBM, Gulf Business Machines (GBM)
10:00	Implementing Application Security
10:20	Accelerating Digital Transformation with an Open Organization Approach
	Phil Andrews Vice President and General Manager (CEMEA), Red Hat
10:40	Building Digital Resiliency in Smart Cities and Communities
10:55	Tea/Coffee & Networking Break
11:25 12:55	Summit Partner Sessions (Parallel Sessions)
	Strategies for Developing a Digitally Resilient Organization 11:25 - 11:30 Opening Act 11:30 - 11:35 Start of Session Raffle 11:35 - 11:50 Unified Observability for Digitally Agile & Resilient Organization Charbel Khneisser Vice President, Solutions Engineering, EMEA, Riverbed Technology 11:50 - 11:55 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 11:55 - 12:10 Achieving Speed and Control Mark Schwartz Enterprise Strategist and Evangelist, AWS Achieving Speed and Control We all know that speed is critical in the digital world – organizations need to respond quickly to avoid disruption or even initiate their own disruption. They need to quickly get new innovations to market, rapidly realize value from their technology investments, and make fast decisions on what emerging technologies to adopt. Organizations must also establish controls, set up governance processes, comply with regulations, implement risk reduction mechanisms, avoid security threats, and answer to their owners and the public. But how can speed and control be achieved at the same time? In many organizations whose digital transformations are stuck or are proceeding more slowly than expected, the root cause of the problem is often a tension between the need to move fast and the need to maintain control. This session will demonstrate that these goals do not really conflict and explore how to use speed to gain even better control. 12:10 - 12:15 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:15 - 12:30 Enhancing Employee Digital Experiences 12:30 - 12:35 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:35 - 12:50 Analytics for Data Monetization 12:50 - 12:55 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) Envisioning the Future Intelligent Enterprise 11:25 - 11:30 Opening Act 11:30 - 11:35 Start of Session Raffle 11:35 - 11:50 The Data-Driven Enterprise: Going from Vision to Value Ali El Kontar CEO, Zero&One The Data-Driven Enterprise: Going from Vision to Value While 99% of the world's leading companies are investing in data, only 24% have been successful in creating a data-driven organization. This session will outline the key challenges hindering companies from becoming data-driven organizations and chart a path toward such a transformation. 11:50 - 11:55 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 11:55 - 12:10 How can Intelligent Automation be the driving force in the current digital economy? Ashraf El Zarka Vice President, Regional Managing Director MEA & Pakistan, UiPath How can Intelligent Automation be the driving force in the current digital economy? Today’s leaders have one of the best allies to help them solve all kinds of challenges, from making the business profitable to assisting the customers to overcome their challenges and keeping the employees happy at work. Intelligent Automation is the partner that can support them on their digital transformation journey. But what does this technology have to offer? Intelligent Automation (IA) is a combination of robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) that empowers rapid end-to-end business process automations. This means working smarter, faster, and more efficiently while increasing workforce productivity and satisfaction for your clients. 12:10 - 12:15 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:15 - 12:30 Orchestrating Digital Infrastructure for Hybrid Environments 12:30 - 12:35 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:35 - 12:50 Evolving Trends Shaping the Future of Work 12:50 - 12:55 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle)
12:55	Tea/Coffee & Networking Break
13:15 13:25	Transformation Zone Sessions (Parallel Sessions)
	Metaverse 13:15 - 13:25 Separating the Hype from the Long-Term, Real-World Technology Implications Separating the Hype from the Long-Term, Real-World Technology Implications While entertainment, shopping, social, education, finance, and work are the areas in which the successful development of metaverse will have the greatest impact. A developed metaverse ecosystem will have quite a vast impact on the global market across various industries in near future. This session will talk about the key elements that companies should prioritize in the development of a metaverse. Industry 4.0 13:15 - 13:25 Implement Industry 4.0 in Your Manufacturing Operations Implement Industry 4.0 in Your Manufacturing Operations Leaders across industrials are experiencing massive change. Disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the need for technology and business leaders to harness the right technologies and framework to be more resilient in a changing world. With manufacturing bearing the brunt of losses during the pandemic, manufacturers are looking to build resiliency through digitalization – with Industry 4.0 playing a pivotal role. This session will a closer look at Industry 4.0 and its role in the future of manufacturing Sustainability 13:15 - 13:25 IT: A fundamental tool for achieving Sustainability IT: A fundamental tool for achieving Sustainability Organizations need to address sustainability from a number of angles if they want to have a positive impact on people and the planet, in addition to achieving positive financial returns. This includes improving the sustainability of their own operations as well as helping their clients become more sustainable through the products and services that they offer, all enabled by technology.
13:25 14:55	Best Practice Sessions (Parallel Sessions)
	Shaping CISO Strategies for the Digital-First Organization 13:25 - 13:30 Start of Session Raffle - Apple Watch 13:30 - 13:45 New Convergences and Holistic Security: What Top Executives Are Talking About Alain Sanchez EMEA CISO, Fortinet New Convergences and Holistic Security: What Top Executives Are Talking About New convergences will shape the digital world in 2023 and beyond, and the order of magnitude of the upcoming transformation will be unprecedented. In this context, enterprises needing to elevate their game are looking for guidance from all kinds of service providers, from connectivity providers to strategic advisors. What are the observed trends and successful strategies that top executives are talking about in this new order? This presentation gathers the strategic considerations and teachings from recent interactions with top cyber executives across the EMEA theater. 13:45 - 13:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 13:50 - 14:05 Mitigating Cyber Risks in the Middle East: Addressing the Impact of Geopolitical Tensions and Regulatory Requirements Milad Aslaner Head of Technology Advisory Group, SentinelOne Mitigating Cyber Risks in the Middle East: Addressing the Impact of Geopolitical Tensions and Regulatory Requirements The Middle East faces unprecedented cyberthreats, with geopolitical tensions and global economic instability exacerbating the risks. While governments are accelerating the legislative process to modernize relevant laws and regulations, organizations need help modernizing their information security programs. Organizations must take a proactive approach to cybersecurity to protect their critical infrastructure, sensitive information, and brand reputation. This presentation will explore the top cybersecurity challenges facing organizations globally, zoom into specific challenges in the Middle East, and provide a comprehensive strategy for mitigating these risks that will allow organizations to mature their information security programs and, with that, become cyber-resilient. 14:05 - 14:10 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 14:10 - 14:25 Moving to the Cloud Securely with DevSecOps Gordon Orr Senior Director, Software Sales EMEA, F5 14:25 - 14:30 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 14:30 - 14:45 Multifactor Authentication Is Not Enough Nour Fateen Director, Sales Engineering, Recorded Future Multifactor Authentication Is Not Enough As threat actors become more sophisticated, the ability of multifactor authentication to provide adequate protection is becoming increasingly diminished. Join us as we examine how threat actors are completely circumventing what was once considered a security blanket for most security infrastructure. 