Upcomingin 19 days
IDC CIO Summit Saudi Arabia 2026
28–29 SEP 2026· 2 days · In person
Fairmont Riyadh · Riyadh
Free
About the event
The IDC CIO Summit Saudi Arabia takes place on 28 and 29 September 2026 at Fairmont Riyadh, returning for its 16th edition under the theme The Rise of Agentic Systems. The two-day programme convenes the Kingdom's technology decision-makers at a point when Vision 2030 nears completion and the adoption of AI, automation and data-driven innovation is accelerating on the back of a national AI investment of 100 billion dollars.
The agenda combines IDC research keynotes, end-user panels, parallel technology tracks and focus group sessions covering how enterprises scale AI beyond pilots, modernise legacy estates and technical debt, build reliable data foundations, and govern AI at scale. Further sessions address security for autonomous systems, high-performance compute and networking, resilience by design, digital sovereignty and regulatory alignment, and value realisation, alongside CIO-led tracks on agentic AI use cases and the CIO talent agenda. The content is aimed at CIOs, chief data and digital officers, and transformation leaders from government, large enterprises and technology providers.
Attendance is by advance registration through the organiser's platform with no published fee, and every registration is reviewed by the organiser before approval, with applicants notified of the outcome. The programme is accompanied by networking across both days, felicitation of the advisory council and partners, and the Voices of AI acknowledgement, through which IDC recognises organisations in the Kingdom for strategic and measurable AI adoption.
Agenda
119- 08:00Registration & Networking
- 08:30Event Opening
- 08:40IDC Welcome Address
- 08:50Opening Address: Government Affiliation
- 09:05IDC Keynote: Scaling AI for the Agentic Future: Closing the Enterprise Gaps
- 09:35End User Panel: Leading the Global AI Stage: Saudi Arabia's Vision for AI Excellence
- 09:55Security for Autonomous Systems: Risks and Countermeasures
- 10:15High-Performance Compute and Networking: Building the Backbone of AI-driven Enterprise
- 10:35Governing AI at Scale: From Experimentation to Enterprise Control
- 10:55Last Mile Decides Your Mileage
- 11:05Delivering Predictable Outcomes in a Probabilistic Era
- 11:15Scaling Enterprise AI with Trust & Confidence: Modernizing Core Foundations for the Agentic Era
- 11:25Next Generation Enterprise Networks (Network as a Service)
- 11:35Leading in the Age of AI-Native Enterprises
- 11:45Powering the Future of AI: From Oscillation to Orchestration
- 11:55Building the Agentic Future: From Pilots to Production-Ready Enterprise AI
- 12:05Advisory Council Felicitation
- 12:30Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster A (Parallel Tracks)
- 12:31Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster B (Parallel Tracks)
- 14:15For The CIO- By The CIO Tracks
- 14:45Felicitation of Session Speakers
- 14:55Summary & Conclusion
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster A: Track A1
- From Data Protection to Data Resilience: A Strategic Approach
- Why Your MFA Is Failing Both Your Customers and Your Fraud Team
- AI Observability: End-to-End Observability for Generative AI, Agentic, and LLM Workloads
- The Shift From CDN to IDN: The Rise of Intelligent Delivery Networks
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster A: Track A2
- Surviving the Agentic Wild West: Move Fast Without Breaking Things
- Future-Proofing the Enterprise IT Portfolio
- Modernizing for Autonomy: How Migration and Platforms Enable Agentic AI
- The Urgent Risks of Unchecked AI Sprawl
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster A: Track A3
- Data Sovereignty in the AI Era: Securing Enterprise Data and Maintaining Control
- From Experimentation to Impact: Why Engineering Must Become AI Native
- Securing Communication for Generative & Agentic AI
- From Innovation to Impact: Leveraging AI on Cloud
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster A: Track A4
- Delivering Transformative Value with AI
- Cloud Strategies for the Agentic Enterprise
- Edge Intelligence for the Agentic AI Era
- Resilience by Design (Building Adaptable Architectures)
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster B: Track B1
- Data Resilience to Keep Your Business Running
- Evolution of the SIEM for the AI Era
- Building Networks for AI Workloads
- Next-Gen Identity Security: Passwordless Authentication
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster B: Track B2
- Bridging the Strategy-to-Execution Gap: How AI-Powered Portfolio Intelligence Accelerates Vision 2030 Outcomes
- Embracing the Future: Leveraging AI and ML in Cloud Environments
- Copilot-First, Future-Ready: AI-Led Contact Centers Revolutionizing Customer Experience!
