Connect | MENA // Agenda
08:00
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DCD Connect | MENA Registration and Badge Collection
- Hospitality & Networking
- Open Session
10:30
11:00
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Keynote Panel: Billion dollar builds - Scaling AI infrastructure for MENA’s next digital horizon
- DCD Main Stage
- Data Center Cooling
- Management & Operations
- Data Center Construction
- Investment & Markets
- Energy & Sustainability
- Open Session
Speakers
Dr Rabih Bashroush
CEO & Executive Director, lta.
Managing Director, MENA, Equinix
Hassan AlNaqbi
CEO, Khazna
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DCD>Tech Showcase with Delta
- Open Session
Speakers
Said El Bouhali
Head of Data Center Solutions MEA, Delta Electronics
12:00
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Welcome Networking Lunch
- Hospitality & Networking
- Open Session
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Mission Critical Power Welcome Lunch
- Mission Critical Power
- Invite-only Session
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Data Center Cooling Welcome Lunch
- Data Center Cooling
- Invite-only Session
13:30
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Debate: Greenwashed gigawatts? Can hyperscale growth align with sustainability goals?
- Energy & Sustainability
- Open Session
Speakers
Global Critical Facilities Practice Area Leader, Senior Associate, Gensler
Safaa Adbel Baki
Senior Digital Strategy & Sustainability Consultant, LTA
Saad Omeirat
Senior Associate Engineer - Data Centers & Mission Critical, Dar Al Hadassah, Sidara Company
Professor and Chair of Advanced Energy and Sustainability, Northumbria University
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Debate: High density reliability - Is the power stack ready for what's next?
- Mission Critical Power
- Open Session
Speakers
Jacob Abraham
Director - DC Engineering & Asset Management, Khazna
Head of Tech Division, Innovo
Shahrukh Shaikh
Datacenter Operations Manager, ServiceNow
Suhaib Zyoud
Datacenter Operations and Maintenance Specialist Engineer, Umniah by Beyon
Nader Tahan
Products Marketing Director, Gulf & Pakistan, ABB
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Debate: Machine‑led vs. human‑led - Who should run operations?
- DCD Main Stage
- Management & Operations
- Open Session
Speakers
Faheel Khan
AI Data Center Technical Lead, groq
Mohammed Feroz Khan
Head of IT Infrastructure, TotalEnergies
Attallah Akroush
Data Center and Environment Expert, Orange Jordan
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Debate: Beyond hyperscale - Is MENA ready for mass liquid cooling deployment?
- Data Center Cooling
- Open Session
Speakers
Imran Shaikh
Director of MEP & Specialisms, Ramboll
Sanjay Kumar
Director – Design & Execution Data Center, DAMAC Digital
Head of Data Centers, Telecom Egypt - Centra
Aida Elbouanani
Business Development Director MEA, bp Castrol
Data Center Manager (EMEA & GCC), Telecom & IT Infrastructure, National Planning Council (Qatar)
14:15
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Interactive Debate Debriefs
- Open Session
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Interactive Debate Debriefs
- Open Session
14:30
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Debate: What interconnectivity strategy will secure success in an unpredictable digital future?
- DCD Main Stage
- Telecoms & Connectivity
- Open Session
Speakers
Salim Chalha
Market Development Manager, Middle East , Corning
Design Manager/ Senior Associate – Data Centers & Missions Critical, Dar Al Hadassah, Sidara Company
CEO, Telecom Egypt RDH
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Debate: Quiet contenders or hollow hype? Are MENA’s secondary markets ready to deliver on the AI boom?
