Exclusive Interview with Mohammed Retmi, Vice President: Sovereign Public Cloud, Core42

How has GITEX been for Core42 this year? And, what are you showcasing at the event?

GITEX has been an incredible experience so far. The energy across the halls has been amazing, and the level of engagement with our customers, partners, and industry peers has been very strong. It is always a great platform for collaboration, and this year we can clearly feel how much interest there is in the work we are doing at Core42 and within the broader G42 ecosystem. We are taking centre stage within the G42 District in AI Hall 6, where we are highlighting our role as the digital infrastructure arm of the G42 ecosystem. G42’s Intelligence Grid vision is redefining how nations can build AI-native societies by connecting infrastructure, intelligence, and innovation within one cohesive framework. Together with our sister companies, we are bringing this vision to life and showing how it translates into tangible outcomes that strengthen the UAE’s AI leadership and set new benchmarks for secure, globally competitive digital infrastructure.

A major highlight of our showcase is the Core42 AI Cloud, a high-performance, scalable, and sovereign platform that brings every leading accelerator together under one roof. It provides a unified environment for all training, fine-tuning, and inference needs. We have recently introduced self-service capabilities within the AI Cloud that allow users to access NVIDIA accelerated compute resources within minutes, offering new levels of flexibility, speed, and accessibility for large-scale AI development.

We are also showcasing our Sovereign Public Cloud, which delivers full compliance and control for regulated sectors, our Signature Private Cloud, which is currently in Customer Preview, and our Compass generative AI platform. Our Signature Private Cloud now supports more than fifty public and private entities across the UAE, which is a major milestone for us. We are proud to be the first mover in this space and happy to be celebrating that achievement at GITEX, where we can show the real impact it is creating for our customers and for the wider ecosystem.

From your perspective, how is the digital landscape evolving, and what trends are you seeing take shape?

The digital landscape is evolving at an incredible pace, and much of that acceleration is being driven by AI. It is transforming how organizations operate, how they serve customers, and how they manage data. At Core42, we see our role as helping governments and enterprises adopt these technologies safely, responsibly, and at scale through infrastructure that is sovereign by design.

I oversee the Sovereign Public Cloud offering at Core42, which is built on Microsoft Azure and governed by Core42 Insight, our compliance and governance platform. This combination provides the scalability and flexibility of a hyperscale cloud while ensuring that all data execution, residency, and control remain fully sovereign. Customers can benefit from the performance and innovation of a global platform while operating within a framework that meets national data protection standards and regulatory requirements. It allows public and regulated entities to modernize with confidence, knowing that compliance and trust are built in from the start.

How does Core42 ensure responsible and ethical use of AI within sovereign environments?

Sovereignty is at the core of everything we do at Core42. Our mission is to give customers complete control over their data, their operations, and their technology environments. Data sovereignty means that all information stays within national borders and cannot be accessed by any external entity or foreign jurisdiction.

We also enable operational and technological sovereignty, which means our customers can run and scale their systems independently, securely, and in full alignment with local regulations. These principles are embedded across our Private Cloud and AI Cloud portfolios, where compliance and governance are built into the architecture from day one.

Responsible AI is an essential part of this approach. Through our platforms, we enable organizations to use AI within a clear, regulated, and ethical framework that aligns with national policies and international best practices. Our goal is to make sure AI adoption creates value while maintaining transparency, fairness, and trust at every level.

How is the Sovereign Public Cloud transforming the experience for your customers?

What we see is a real shift in how customers think about cloud adoption. In the past, many organizations were cautious because of data residency and compliance concerns. With the Sovereign Public Cloud, those barriers are being removed. Our customers can now benefit from all the flexibility, scalability, and performance of a global cloud environment while maintaining complete control of their data within UAE borders.

This has opened up new opportunities for innovation. Government entities, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and other regulated sectors are now able to modernize their operations with confidence, knowing that sovereignty, security, and compliance are built in from the start.

Looking ahead, how do you see cloud innovation evolving in the region?

The Middle East is moving fast toward a cloud-first, AI-native future. The focus is to adopt technology and build sovereign ecosystems that reflect local values, laws, and priorities. At Core42, our goal is to continue expanding the capabilities of the Sovereign Public Cloud, integrating more AI services, and enhancing data and workload portability across hybrid environments. We believe the future belongs to organizations that can combine global innovation with local trust, and that is exactly what we are helping our customers achieve.

The famed Tokyo ramen atelier Konjiki Hototogisu, led by Chef Yamamoto, is excited to introduce two brand-new signature ramen in Dubai, Duck Shoyu Ramen and Chicken Edamame Wonton Ramen. These additions mark a new chapter in the brand’s journey of blending Japanese craftsmanship with Dubai’s evolving dining scene.

Handpicked by Chef Yamamoto-san following strong guest demand, the two new ramen dishes continue the brand’s commitment to authentic, artfully balanced flavours.

