SICO Capital, a leading provider of asset management, brokerage, investment banking and fund services in Riyadh and licensed by the Saudi Capital Market Authority, has appointed Ali AlFaraj as Head of Information Technology, effective 25 October 2026.

The appointment reflects SICO Capital’s continued investment in its technology and operating platforms. Mr. AlFaraj will oversee the firm’s infrastructure, business systems, technology implementations, and client platforms, with a focus on operational resilience and regulatory alignment.

A specialist in technology governance and implementation, Mr. AlFaraj has more than 12 years of experience in the banking and capital markets sectors across the GCC. Most recently, he was Head of Information Technology and Administration at GIB Capital, where he built the company’s IT function and led the launch of its brokerage and electronic trading platforms. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Bahrain, as well as relevant professional certifications.

“Technology is central to our ability to grow and deliver an increasingly seamless experience for our clients,” said Wissam Haddad, Chief Executive Officer of SICO Capital. “Ali brings extensive experience in technology leadership and the implementation of client-facing platforms within the financial sector. We are continuing to invest in our technology in Saudi Arabia with new and ongoing implementations including our order and asset management systems, client relationship management (CRM), and artificial intelligence platforms.”

Ali AlFaraj commented, “Technology plays a vital role in how SICO Capital serves its clients and continues to strengthen its presence in the Saudi market. I look forward to working alongside the team to further advance our technology infrastructure and digital capabilities, while upholding rigorous standards of reliability, security, and service excellence. It is a privilege to contribute to SICO Capital’s continued growth as the Kingdom’s financial sector evolves under Vision 2030.”

Data Center World, the premier global event for data centre IT infrastructure and innovation for more than four decades, will hold its first Middle East edition in the UAE capital, bringing together the people who build, power, finance and regulate the region’s AI infrastructure.

Building on the success of it’s flagship US conference, Data Center World Middle East, running from 17-18 November, follows the launch of events inAustralia, Latin America and Europe in 2026, reflecting rising global demand for digital infrastructuredriven by AI adoption, cloud growth and surging data consumption.

Organised by inD – an Informa/DWTC company – the event puts delegates in the same room as the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the UAE Ministry of Investment and the companies building and running Gulf capacity, including Khazna Data Centers, Core42 and Tabreed. Hyperscalers AWS, Google and Oracle, and AI computing leader NVIDIA, complete a line-up that pairing senior industry voices with deep technical expertise.

The event at the Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi coincides with a sharp rise in regional capacity. Omdia, the technology research and advisory group within Informa TechTarget, identifies the Middle East as the world’s next data centre hot spot. It estimates the region added 1GW of new IT capacity in 2025, with data centre IT capacity compounding at almost 25% a year.

Efficiency is also becoming a priority as capacity scales. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and Khazna Data Centers have launched a pilot to cut energy use in data centers and district cooling systems, with the technology claimed to reduce cooling-related consumption by up to 40%.

Eng. Mozah Alnuaimi, Chief AI Officer, UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, a speaker on the opening panel, said: “Every megawatt saved in cooling is a megawatt of compute the grid does not have to build for. In our climate, water efficiency and energy efficiency are the same discipline: liquid cooling, closed-loop systems, and clear intensity requirements. Through the Global Cooling Pledge and the Ministry’s planning tools, we are treating data centres as a national efficiency opportunity, not only a load, so growth in AI strengthens the system rather than strains it.”

The UAE is at the centre of that growth aiming to double the digital economy’s contribution to GDP, from 9.7% to 19.4%, within a decade. In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Government Enablement’s AED 13 billion digital strategy targets full migration to sovereign cloud on the way to an AI-native government by 2027, supported by a Unified Government Data Centre. Khazna, meanwhile, is building G42’s 1GW Stargate UAE cluster with partners including OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco and SoftBank.

Sean James, Distinguished Engineer – Energy Systems, NVIDIA, said: “AI load does not behave like the load utilities planned for. I watched other markets pay for that lesson. Hundreds of megawatts moving in seconds is a power quality problem before it is a capacity problem. Solve it inside your own fence, with storage and controls. The same batteries that smooth your load can hand the utility ride-through and voltage support back. Then the interconnection conversation shifts from whether to when.”

Tara Gibb, Senior Event Director for Data Center World, said: “Data Center World goes where the industry is building, and the Gulf is now one of its most important growth markets. For the first time in the region, the operators building Gulf capacity, the hyperscalers and two federal ministries share one programme. The programme moves from market outlook to closed-door technical workshops, so delegates leave with clear priorities and the right contacts to move their projects forward.”

Day one opens with a panel on the risks and realities of the Gulf’s 3GW target for AI, power and sovereign demand. A Market Outlook 2030 session will assess where growth is most investable across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.

The programme runs across keynote, conference and technical tracks, with closed-door workshops on AI hall design, cooling and electrical design for AI loads, built for people running data centres in 50°C conditions

The headline sponsor is Midea Building Technologies, the building and data centre cooling division of Midea Group, with Marwan AlObaidi, Regional Director – Data Centers & Applied Systems, among the speakers. Enover and E-kerno are Gold Sponsors with Endress+Hauser as Silver Sponsors.

Optro, the leading AI-powered GRC Intelligence Platform, has announced significant enhancements to its global partner program, Optro Partner Connect. The updates include two new partner tracks, Partner Growth Funding (PGF), and the upcoming Optro Partner Connect Awards launching in 2027.

These updates reinforce Optro’s commitment to building a collaborative, high-value ecosystem that empowers partners to scale while providing customers with seamless GRC Intelligence.

Expanding the Ecosystem: New Program Tracks

• Technology Partner Track: Designed for independent software vendors and developers, this two-tiered track provides API tools, sandbox access, and dedicated support to co-develop integrated workflows with Optro. These validated integrations automate data movement, accelerating time to value for customers.
• Distributor Track: Tailored for large-scale aggregators, this track enables partners to anchor their catalogs with Optro’s GRC Intelligence Platform while leveraging their existing credit and billing infrastructure. It simplifies global enterprise procurement by allowing customers to buy through local partners in native currencies with accredited delivery support.

Fueling Investment and Innovation: Growth Funding & Annual Awards

• Optro Partner Connect Partner Growth Funding (PGF): To help partners scale capabilities and demand generation, Optro is co-investing capital directly into partner-led marketing, enablement, and practice-building initiatives linked to joint strategic business plans. Partners in qualifying tiers may submit proposals for Optro funding.
• Optro Partner Connect Awards: Launching in 2027, these annual awards will formally recognize partners driving exceptional growth, delivery excellence, and ecosystem innovation, celebrating top performers across Optro’s global channels.

“Being part of Optro’s technology partner track gives us the access and support needed for our integration,” said Frank Vukovits, Chief Security Scientist at Delinea Fastpath. “Now, critical IT general controls evidence, like segregation of duties analysis and user access reviews, flow directly from Delinea Fastpath into customer control libraries in Optro, so auditor requests can be answered directly from the platform.”

“Our partners are fundamental to our ability to solve complex GRC challenges for enterprises across the globe,” said Jim Sperduto, Chief Growth Officer at Optro. “These new program tracks and investments through Partner Growth Funding reflect our focus on providing the resources, financial co-investment, and technical support our partners need to build profitable, differentiated practices with Optro’s GRC Intelligence Platform.”