- Building an Intelligent Data Infrastructure for Accelerating AI Adoption
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster B: Track B3
- Cyber Resilience in the AI Era
- AI in Oil and Gas: Driving Efficiency and Sustainability
- Smarter AI, Stronger Apps
- Taking Control and Securing your Cyber Physical Systems
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster B: Track B4
- Protecting Critical Infrastructure from the Rise of AI-Borne Threats
- The GenAI Adoption Journey for Enterprises
- The Cloud Imperative: Enabling AI-powered Business Transformation
- The Future of Enterprise Cloud: Faster, Smarter, Serverless
- For The CIO By The CIO: Parallel Tracks
- Agentic AI in Action: Industry Use Cases and Early Wins
- The CIO Talent Agenda: How CIOs, CHROs, and Business Leaders Are Shaping the Future Workforce
- 08:30Registration & Networking
- 08:50IDC Welcome Address
- 08:55Panel Discussion: Growth Has a New Owner: How the C-Suite Is Rewriting the AI Leadership Order
- 09:20Managing AI Adoption: Internal Readiness & Change Management in the Age of AI
- 09:40Agentic AI for Enterprises: Driving Business Transformation
- 09:55Agentic Experiences Will Power the Next Digital Revolution
- 10:10Unleashing Efficiency: The Synergistic Relationship Between AI and Low-Code Process Automation
- 10:25AI-Native Products: Driving Enterprise Efficiency and Informed Decision-Making
- 10:40Enabling Industries: The Global AI Infrastructure Capacity Build Out
- 10:55Summit Tracks (Parallel Sessions)
- 12:15Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster A (Parallel Tracks)
- 12:16Technology Focus Group Session – Cluster B (Parallel Tracks)
- 13:05Partner Felicitation
- 13:15Voices of AI Innovations Acknowledgement
- 13:35Summary & Conclusion
- Summit Tracks: Track A
- Revolutionizing Customer Experience: Integrating Digital Business Strategies in SaaS (Software as a Service) Solutions
- Modernizing for Autonomy: How Migration and Platforms Enable Agentic AI
- From AI Ambition to Enterprise Reality
- The New Resilience Stack: Observability, Autonomy, and Sovereignty for the AI-First Enterprise
- Summit Tracks: Track B
- Building Resilient Security for the AI Era
- From AI Adoption to AI Value Realization: Turning AI Investment into Business Value and Performance Improvement
- Revolutionizing Customer Experience: Integrating Digital Business Strategies
- From Innovation to Impact: Leveraging AI on Cloud
- Summit Tracks: Track C
- Building the Future: Turning Data Insights into Impact
- The Agentic Platform for Zero Disruption
- Building the Agentic Future: From Pilots to Production-Ready Enterprise AI
- Powering the Future of AI: From Oscillation to Orchestration
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster A: Track A1
- Scaling AI Apps & Agents from Pilot to Production
- Trust But Verify: Implementing a Defense-in-Depth Framework for AI Agents
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster A: Track A2
- Driving a Secure, Resilient, and AI Ready Microsoft 365 Workplace
- From Firefighting to Foresight: Engineering Calm with AI
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster A: Track A3
- Memory Shortages – Reshaping the Device Market in META
- Key Trends and Insights: Realize Business Value from AI investments
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster A: Track A4
- Future-Proofing the Enterprise IT Portfolio
- Business Reinvention in the Age of AI: A CIO/CTO Playbook
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster B: Track B1
- How to Scale Agentic AI Across Your Value Chain
- Building Networks for AI Workloads
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster B: Track B2
- From Compliance to Competitive Edge: Building an Intelligent, Sovereign Enterprise
- Cyber-Resilience Journey Maps — In the Age of Data and AI
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster B: Track B3
- AI-Human Harmony in the Age of Agentic AI: From Vision to Business Outcomes
- Smarter AI, Stronger Apps
- Technology Focus Group, Cluster B: Track B4
- From Strategy to Reality: How AI Closes the Execution Gap
- Secure Information Management for AI
Speakers
44Jyoti LalchandaniHead of WW Events and Managing Director, META, Central Asia and IndiaMatthew EastwoodSenior Vice President, Enterprise Infrastructure, Cloud, Telecom, Security, Developers and ChannelsShahin HashimAssociate Research Director, Middle East, Turkey and AfricaShilpi HandaAssociate Research Director, Security and Trust, Middle East and AfricaJebin GeorgeSenior Research Manager, Cloud and Datacenter ServicesMelih MuratAssociate Research Director, Artificial Intelligence, Middle East, Turkey and AfricaEren EserAssociate Research Director, TurkiyeAhmad Abu HameedehDirector of Digital Enterprise ArchitectureAmr Abou ReslanRegional DirectorAli El KontarCloud Practice LeaderRam ChakravartiChief Technology OfficerRakesh ReddyRegional Director, Middle East and Africa
Show the remaining 32 people
Hatem ElkadyChief Executive Officer, Middle East and AfricaMarwan AlHuthailAccount Director, Enterprise, Saudi ArabiaWaleed MarjiRegional Sales ManagerIslam SaberSenior Solutions EngineerAhmed TarekDirector, Sales Engineering, EMEAFaris SuleimanPresales Manager, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the LevantEhsan ShariffManaging DirectorIbrahim OmarSolutions AdvisorAlexandru SavinSenior Enterprise Sales ExecutiveStephen FernandesChief Growth Officer and Head of Middle EastPierre NassifSenior Sales EngineerPaul PotgieterChief Information OfficerFilip NekvindaChief Information & Digital OfficerBader AljundiDirector, Digital Transformation and InnovationManal Al-BawardiChief Information OfficerTamara SunbulGroup Chief Information OfficerMutaz SalemChief Executive OfficerKhaled MoawadSenior Account ExecutiveHyther NizamChief Executive OfficerNadeem QureshiSales DirectorSaddam AlsadSenior Sales Manager, Saudi ArabiaTarek KhattabSolutions and Services Country ManagerJon GriffithsField Chief Technology OfficerGeorgy OvanesyanChief Executive OfficerTom GamaliField Chief Technology Officer and Strategic Advisor, Middle East, Africa and TurkeyCharbel KhneisserSenior Vice President, Global Solutions EngineeringIliass MelgouSolution Engineering Team Lead, Middle East, Turkey and AfricaUmair RiazField Solutions ArchitectMohamed AssemSolutions Engineering DirectorNandini SapruVice President, Middle EastWaris AminSenior Software Quality Assurance EngineerKyle JourdanHead of AI Practice
The venue
24.81N 46.72E
Fairmont Riyadh