Exclusive interview with Anirban Mukherjee, Director of Solutions Architecture, Red Hat

Digital sovereignty is increasingly moving beyond data residency. What does genuine operational control look like for organisations that need to retain control over their data, applications and infrastructure?

Data residency answers where information sits. Operational control answers who can run, inspect, recover, and change the stack when it matters.

In practice, that means organisations can choose where workloads run – on premises, sovereign cloud, or public cloud – without rewriting applications every time. It means they can audit the software supply chain, keep recovery paths under their own governance, and decide which models, tools, and partners sit in their AI and application environments.

For many MENA enterprises and public-sector bodies, the test is simple: can you keep serving citizens and customers if a single vendor, region, or connectivity path is constrained? Open hybrid platforms give you that room to manoeuvre because the control plane and the open source components stay portable.

As organisations continue to rely on hyperscalers, where do you see the strongest case for combining public cloud with sovereign cloud and on-premises environments?

Hyperscalers remain excellent for elasticity, global reach, and certain managed services. The strongest case for a mixed model is when data sensitivity, latency, or regulatory expectations vary across the same organisation.

We routinely see customer data, AI inference close to the data, and regulated workloads stay in sovereign or on-premises environments, while less sensitive or bursty workloads use public cloud. The point is not to reject public cloud. It is to stop treating it as the only place innovation can happen.

An open hybrid cloud approach lets MENA organisations keep one consistent platform experience across those footprints, so teams are not rebuilding skills and tooling for every environment.

Could the growing AI infrastructure requirement actually increase technology concentration, and what can organisations do to avoid creating a new form of dependency around AI platforms?

Yes, the growing AI infrastructure requirements can actually increase technology concentration, – if every AI workload is tied to one model provider, one accelerator vendor, or one proprietary stack, concentration risk simply moves up a layer.

Organisations reduce that risk by treating AI like the rest of enterprise IT: multiple models for multiple jobs, open tooling where possible, and a platform that can run across hardware and clouds. Smaller, purpose-built open models are often a better fit for specific enterprise tasks than relying on one giant external model for everything.

In the Middle East, where national AI strategies are accelerating investment, the winners will be the ones who can innovate quickly without locking the next decade of infrastructure decisions into a single vendor path.

Open hybrid cloud is often positioned as a way to balance control with access to innovation. What does a mature open hybrid cloud strategy look like in practice?

Maturity looks like consistency. Same platform, same security and policy controls, same developer experience – whether the workload sits in a national data centre, a partner sovereign cloud, or a hyperscaler.

It also looks like deliberate placement: you put each application and AI workload where it creates the best outcome for cost, performance, and governance, and you can move it when those conditions change.

For solution architects in this region, the practical question is: can the customer ship new services without creating a parallel stack every time? If the answer is yes, the hybrid strategy is working.

Vendor dependency is difficult to eliminate entirely. How should organisations assess concentration risk and maintain credible alternatives without creating unnecessary complexity?

You will always have dependencies. The goal is to make them conscious and reversible.

Assess concentration by asking: what breaks if this vendor changes pricing, exits a market, or restricts a capability? Which workloads have no second path? Where does your data or model IP become hard to extract?

Credible alternatives do not mean running five of everything. They mean open standards, portable workloads, and a clear exit or dual-run plan for the few systems that truly matter. Complexity comes from unmanaged sprawl. Discipline comes from a shared platform and clear ownership of what must stay portable.

Red Hat’s role is to help customers keep that optionality – from infrastructure through to AI – so strategic independence is designed in, not bolted on after a crisis.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced that the limited-edition ROG XBOX Ally X20 Bundle is now available in the UAE for AED 10,999 through the ASUS UAE eShop and participating retailers. Celebrating two decades of ROG, the collection brings together an upgraded gaming handheld, a wearable virtual display and coordinated protective accessories in a complete setup designed to move from home to wherever players choose to game.

A new chapter for an anniversary handheld

The ROG XBOX Ally X20 combines a translucent black chassis with gold-accented internal details and an exclusive 20th anniversary badge. The design offers a glimpse inside the device while giving the collection a distinctive identity for ROG enthusiasts and collectors.

A 7.4-inch ROG Nebula HDR OLED display delivers rich contrast, a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,400 nits of peak HDR brightness. Powered by the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, with 24GB of memory and 1TB of storage, the handheld brings PC gaming into a portable format. TMR joysticks designed to resist drift, a transforming D-pad and refined face buttons provide greater flexibility and control across different game styles.

A big screen experience that travels with you

The included ROG XREAL R1 Edition 20 Gaming AR Glasses connect directly to the handheld through a single USB-C cable, creating a virtual screen of up to 171 inches viewed from four metres away. Micro-OLED displays and sound by Bose bring games closer, whether players are relaxing at home or travelling. The glasses support a 240Hz refresh rate with Frame Rate Boost enabled, while Follow Mode and Anchor Mode allow the virtual screen to move with the player’s head or remain fixed in place.

Matching black-and-gold accents connect the glasses to the anniversary design, while Command Center integration provides convenient access to their settings from the handheld.

Designed to carry the whole experience

The custom dbrand Killswitch adds everyday protection, a kickstand, ROG-branded joystick grips and an exclusive skin featuring a circuit pattern inspired by the handheld’s internals. A custom Pelican Protector Case, finished with ROG-red latches and a 20th anniversary badge, keeps the device and accessories together during travel. A 68W adapter completes the bundle.