14:45 - 14:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 14:50 - 14:55 End of Session Raffle - Lionel Messi Signed Football Jersey Data and Platform-Led Strategies for Realizing Digital Outcomes 13:25 - 13:30 Start of Session Raffle - Apple Watch 13:30 - 13:45 Accelerate Your ESG Compliance and Reporting with the Data Cloud Mohamed Zouari General Manager, Snowflake Accelerate Your ESG Compliance and Reporting with the Data Cloud With the COP28 event just around the corner, ESG is a top priority for all companies across the UAE and the wider Middle East. This session will reveal how the Snowflake Data Cloud can help ESG compliance and reporting become easy and streamlined. 13:45 - 13:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 13:50 - 14:05 Enterprise Data as a Service: The Paradigm Shift Toward Distributed Logical Architectures Dr. Alexey Sidorov Chief Data Evangelist MEA, Denodo Enterprise Data as a Service: The Paradigm Shift Toward Distributed Logical Architectures Decentralized data organizations — in which several divisions are partly or entirely in charge of releasing their own data for analytics — have received a lot of attention in recent years. This presentation will discuss critical design principles and best practices for implementing different decentralized architectures, including the logical data fabric and data mesh powered by virtualization. 14:05 - 14:10 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 14:10 - 14:25 Taking Your Regulatory Change Management to the Next Level 14:25 - 14:30 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 14:30 - 14:45 Marketing Effectiveness and the Metrics That Matter in the Digital-First Era 14:45 - 14:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 14:50 - 14:55 End of Session Raffle - Lionel Messi Signed Football Jersey Digital Trust, Identity, and Security Strategies for the Digital-First Organization 13:25 - 13:30 Start of Session Raffle - Apple Watch 13:30 - 13:45 Leveraging eSignatures for Enterprise-Wide Digital Transformation Arvind Srinivasan SVP – Global Markets & Strategy, eMudhra Leveraging eSignatures for Enterprise-Wide Digital Transformation As the world becomes more digital by the day, identity-backed signatures and compliant workflow applications can truly help large organizations achieve their digital visions while enabling strong customer experiences, internal efficiencies, and ESG goals. This presentation will examine the fundamentals of esignatures and explore the compliance framework within the Middle East. It will explain how esignature implementations can be conceptualized to achieve enterprise-wide digital transformation in large organizations and provide the most optimal return on investment. 13:45 - 13:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 13:50 - 14:05 Creating a Digital Brain for Your Organization Jessica Constantinidis Field Innovation Officer, ServiceNow Creating a Digital Brain for Your Organization Organizations are becoming more and more digital, even if finance or manufacturing is their core business. However, IT does not fully align to business strategies, and numerous business opportunities are lost due to this disconnect. How can you create a digital brain for your organization that makes it easier to use data to predict business outcomes? Is it by just implementing AI, or does it take more? This session will explore why and how organizations can build a digital brain to deliver benefits to customers. It will highlight the steps to building a digital brain and showcase how IT can be used as an enabler for the future. 14:05 - 14:10 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 14:10 - 14:25 Disrupting the Economics of Cyber Crime with Modern Defence Mark Phillips Vice President of Solution Architecture, HUMAN Security 14:25 - 14:30 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 14:30 - 14:45 Looking Backward to Predict the Future Threat Landscape: Cyberattacks Already Kicking Off in 2023 Ahmad Jaber Principle Security Consultant (MENA), Tenable Looking Backward to Predict the Future Threat Landscape: Cyberattacks Already Kicking Off in 2023 Attackers have not taken any break, with 2023 already being a strong year for threats. As noted during the World Economic Forum in Davos, there is a real "cyberstorm" affecting the automotive industry, industrial networks, open-source software, and the world of education. Nobody is being left behind. Since the beginning of January, the number of attacks has remained elevated. Ransomware groups such as Vice Society — which mainly targets educational institutions — are now "ultra-specialized." However, they still rely on legacy vulnerabilities to compromise their targets. 14:45 - 14:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a MontBlanc Gift) 14:50 - 14:55 End of Session Raffle - Lionel Messi Signed Football Jersey
14:55	Working Lunch
15:20 15:30	Transformation Zone Sessions (Parallel Sessions)
	Metaverse 15:20 - 15:30 Separating the Hype from the Long-Term, Real-World Technology Implications Separating the Hype from the Long-Term, Real-World Technology Implications While entertainment, shopping, social, education, finance, and work are the areas in which the successful development of metaverse will have the greatest impact. A developed metaverse ecosystem will have quite a vast impact on the global market across various industries in near future. This session will talk about the key elements that companies should prioritize in the development of a metaverse. Industry 4.0 15:20 - 15:30 Implement Industry 4.0 in Your Manufacturing Operations Implement Industry 4.0 in Your Manufacturing Operations Leaders across industrials are experiencing massive change. Disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the need for technology and business leaders to harness the right technologies and framework to be more resilient in a changing world. With manufacturing bearing the brunt of losses during the pandemic, manufacturers are looking to build resiliency through digitalization – with Industry 4.0 playing a pivotal role. This session will a closer look at Industry 4.0 and its role in the future of manufacturing Sustainability 15:20 - 15:30 IT: A fundamental tool for achieving Sustainability IT: A fundamental tool for achieving Sustainability Organizations need to address sustainability from a number of angles if they want to have a positive impact on people and the planet, in addition to achieving positive financial returns. This includes improving the sustainability of their own operations as well as helping their clients become more sustainable through the products and services that they offer, all enabled by technology.
15:30 16:15	For The CIO - By The CIO Session (Parallel Sessions)
	Vendor Selection and Management: Best Practices and What to Look Out For 15:30 - 16:15 For the IT sourcing and procurement professional, demanding workloads and deadlines leave little time for an in-depth review of technology markets and vendors, sourcing best practices, and specific IT investment opportunities and partnerships. This session addresses key sourcing challenges related to digital transformation and the evolving role of vendor management within the enterprise, combined with actionable intelligence on best practice for driving better deals and reducing costs without risking vendor relationships. Talent Development & The Demand For New Skills: How Do You Structure Your Team Optimally 15:30 - 16:15 As the world of work continues to evolve and organizations shift to hybrid work models, new challenges and opportunities present themselves. How can technology leaders leverage these shifts to enhance online and virtual experiences and strengthen competitiveness by developing people, talent, and skills? This panel session will examine how the technology talent market has changed and compelled organizations to leverage innovative work models. It will highlight the latest trends in hiring and managing talent amid the move toward hybrid work policies. In addition, panelists will discuss how organizations can change themselves and their team structures to leverage the current situation and enhance productivity. The session will conclude by highlighting how organizations can address the shortage of skilled technology professionals, given that the shift to distributed workforces has enabled them to retain global talent. Sustainable Strategies & Technologies: Operationalization, Impact Measurability, Business Value Creation 15:30 - 16:15 Sustainability is now a key priority for governments and enterprises across industries as they strive to meet the national and industry-specific ESG goals and regulations. CIOs will not only need to offer “sustainable / green” technology solutions for their customer organizations but would also require advise and handholding through the journey. This discussion would address roadmaps and solutions that support the data collection and reporting, governance and compliance and benchmarking needs towards sustainable strategies and technologies.
16:15	Close of Day 1

