Unlocking the Future: IDC Kuwait CIO Summit 2024 Shapes the Next Era of Digital Innovation

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• Sheila Manek  Email: smanek@idc.com  Phone number: +9714 4463154

Kuwait City – More than 250 of Kuwait's foremost IT and telecom leaders, digital government pioneers, regulators, and industry luminaries gathered at the Courtyard by Marriott this week for the IDC Kuwait CIO Summit 2024. Addressing the theme 'The Future of IT: Rethinking Digitalization for an AI Everywhere World', this pivotal event explored the profound impact of AI on digital innovation and the evolving role of the modern CIO.

Supported by Kuwait's Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT), the summit brought together a distinguished lineup of speakers and thought leaders at the forefront of digital transformation. Dr. Ammar H. Al Husaini, Deputy Director General of CAIT, delivered the opening address, setting the stage for a day of insightful discussions and strategic insights.

"The IDC Kuwait CIO Summit provided a unique opportunity to explore the future of IT in the era of AI in Kuwait," said Dr. Ammar H. Al Husaini. "The adoption of AI promises to enhance every aspect of business, government, and broader society. Awareness of AI's potential is crucial. The potential benefits include a technologically advanced and efficient public sector, benefiting citizens and society as a whole and positioning Kuwait as a regional leader in the AI era. The third annual edition of the summit fostered constructive insights between leading tech companies in the region and influential ICT decision-makers. We are committed to leveraging these insights to advance our digital transformation and build a connected, technology-driven future for our nation."

With Kuwait's commitment to advancing its digital agenda now stronger than ever before and organizations increasingly investing in generative AI (GenAI) use cases, the IDC Kuwait CIO Summit 2024 served as a timely platform to explore the evolving role of AI in shaping the future of IT, with discussion topics aligning perfectly with the goals of Kuwait Vision 2035 and the Kuwait 2040 Upstream Strategy.

Expressing his enthusiasm about the summit, Jyoti Lalchandani, IDC's Group Vice President and Regional Managing Director for the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa, stated: "In today's era of GenAI-driven disruption, technology leaders are reimagining the strategic implications of AI across various facets of digitalization. From enhancing customer experiences to optimizing operational efficiency and ensuring sustainability, AI is poised to revolutionize the business landscape. Against this backdrop, the IDC Kuwait CIO Summit 2024 empowered technology leaders with the knowledge and strategies required to adopt an 'AI Everywhere' mindset and embrace AI as a central pillar of their organizations' tech agendas."

With a comprehensive agenda featuring expert-led sessions, panel discussions, and technology focus groups, the summit offered a holistic perspective on the challenges and opportunities shaping the digital landscape. From app modernization strategies to fortifying enterprises in the digital-first economy and leveraging AI and analytics for digital transformation, the event addressed key themes critical to today's IT leaders.

Two notable highlights were the dedicated 'For the CIO, by the CIO' panel sessions on 'Maximizing IT Performance with the Right IT Operating Models' and 'Realizing Optimal Business Value from IT', which featured first-hand insights from some of Kuwait's most respected end-user IT leaders, including:

• Dr. Dari Al Huwail, Associate Professor, Information Science Department, Kuwait University

• Nikolai Belstein, CISO, Boubyan Bank

• Yousef Elkourdi, Group Head of IT, City Group

• Abdulla Al Najjar, IT Director & Head of CIO Office, Health Assurance Hospitals Company (DHAMAN)

• Hussain Al Nakkas, CIO, Kuwait National Assembly

• Maisa Bakhesh, Team Leader, Infrastructure, Business Continuity & Communications, Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC)

• Manoj Ramachandran, Group CIO, Al Babtain Group

• Rami Al Haddad, CIO, Menzies Aviation

• Yousef Mazeedi, Director of Information & Communication, Capital Market Authority (CMA)

• Mai Al Owaish, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer, Gulf Bank

• Dr. Dheeraj Bhardwaj, Group CEO, City Group Co.

• Praful Thummar, Vice President of IT, Jazeera Airways

IDC would also like to extend its gratitude to the following esteemed members of its regional CIO Advisory Council for their invaluable contribution to shaping the agenda of the IDC Kuwait CIO Summit 2024 :

• Dr. Ammar H. Al Husaini, Deputy Director General, Central Agency for Information Technology

• Mai B. AlOwaish, Data & Innovation Expert

• Dr. Reem Faraj Al Shammari, Founding Partner & Board Member, Women in Cybersecurity Middle Eastl

• Barrak AlMatar, CIO, Burgan Bank.

• Dr. Khaled Mahdi, Secretary General, The Supreme Council for Planning & Development

• Yousef AlMazeedi, ICT Director, Capital Markets Authority

For more information about the IDC Kuwait CIO Summit 2024, please contact Sheila Manek at smanek@idc.com or on +971 4 446 3154. You can also join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #IDCKUWAITCIO.

About IDC

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, IT benchmarking and sourcing, 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 tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

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For the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa region, IDC retains a coordinated network of offices in Riyadh, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, Cairo, and Istanbul, with a regional center in Dubai. Our coverage couples local insights with international perspectives to provide a comprehensive understanding of markets in these dynamic regions. Our market intelligence services are unparalleled in depth, consistency, scope, and accuracy. IDC MEA currently fields over 130 analysts, consultants, and conference associates across the region. To learn more about IDC MEA, please visit www.idc.com/mea. You can follow IDC MEA on Twitter at @IDCMEA.

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