Availability and pricing

The limited-edition ROG XBOX Ally X20 Bundle is available now for AED 10,999 through the ASUS UAE eShop and participating retailers including Geekay, Virgin Megastore, Sharaf DG, Amazon UAE, Emax, Jumbo and Carrefour. Stock and availability may vary by retailer.

UAE gamers can also join the ROG Elite Program to take part in activities, earn points and explore rewards while staying connected to the ROG community.

The Middle East’s unparalleled influence on global energy security, investment and industrial development will take centre stage at ADIPEC 2026, as Abu Dhabi welcomes regional and international energy leaders from 2-5 November.

Long established as a cornerstone of global energy supply, the region will help shape the next phase of energy development through major investments in infrastructure, technology and industrial capacity. Against a backdrop of rising energy demand and geopolitical uncertainty, ADIPEC will connect this regional strength with international expertise, capital and markets to advance the partnerships and decisions needed to secure energy today and power future growth.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and hosted by ADNOC, ADIPEC 2026 will take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, with an expected 239,000 attendees from more than 170 countries, over 2,250 exhibiting companies, 1,800 speakers and 30 country pavilions.

Reflecting the continued growth of the event and strong demand for exhibition space, this year’s Opening Ceremony will be held at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre, creating additional exhibition capacity at the ADNEC Centre while providing a dedicated forum for ADIPEC’s opening leadership programme.

Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, Chair of ADIPEC, said: “This year’s ADIPEC comes at a defining moment for the global energy industry. We face the challenge of a more disrupted and exposed system, meeting a more energy intensive economy. But, while shocks and conflicts disrupt the system, the world needs more energy, in more forms, delivered more reliably to meet rising demand. And we need the investment, advanced technology and partnerships to make that happen. That is the agenda for action at ADIPEC 2026.

“The continued growth of ADIPEC also reflects confidence in Abu Dhabi as a trusted destination for business, investment and international engagement. At a time when uncertainty is creating challenges across markets, bringing people together to exchange ideas, strengthen relationships build partnerships and conduct business has never been more important.”

Confirmed regional government and institutional speakers, at ADIPEC 2026, include H.E. Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; H.E. Eng. Karim Badawi, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; H.E. Saleh Kharabsheh, Jordan’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources; H.E. Dr Mohamed bin Mubarak Bin Daina, Bahrain’s Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs; H.E. Joseph Al-Saadi, Lebanon’s Minister of Energy; H.E. Dr Khalifa Rajab Abdulsadek, Libya’s Minister of Oil and Gas; and H.E. Jassim Alshirawi, Secretary General of the International Energy Forum. They join ministers from around the world, including HE Katharina Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany; HE Dr Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Türkiye; and HE Takagi Kei, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan.

The region’s energy and industrial leadership will also be represented by major companies including ADNOC, XRG, Masdar, TAQA, Mubadala Energy, AIQ, Borouge, Fertiglobe, and Bapco Energies. They will join international organisations including Shell, bp, TotalEnergies, Eni, Equinor, SLB, Baker Hughes, Siemens Energy, GE Vernova and Microsoft.

Advancing investment and energy security

The UAE’s expanding international energy investments reflect the region’s important role. Through companies such as ADNOC, XRG, Masdar and Mubadala Energy, the country is extending its global reach across natural gas, chemicals, renewable energy and energy infrastructure, strengthening international partnerships and developing projects that connect regional capabilities with global demand.

As energy security becomes increasingly central to economic stability and industrial competitiveness, sustained investment will be essential to strengthen reliability, expand capacity and build the energy systems needed for future growth.

Mohamed Al Aryani, President, International Gas at XRG, said: “Building secure, resilient energy systems takes more than capital. It requires partnerships that connect resources, infrastructure and customers across markets and geographies. At XRG, we bring financial discipline, long-term capital and deep energy expertise to investments across gas, chemicals and energy infrastructure, working alongside experienced local and international partners. That is why ADIPEC is more important than ever as a forum for the industry to unlock investment and forge the partnerships needed to strengthen energy security and support global growth.”

On the exhibition floor, ADIPEC’s expanded AI Zone, co-hosted by AIQ, will showcase how artificial intelligence, robotics and digital technologies are moving from concept to commercial deployment across the energy sector. 

Bringing together technology innovators, energy operators and project owners, the Zone will feature real-world applications spanning reservoir modelling, autonomous upstream operations, infrastructure inspection, grid management and subsea robotics. Exhibitors including Honeywell, EY, Gecko Robotics, Stone Ridge Technology and Sinaha will demonstrate how intelligent technologies are helping improve operational performance, enhance reliability, optimise asset management and accelerate decision-making. 

Strong global participation ahead of ADIPEC 2026

Thomas Löffler, Executive Vice President, dmg events, said: “ADIPEC brings together a unique combination of energy producers, investors, technology leaders and industrial companies at a scale few events globally can match. At a time of rising demand and significant investment requirements, those conversations and partnerships have never been more important. 

“The level of industry participation this year shows just how important ADIPEC has become as a global platform for energy. We’re seeing strong commitment from across the Middle East and internationally, with leaders coming to Abu Dhabi to discuss shared priorities, explore new opportunities and build partnerships. That’s what makes ADIPEC so valuable, particularly at a time when the industry needs to work more closely together.”

Across 13 conference programmes and more than 380 sessions, ADIPEC will address priorities including energy security and resilience, investment, infrastructure, natural gas and LNG, AI and advanced technologies, and industrial growth.

The exhibition will span 16 halls and four specialised industry zones, providing a global marketplace for technology, projects and commercial partnerships.