Speakers

Want to become a speaker?

Jyoti Lalchandani

Group Vice President & Regional Managing Director (META), IDC

Crawford Del Prete

President, IDC Worldwide

Amr Refaat

Chief Executive Officer, GBM, Gulf Business Machines (GBM)

Phil Andrews

Vice President and General Manager (CEMEA), Red Hat

Charbel Khneisser

Vice President, Solutions Engineering, EMEA, Riverbed Technology

Ali El Kontar

CEO, Zero&One

Mark Schwartz

Enterprise Strategist and Evangelist, AWS

Ashraf El Zarka

Vice President, Regional Managing Director MEA & Pakistan, UiPath

Alain Sanchez

EMEA CISO, Fortinet

Mohamed Zouari

General Manager, Snowflake

Partners

Want to become a partner?

Supported by

Host Partner

Strategic Partner

Smart ICT Partner

Trailblazer Partner

Innovation Partner

Digital Transformation Partner

Summit Partner

Platinum Partner

Technology Focus Group Partner

Sustainability Transformation Zone Partner

Industry 4.0 Transformation Zone Partner

Exhibit Partner

Associate Partner

Media Partner

Awards

The IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2023 will also play host to the IDC Excellence Awards. The awards will recognize the efforts of the country's leading technology executives, based on their ability to drive innovation, strengthen resiliency, and shape rapid change. Securing a place on our list of finalists will be viewed as a genuine mark of enterprise excellence, so submit your nominations today!

CIO (Chief Information Officer) of the Year

Description

To be eligible for the IDC Excellence Awards 2023, nominees must fulfil the following criteria:

They must have held the position of CIO within a company their current organization based in the Middle East for at least 12 months since January 2022.