The Duck Shoyu Ramen presents a deeply layered broth made with duck and Japanese dashi, complemented by mushroom fig sauce and truffle pistachio sauce, and finished with tender duck chashu. It showcases the chef’s meticulous attention to flavour and texture, offering a bowl that feels indulgent yet refined. In contrast, the Chicken Edamame Wonton Ramen brings a gentler harmony of flavours, combining a cloudy chicken and scallop broth with basil paste, edamame and rolled chicken chashu. Light yet satisfying, it offers a comforting warmth that highlights Konjiki’s ability to create depth even in simplicity.

Chef Yamamoto-san recently visited Dubai to mark the official opening of the new Palm Jumeirah Mall branch, located on Level 1, a milestone moment for the Michelin-recognised ramen house as it continues to expand Tokyo’s celebrated ramen culture across the UAE. The new restaurant builds on the success of Konjiki Hototogisu’s Mall of the Emirates branch, which has earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025.

The Palm Jumeirah Mall location reflects Konjiki’s dedication to precision and authenticity, translated into a welcoming setting that mirrors the artistry of every bowl. Guests can expect a dining experience rooted in Japanese culinary philosophy while embracing Dubai’s growing appetite for quality and creativity in gastronomy.

Exclusive Interview with Steve Swenson – Senior Director, Product and Marketing, Secure Issuance, HID FARGO

What are the key innovations HID is showcasing this year at GITEX Global, and how do they reflect the company’s vision for a better, more secure, and connected digital ecosystem?

Okay, sure, great question. So here at the show today, we’re showcasing a line of HID FARGO printers. FARGO is a strong and storied brand for HID in the desktop issuance space. We are specifically showing our full line of retransfer and DTC printers. One printer in particular that we’re showcasing is our new HDP5000e, which is a refresh of a long and storied product for the Fargo brand.

The HDP5000e has a number of important updates to strengthen overall performance, improve output and processing power, and reinforce reliability ensuring the product can stand up to the rigor of our customers’ needs. It also includes usability enhancements to streamline the issuance and card creation process, and strong end-to-end security with AES encryption and resin scramble technology to protect leftover data after cards are created.

We’re also talking about our HID FARGO Connect technology, which is a cloud-based software that allows organizations with complex issuance processes to remotely manage devices, create credentials from one location, and print them at another. This is particularly important for enterprise and healthcare customers with distributed operations.

It’s an exciting time for the HID FARGO business. We’re doing a lot to strengthen the product line and build on our reputation. You mentioned how this connects to HID’s broader vision when we look at issuance processes, they can be quite complex. Customers want high quality visual credentials with secure encoding and durability. Our strategy with the HID FARGO line is to create robust end-to-end solutions that streamline issuance and help organizations operate efficiently.

HID serves a wide range of sectors—from finance to hospitality to transportation. How do you tailor your solutions to meet the unique identity and access management needs of such diverse industries?

Great question. One of the most fundamental things we do as a business is to study and understand the different needs of those sectors. We create a range of solutions—high-end retransfer printers for speed, quality, and resolution, and DTC products for lighter applications. All of our products are modular, allowing customers to configure them according to their specific issuance and organizational requirements.

We complement that with high-quality consumables such as ribbons, overlaminates, and visual security features, as well as software for both desktop and cloud-based issuance. Another key part of our approach is our partner network. HID FARGO doesn’t sell directly to end customers because we understand that every customer has unique needs. Our partners work closely with end users to understand their requirements and collaborate with HID to deliver custom solutions. This combination of modular products, software, and local expertise ensures each customer gets exactly what they need.

In sectors such as hospitality and retail, convenience is key. How is HID leveraging digital identity, mobile access, and cloud-based issuance to create smoother and more secure guest experiences?

Great question. Going back to understanding the end user, we study every aspect of the issuance process. Creating an ID credential can be complex, so we focus on making it simple from setup to configuration. The HID FARGO business invests in strong out-of-box experiences, easy instructions, and partner support to help customers get up and running quickly.

For card design and creation, we provide intuitive software solutions, whether on premise or cloud based. For customers managing large fleets of printers, our cloud solutions allow them to monitor device status, print to multiple locations, and design credentials centrally. We also invest heavily in technical support both directly and through our partners to minimize downtime and quickly resolve any issues.

The Middle East is witnessing diverse growth in digital infrastructure and smart technologies. What is HID’s priority for its 2025 vision and beyond?

It goes back to what we just discussed bringing all these components together to help organizations create secure, durable, and visually robust credentials efficiently. Organizations don’t exist to create credentials, but they all need them to manage access and identity.

Our goal is to take the power of HID’s technology and turn it into simple, easy to understand, and customizable solutions for each user, supported by a strong partner network that provides a complete solution. If we can do that, we’re truly harnessing the full power of HID to meet the most important issuance needs of our customers.