- Investment & Markets
- Open Session
Speakers
Saamer Shafique
Lead Principal Site Selection - EMEA, Oracle
Hosam Mohie
Data Centers Manager, Commercial International Bank Egypt
Snehar Shah
CEO, IX Africa Data Centre
Independent Consultant Data Center Platform Development (MENA), O-Green
EMEA Associate Director - Data Centers, UBS
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Debate: Building sovereign AI - Enabling innovation through scalable compute
- Cloud & Hybrid
- Compute, Storage & Networking
- Open Session
Speakers
Dr. Fayid Kadambodan
Assistant IT Director – Enterprise Solutions, Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority
Roger Habr
Chief Data and AI Officer, Gulf Data Hub
Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft - G42 Partnership, Microsoft
Sami Saadaoui
Director IT Infrastructure, Ooredoo
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Debate: AI vs lifetime ROI - Designing and retrofitting facilities that survive the hype cycle
- Data Center Construction
- Open Session
Speakers
Alistair Davis
Director, Black & White Engineering
Issa Balchi
Digital Infrastructure & Data Center Delivery Expert
Tarek Qabaha
Senior Technical Director, GHD
Shamim Miah
Senior Project Manager, Pure Data Centres Group
Project Development Director, DATAVOLT
15:15
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Interactive Debate Debriefs
- Open Session
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Interactive Debate Debriefs
- Open Session
15:30
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5x5 Lightning Pitches
- Open Session
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5x5 Lightning Pitches
- Open Session
17:00
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Explore the Floor
- Open Session
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Major Panel: AI at scale - How MENA’s digital transformation is reshaping cooling, power, construction, and design
- DCD Main Stage
- Open Session
Speakers
Himmath Mohammed
CIO, Gulf Data Hub
Julian Iosifescu
Global Director of Business Development - Data Center, BAC
Amine Kandil
CEO, N+ONE Datacenters
Yashnath Issur
CEO, Nxtra Africa
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Explore the Floor
- Open Session
18:00
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Icebreaker Networking Evening
- Hospitality & Networking
- Open Session
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08:00
-
DCD Connect | MENA Registration and Badge Collection
- Open Session
09:00
-
DCD>Tech Showcase with Panduit
- Open Session
09:30
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Major Panel: Gridlock to gigawatts - Defining MENA’s power strategy for AI’s next leap
- DCD Main Stage
- Mission Critical Power
- Open Session
Speakers
Executive Group Chairman & Founder, Quantum Switch
Director - Advanced Technology Services, Moro Hub
Sameer Gupta
Director, Analysys Mason
Simon Young
Sub Regional Lead - Energy, Location & Strategy Middle East & Africa, Google
Data Center Business Leader & Global Accounts Director, Eaton
10:00
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DCD>Tech Showcase with Vertiv
- Open Session
Speakers
Sanjay Sainani
Senior Vice president Technology and Data Centers Business Development, Vertiv
10:30
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Major Panel: Solving MENA’s Cooling Dilemma - Balancing Heat, Water, and Efficiency in the AI Era
- DCD Main Stage
- Data Center Cooling
- Open Session
Speakers
Gaurav Mathur
Chief AI & Data Center Officer, JLL
Somen Mathur
Vice President - Head of Engineering and Design, DATAVOLT
Regional Product Director, Johnson Controls
Steven Briscoe
Managing Director of Gulf Operations, Subsea Cloud
11:00
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DCD>Tech Showcase with Grenzebach
- Open Session
11:30
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Major Panel: Blueprints without builders - Can MENA deliver the talent to match its digital ambitions?
- DCD Main Stage
- Management & Operations
- Open Session
Speakers
Director Capacity Planning GPU & Compute (EMEA & JAPAC), Oracle
Amjad Hafez
CEO, NourNet
Chief Operating Officer, AVAR
James Richards
Vice President - HSE, DAMAC Digital
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DCD>Tech Showcase with Grundfos
- Open Session
12:30
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DCD Connect | MENA Networking Lunch
- Open Session
14:00
-
DCD Talks with CIMC Digital Power
- Open Session
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Major Panel: Beyond PUE & WUE, can MENA forge its own sustainable accountability?
- DCD Main Stage
- Energy & Sustainability
- Open Session
Speakers
Elisabetta Baronio
Head of ESG, Khazna
Managing Partner, AESG
Edmar Cabra
Head of Sustainability - MENA, Black and White Engineering
14:30
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DCD Talks with GE Verona
- Open Session
15:00
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Major Panel: Building at Speed, Performing at Scale - Rethinking delivery models for lasting reliability
- DCD Main Stage
- Data Center Construction
- Open Session
Speakers
Matt Froukhians
Head of Data Centres Middle East, CBRE
Ehab Ibrahim
Managing Director – UAE, Iraq, and North Africa, Meinhardt
Steffen Zimmermann
Project Director, Pure Data Centres Group
Gareth McElroy
Director of Technical Facilities, MEEZA QSTP
15:30
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DCD Talks with Engie
- Open Session
Speakers
Furqan Mian
Head of Data Centers, ENGIE Solutions
Graham Easton
Managing Director, IFM GCC, ENGIE Solutions
16:00
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DCD Talks with Hitachi Energy
- Open Session
Speakers
Vice President - Head of Marketing & Sales, Grid Integration, MEA Region, Hitachi Energy
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Major Panel: Kuwait’s digital pivot - How public–private alignment will shape success in the next decade
- Investment & Markets
- Open Session
Speakers
Ali Al Adhami
Public Sector Lead, Google
Zaid Al Othman
Director of Enterprise Customer Success & Data Center Solutions, Zain Kuwait
Public Sector AI & National Digital Transformation Leader | Author | Speaker
16:30
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DCD>Tech Showcase with ABB
- Open Session