They must have led, within the last 12 months, the implementation of initiatives that must be thoroughly described in the nomination form.

Open to IT leaders who have:

1. Spearheaded the leadership of digital transformation in alignment with senior executives and lines of business.

2. Successfully delivered major digital transformation initiatives that led to significant business outcomes.

Nomination Criteria

At IDC, we pride ourselves on enforcing the very highest levels of transparency and impartiality. As such, each nomination will be reviewed and validated using a multi-tiered process.

The evaluation of nominations and selection of finalists will be independently undertaken by a multidisciplinary team comprising of IDC Advisory Council members and senior regional IDC analysts. All nominations will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

The top 10 finalists in each category will be unveiled during award ceremony hosted at Atlantis, The Palm on February 23, 2023.

The top two finalists in each category will be required to present their achievements/nominations to the IDC Advisory Council members on February 22, 2023 at Atlantis, The Palm. Each finalist will be allocated a total of 15 minutes – 7-8 minutes to showcase their achievement and 7-8 minutes for Q&As.
All nominations must contain fact-based information and should not include marketing messages or branding information.

All questions from the nomination form need to be answered. IDC encourages short, sharp answers that provide clear insights into the results achieved by the selected initiative/project/nominee.

An individual can nominate themselves in multiple categories.

The nomination form must be submitted by February 06, 2023.

In the event of any dispute regarding the rules, conduct, results, and all other matters relating to the IDC Excellence Awards 2023, the decision of the judges shall be final, and no further correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.

CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) of the Year

Description

To be eligible for the IDC Excellence Awards 2023, nominees must fulfil the following criteria:

They must have held the position of CISO within a company their current organization based in the Middle East for at least 12 months since January 2022.

They must have led, within the last 12 months, the implementation of initiatives that must be thoroughly described in the nomination form.

Open to IT leaders who have:

1. Significantly improved the security posture, resilience, and regulatory compliance of their organization.

2. Successfully delivered major initiatives that helped transform and position security as an enabler for digital transformation.

Nomination Criteria

Women in Technology & Business

Description

To be eligible for the IDC Excellence Awards 2023, nominees must fulfil the following criteria:

They must have held the position of Women Leader within a company their current organization based in the Middle East for at least 12 months since January 2022.

They must have led, within the last 12 months, the implementation of initiatives that must be thoroughly described in the nomination form.

Open to female business and IT leaders who have:

1. Positively impacted the business outcomes, work cultures, and levels of innovation required for greater financial performance.

2. Successfully reduced the impact of a lack of gender diversity in IT organizations and underscored the need to expand mentoring programs that develop female leaders.

Nomination Criteria

Knowledge Hub

Transformation Zone
Metaverse

The emerging metaverse paradigm will have a significant impact on the digital economy. The metaverse is a highly immersive future environment that blends the physical and digital to drive a shared sense of presence, interaction, and continuity across multiple spheres of work and life. This year's summit will examine the impact of the metaverse on digital economies and explore potential use cases for organizations to embrace.

Transformation Zone
Sustainability

Organizations around the world are increasingly implementing sustainability into their business life cycles, and they see environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors impacting their enterprise value. Technology is a key enabler of successful sustainable business transformation and corporate sustainability approaches that align a positive impact on people and the environment with the generation of financial profits. ESG integration has become a CEO-level topic for organizations worldwide, underlining the strategic importance that sustainability has attained over the last few years.

Transformation Zone
Industry 4.0

Factories, warehouses, and logistics firms also find themselves in the midst of transformation. The impact of the pandemic on supply and distribution, with effects that often rippled across the globe, forced the realization that lean and efficient supply chains can also be brittle and vulnerable to disruption. To address this, globalization strategies are being augmented with a new emphasis on self-reliance, partner ecosystems, cost management, and the minimization of disruption risk.

Partner Spotlight
Sustainability and Technology

Amr Refaat
Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Business Machines (GBM)

GBM is excited to once again join forces with IDC as Host Partner for this year's edition of the IDC Middle East CIO Summit, which has become one of the largest annual gatherings of industry leaders and innovators in the region. The summit brings together the best minds in technology to discuss the latest advancements within the industry and the challenges we need to overcome together to increase efficiencies and build digital resiliency.

Analyst Spotlight
A New Approach to Security in the Post-Pandemic World

Frank Dickson
Group Vice President, Security & Trust, IDC

As we enter 2023, we can finally, for the most part, put reactionary moves due to COVID-19 behind us as the disease moves from a pandemic to an endemic part of daily life. We have accepted that digital transformation moved at a feverish pace, transitioning our enterprises to digital first years before we anticipated. The possibilities of remote work gave way to the reality that hybrid work is here to stay. These are truths that we have accepted.

The economic headwinds we are experiencing have re-energized a trend that was muted by the pandemic. The C-suite appreciates the value and importance of security both now and into the future. C-level executives are actively planning continued investments in security to ensure the viability of their enterprises. However, C-level executives are growing tired of the continually growing financial appetite of security and are looking to reduce spending when and where possible. They are demanding accountability for the spend; in essence, they are looking for secure outcomes that are measurable and meaningful.

The result of this security confluence is a migration of approaches. The breach detection mindset of the past is giving way to a view that positions security as a way of improving an organization's cyber-risk posture, a posture that is tightly coupled with the goals of the organization and decreasing business risk. In its 2023 Future of Trust FutureScape, IDC predicted that by 2025, 45% of CEOs, fatigued by security spending without predictable ROI, will demand security metrics and results measurement to assess and validate investments made in their security program.

The IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2023 will look to address security in this new reality. We will help guide you in working with the CEO and boards of directors as we transition to delivering secure outcomes and a trusted organization to our executive constituencies.

Partner Spotlight
Modern Data Protection in the Age of Digital Transformation

Mohamad Rizk
Regional Director (Middle East & CIS), Veeam Software

Over the past few years, we have witnessed an acceleration of digital transformation initiatives across regional enterprises in the Middle East. This has brought with it a multitude of challenges and complexities relating to multicloud/hybrid-cloud architectures and Kubernetes adoption.

Partner Spotlight
The CISO: A Species in Permanent Mutation

Alain Sanchez
CISO, Fortinet

Looking back a decade ago, those that today go by the title of CISO were humble creatures shyly asking the big boys and girls in the boardroom permission to update the antivirus. Today, the same fellows get their own seat in that same boardroom, a decent share of the bonus pie, and a cup of tea on a good day. And strange things happen as well: the CEO asks cybersecurity questions; the newly called CISO gets a budget and a team; sometimes even, the voice of the CISO prevails over execs long established in the upper floor.

Analyst Spotlight
Thriving in the Digital-First Economy

Ranjit Rajan
Vice President, Research (META), IDC

The pandemic-driven pivot to digital-first strategies by organizations across the Middle East continues well after the pandemic has subsided. Indeed, many leading organizations are now making the transition from enabling digital transformation to actually running a digital business.

In line with this shift, they are increasingly focused on deriving a larger share of revenues from digital products, services, channels, and platforms, with 50% of the CIOs surveyed by IDC across the Middle East saying this is now a major priority for their organizations.

The same survey revealed that 70% of Middle East CIOs will be prioritizing the digitalization of operations (process automation, reengineering, and productivity improvements) over the next 12-18 months, while more than half will also be focused on delivering insights at scale across their organizations by building capabilities in data and enterprise intelligence.

The region will continue to face several headwinds throughout 2023, including volatile demand, high inflation, interest rate hikes, supply chain uncertainties, and currency fluctuations. In order to navigate these storms of disruption, organizations will need to invest in strengthening their digital resiliency so they are better positioned to not only survive but thrive in new market environments as conditions continue to change.

Giga/Mega projects that envision futuristic, highly digitalized cities and communities — such as NEOM in Saudi Arabia — will provide a blueprint for accelerated digitalization across the region in 2023 and beyond. Such projects will set the pace as they develop greenfield digital infrastructure and platforms, leveraging advanced technologies like AI/ML, IoT, edge, and 5G to create innovative tech-enabled use cases and customer experiences.

The rise of the digital economy and the emergence of digital-native firms in segments such as fintech, ecommerce, D2C (direct to consumer), aggrotech, and edtech, among others, have accelerated the disruption of supply chains in several industries, driving the development of new business models, digitally augmented customer experiences, and automated operations.

At the same time, governments across the Middle East have launched numerous strategies and policies to support the growth of the digital economy, with a focus on developing the infrastructure, innovation platforms, skills, and regulations required to support the expansion of digital businesses.

One such example is the UAE government's 'Digital Economy Strategy'. Launched in 2022, this initiative aims to double the contribution of the digital economy to the UAE's GDP from 9.7% to 19.4% over the next 10 years, and it is already bearing fruit.

Indeed, the number of digital companies operating in the country is expanding significantly, with the fintech, ecommerce, and D2C segments leading the charge. These companies are disrupting business models and value chains, driving incumbent players to develop new innovation models, engage in ecosystem partnerships, and launch or acquire digital spin-offs.

In order to thrive in this new world, a digital-first mindset is essential, coupled with a vision to build a data-driven organization that is ingrained with a culture of innovation. Leveraging cloud as a foundational platform, developing a data and intelligence plane powered by AI and advanced analytics, and enabling ubiquitous, consumption-based digital infrastructure will all become critical technology priorities.

Partner Spotlight
Activating the Digital in Your Transformation Through App and Infra Modernization

Prashanth Karanth
Head of Pre-Sales, Huco

The cerebral core of any digital business, powered by IT, is for features to go live faster with secure controls and superior quality at economical costs. In a world that is grappling with many right solutions coupled with challenges related to collaboration and cultural changes, there is a pragmatic need to strategize programs to accelerate adoption and resolve the underlying challenges.

Partner Spotlight
Adapting Quickly and Imaginatively in an Increasingly Data-Driven World

Jessica Constantinidis
Field Innovation Officer, ServiceNow

As thousands of travelers geared up for their holidays last year, one leading European airline took the unusual decision to cancel 10 to 20 flights per day to and from one of the EU’s largest airports from early July until late August. The airport was struggling with a shortage of staff, leading to passengers missing flights because it was taking too long to get through security. The airline also announced it would reserve 20 seats on each flight for those who couldn’t get through customs on time.

Analyst Spotlight
Cloud Overspend and the Role of CloudOps and FinOps

Matt Eastwood
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Research, IDC

Over the past few years, IDC has seen investments in cloud grow rapidly as enterprises build their digital footprints. In many cases, this growth has occurred without the proper governance necessary to ensure resources are optimized appropriately. And the impact on budgets has been significant, with cloud now representing 35-40% of a typical IT budget. Additionally, the typical enterprise is reporting that their cloud overspend can be upwards of 25-35% today. Customers are clearly struggling to understand how to best optimize cloud spend for architectural and business benefit while also allocating cloud costs to the correct team.

One of the ways that enterprise IT customers are tackling this challenge is through the implementation of CloudOps and FinOps. CloudOps is the practice of optimizing and managing the use of cloud resources, while FinOps is the practice of managing financial aspects of cloud operations. Together, these practices allow customers to better understand their cloud usage and costs, and to identify areas where they can reduce expenses effectively.

For example, by using CloudOps tools, customers can monitor and adjust their usage of resources such as storage and computing to ensure they are only paying for what they need. Additionally, FinOps techniques such as forecasting and budgeting can help customers plan and control their spending, preventing unexpected or unnecessary cloud charges.

As a result of these efforts, many enterprise IT customers are seeing significant reductions in their cloud expenditures and can more effectively allocate their IT budgets to other areas of the business. This can mean the difference between a project being viable or not. It also allows these users to have a better understanding of what they pay for and predict future costs, which can help them avoid financial surprises and make more informed decisions. And as many organizations deal with financial headwinds in the market, the time to implement or augment internal CloudOps and FinOps functions is now.

Ronita Bhattacharjee

Vice President - Conferences, IDC Middle East, Africa, & Turkey

+971 4 391 2747 Email

Taher Hamdan

Senior Sales Manager, Conferences, IDC Middle East, Turkey & Africa

+971506591320 Email

About IDC

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International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading media, data and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com.

8:30	Registration & Networking
8:55	IDC Welcome Address
	Steven Frantzen Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director (EMEA), IDC
9:00	Opening Address
	H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti Head of Cyber Security, United Arab Emirates Government
9:15	Evolution of the Human Species
	Neil Harbisson The World’s First Officially Recognized Human “Cyborg”
9:35	Driving Business Outcomes Through Software Development Best Practices
	Investing in removing developer friction, with a focus on spending the maximum time possible delivering business value through code, can drive the outcomes needed for business to thrive. In a rapidly evolving digital world where multi-cloud and hybrid workloads are becoming the norm, cyberattacks increase year on year, and regulations and compliance are at an all-time high, leveraging DevSecOps best practices is more important than ever before. Abstracting the complexities of the IT ecosystem will allow developers to do what they do best – deliver the applications that will differentiate business and ultimately maximize revenue growth. Darran Rice Tanzu Value Advisor, VMware
9:55	Sustainable Value Creation in a Digital-First World
	Digital is now a permanent, yet dynamic fixture of our world. Individuals in schools, companies, and governments are always asking whether there is some digital-based capability or enhancement that could improve lives and desired outcomes. For the enterprise, digital-first takes digital transformation to a different level — and the definition of value has been redefined. It is not just about the bottom or top line. There are also sustainability targets to be met, and organizations need to think about how they can deliver ecosystem value at scale. This session will highlight the action items that CIOs and their C-suite teams need to take, as well as the technologies that will most likely have the biggest impact as we look to drive sustainable value creation in a digital-first world.
10:15	Perspectives on Building an Intelligent Enterprise
	Business performance improvement and customer service/satisfaction are key metrics for any enterprise. This is enabled by building an intelligent enterprise so that the business responds to the customer in the best possible manner. An intelligent enterprise is built around proactive business alerts and decision-enabling support systems through digital services that improve business performance. Enablers to achieve an intelligent enterprise include technology levers like cloudification, data/AI/ML, etc. This session will explore strategies for building an intelligent enterprise. Ram Ramachandran Senior Vice President & Head, Middle East & Africa, Tech Mahindra
10:35	The Critical Role of Cloud in Driving Digital First Operations
	Cloud services have become indispensable for building the foundation for an Organization's digital business by modernizing legacy architecture for greater agility, scalability, and resilience to disruptions that arise, which range from a global pandemic to geopolitical unrest, higher energy prices, and economic instability. Today cloud services are revolutionizing how organizations can bring new services to the market faster and more powerfully by accessing the latest functionalities provided by the cloud-based software market and better leverage enterprise-wide data.
10:55	Tea/Coffee & Networking Break
11:20 11:30	Transformation Zone Sessions (Parallel Sessions)
	Metaverse 11:20 - 11:30 Separating the Hype from the Long-Term, Real-World Technology Implications Separating the Hype from the Long-Term, Real-World Technology Implications While entertainment, shopping, social, education, finance, and work are the areas in which the successful development of metaverse will have the greatest impact. A developed metaverse ecosystem will have quite a vast impact on the global market across various industries in near future. This session will talk about the key elements that companies should prioritize in the development of a metaverse. Industry 4.0 11:20 - 11:30 Implement Industry 4.0 in Your Manufacturing Operations Implement Industry 4.0 in Your Manufacturing Operations Leaders across industrials are experiencing massive change. Disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the need for technology and business leaders to harness the right technologies and framework to be more resilient in a changing world. With manufacturing bearing the brunt of losses during the pandemic, manufacturers are looking to build resiliency through digitalization – with Industry 4.0 playing a pivotal role. This session will a closer look at Industry 4.0 and its role in the future of manufacturing Sustainability 11:20 - 11:30 IT: A fundamental tool for achieving Sustainability IT: A fundamental tool for achieving Sustainability Organizations need to address sustainability from a number of angles if they want to have a positive impact on people and the planet, in addition to achieving positive financial returns. This includes improving the sustainability of their own operations as well as helping their clients become more sustainable through the products and services that they offer, all enabled by technology.
11:30 12:50	Technology Focus Sessions (Parallel Sessions)
	Cyber Protection for Today, and Tomorrow’s Threats: Dynamic Security Strategies to Minimize Risk 11:30 - 11:31 Start of Session Raffle - Apple Watch 11:31 - 11:35 IDC Overview Nagia El-Emary Country Director (Egypt) & Senior Consultant (MEA), IDC 11:35 - 11:45 Deploying AI Based Zero Trust Security Policies Vladimir Slinko Senior Technology Advisor, KasperskyOS 11:45 - 11:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 11:50 - 12:00 Cybersecurity Policies, Regulations and Compliance 12:00 - 12:05 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:05 - 12:15 The Increasingly Complex Task of Cloud Security Services 12:15 - 12:20 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:20 - 12:30 Extended Detection and Response (XDR) — The Must-Have Security Tool in a Digital-First World 12:30 - 12:35 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:35 - 12:45 Enhancing the Efficiency and Automation of SOC and Incident Response 12:45 - 12:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:50 - 12:55 End of Session Raffle - Apple Watch Connecting the Distributed Cloud – From the Edge to the Core 11:30 - 11:31 Start of Session Raffle - Apple Watch 11:31 - 11:35 IDC Overview Ranjit Rajan Vice President, Research (META), IDC 11:35 - 11:45 The Impact of Cloud Computing on AI Dr. Dani Abu Ghaida Chief Digital Officer, Crayon The Impact of Cloud Computing on AI This session will explore the significant impact cloud computing has had on the development and advancement of AI. It will explain how cloud computing allows for the storage and processing of large amounts of data, which are essential for training and improving AI models, and show how the use of cloud-based AI services enables organizations to easily access and utilize AI capabilities without the need for expensive hardware and infrastructure. It will demonstrate a number of AI applications that are enabled by cloud computing and examine the key challenges and considerations associated with implementing cloud-based AI. The session will also explore the future of cloud computing and AI, concluding by providing a view on how cloud computing has made AI more accessible and affordable for a wider range of organizations. 11:45 - 11:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 11:50 - 12:00 Build the Cloud You Need Denis Dincic Global Solutions Architect, Equinix Build the Cloud You Need Enterprises around the world are investing in digital transformation and empowering themselves to be more responsive to the demands of end users everywhere. One crucial factor driving this trend is the growth of digital ecosystems which allow business partners to exchange data and services with one another and unlock new capabilities and co-innovation opportunities. This session will look at how applying digital services can help maximize the flexibility and agility of digital infrastructure. Making the decision to move to the cloud is a complicated and expensive prospect for companies looking to deliver a seamless, real-time experience to employees and consumers. Given this context, the session will highlight how companies can simplify the journey from centralized to distributed network infrastructure and improve speed to market, localize data, decrease operational downtime, and lower costs in the process. 12:00 - 12:05 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:05 - 12:15 The Management Trends, Challenges, and Technology Building Blocks for Successful Hybrid Multicloud Environments 12:15 - 12:20 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:20 - 12:30 The Future of Connectedness: Technology Priorities for an Agile Enterprise 12:30 - 12:35 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:35 - 12:45 Foundational Cloud Services Driving Modern and Edge Application Development 12:45 - 12:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:50 - 12:55 End of Session Raffle - Apple Watch Enabling the Data-Driven Enterprise 11:30 - 11:31 Start of Session Raffle - Apple Watch 11:31 - 11:35 IDC Overview Hamza Naqshbandi Associate Vice President (Saudi Arabia & Bahrain), IDC 11:35 - 11:45 The Future of Modern Data Protection Islam Afifi Regional Presales Manager, Veeam Software The Future of Modern Data Protection This session explores how organizations can own, control, and protect data on any cloud. Participants will discover how to protect data against ransomware, modernize backup to eliminate data loss and downtime, and accelerate their moves to any cloud, all while ensuring data is always available. 11:45 - 11:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 11:50 - 12:00 Reimagining Content Management Strategies for a Digital-First Organization 12:00 - 12:05 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:05 - 12:15 Multiple Source Real-Time Data for Faster Decision Making 12:15 - 12:20 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:20 - 12:30 Meeting the Demand for Data Privacy, Security, and Trust 12:30 - 12:35 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:35 - 12:45 Leveraging MLOps and ModelOps to Deliver Insights at Scale 12:45 - 12:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:50 - 12:55 End of Session Raffle - Apple Watch Transition through AI and Analytics How to Win in the Intelligent Economy 11:30 - 11:31 Start of Session Raffle - Apple Watch 11:31 - 11:35 IDC Overview Harish Dunakhe Research Director, Software and Cloud, META IDC 11:35 - 11:45 Enhancing Observability into Complex IT Environments 11:45 - 11:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 11:50 - 12:00 Adopting A.DO Practices to Drive Innovation and Transform Teams 12:00 - 12:05 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:05 - 12:15 Intelligent Automation for Next Generation Citizen Experience 12:15 - 12:20 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:20 - 12:30 Data Strategies for a Superior Employee Experience 12:30 - 12:35 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:35 - 12:45 AI-Infused Processes to Enhance Asset Efficiency, Streamline Supply Chains, and Improve Product Quality Across Diverse and Distributed Environments 12:45 - 12:50 Q&A (Ask Questions & Stand a Chance to Win a Raffle) 12:50 - 12:55 End of Session Raffle - Apple Watch
12:50	Networking Break
13:20	Partner Felicitation
13:35	IDC Excellence Awards 2023
14:20	Lunch
15:20	Close of Summit

IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2023

In 2023, we are going further, together! Join us for the 16th Edition.

Delegate Journey

Key Topics

Impact of Sustainability on Technology Vendor

Application Modernization strategies

Effective Hybrid Cloud Deployment

Developing an AIOps strategy and practices

Full stack Observability

Leveraging Low Code / No Code platforms

Orchestrating Digital Infrastructure for hybrid environments

Charting a Data-driven digital strategy

Intelligent automation

Predictive analytics strategies

Zero Trust security approaches

Cybersecurity Policies & Regulations and Compliance

5G impact – network architectures, market strategies and use cases

Venue

IDC Middle East Advisory Council 2023

2022 Event Highlights

Agenda

Filter Topics

Registration & Networking

IDC Welcome Address

Opening Address (Government Affiliation)

IDC Advisory Council Felicitation

Strategies for the CIO and Enterprise Innovation

Build a Sustainable Future

Implementing Application Security

Accelerating Digital Transformation with an Open Organization Approach

Building Digital Resiliency in Smart Cities and Communities

Tea/Coffee & Networking Break

Summit Partner Sessions (Parallel Sessions)

Tea/Coffee & Networking Break

Transformation Zone Sessions (Parallel Sessions)

Best Practice Sessions (Parallel Sessions)

Working Lunch

Transformation Zone Sessions (Parallel Sessions)

For The CIO - By The CIO Session (Parallel Sessions)

Close of Day 1

Registration & Networking

IDC Welcome Address

Opening Address

Evolution of the Human Species

Driving Business Outcomes Through Software Development Best Practices

Sustainable Value Creation in a Digital-First World

Perspectives on Building an Intelligent Enterprise

The Critical Role of Cloud in Driving Digital First Operations

Tea/Coffee & Networking Break

Transformation Zone Sessions (Parallel Sessions)

Technology Focus Sessions (Parallel Sessions)

Networking Break

Partner Felicitation

IDC Excellence Awards 2023

Lunch

Close of Summit

Speakers

Partners

Awards

CIO (Chief Information Officer) of the Year

CIO (Chief Information Officer) of the Year

CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) of the Year

CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) of the Year

Women in Technology & Business

Women in Technology & Business

Knowledge Hub

Transformation ZoneMetaverse

Transformation ZoneMetaverse

Transformation ZoneSustainability

Transformation ZoneSustainability

Transformation ZoneIndustry 4.0

Transformation ZoneIndustry 4.0

Partner SpotlightSustainability and Technology

Partner SpotlightSustainability and Technology

Analyst SpotlightA New Approach to Security in the Post-Pandemic World

Analyst SpotlightA New Approach to Security in the Post-Pandemic World

Partner SpotlightModern Data Protection in the Age of Digital Transformation

Partner SpotlightModern Data Protection in the Age of Digital Transformation

Partner SpotlightThe CISO: A Species in Permanent Mutation

Partner SpotlightThe CISO: A Species in Permanent Mutation

In 2023, we are going further, together!
Join us for the 16th Edition.

Transformation Zone
Metaverse

Transformation Zone
Metaverse

Transformation Zone
Sustainability

Transformation Zone
Sustainability

Transformation Zone
Industry 4.0

Transformation Zone
Industry 4.0

Partner Spotlight
Sustainability and Technology

Partner Spotlight
Sustainability and Technology

Analyst Spotlight
A New Approach to Security in the Post-Pandemic World

Analyst Spotlight
A New Approach to Security in the Post-Pandemic World

Partner Spotlight
Modern Data Protection in the Age of Digital Transformation

Partner Spotlight
Modern Data Protection in the Age of Digital Transformation

Partner Spotlight
The CISO: A Species in Permanent Mutation

Partner Spotlight
The CISO: A Species in Permanent Mutation

Analyst Spotlight
Thriving in the Digital-First Economy

Analyst Spotlight
Thriving in the Digital-First Economy

Partner Spotlight
Activating the Digital in Your Transformation Through App and Infra Modernization

Partner Spotlight
Activating the Digital in Your Transformation Through App and Infra Modernization

Partner Spotlight
Adapting Quickly and Imaginatively in an Increasingly Data-Driven World

Partner Spotlight
Adapting Quickly and Imaginatively in an Increasingly Data-Driven World

Analyst Spotlight
Cloud Overspend and the Role of CloudOps and FinOps

Analyst Spotlight
Cloud Overspend and the Role of CloudOps and FinOps

Partner Spotlight
The Role of AI in Revolutionizing Industries.

Partner Spotlight
The Role of AI in Revolutionizing Industries.