At the centre of NetApp’s presence will be the NetApp Platform, designed to provide enterprises an intelligent, connected, governed foundation that delivers zero-copy access to their data. Customers can quickly and confidently access, manage, and activate their data and be confident it is AI-ready and secure so they can take on the most demanding tasks and solve the most complex problems. In addition to being available on-premises, the NetApp Platform is natively embedded in the world’s largest public clouds. As organizations move AI initiatives from experimentation into production, having data that is accessible, governed and protected becomes increasingly important to scaling AI securely and efficiently.

“Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become an AI-native government reflects a broader shift we are seeing across the Middle East, where AI is rapidly moving from experimentation to large-scale deployment. But scaling AI is ultimately a data challenge. Organizations need trusted, secure and accessible data wherever it resides. The NetApp Platform provides the foundation customers need to build Intelligent Data Infrastructure that enables them to move from AI ambition to real business outcomes, securely and at scale.” said Suhail Hasanain, Senior Director and General Manager, MEA at NetApp

During the two-day event, NetApp’s regional and global experts will engage with industry leaders, partners and customers on building AI-ready infrastructure and addressing the data and infrastructure challenges that can prevent AI projects from progressing into production.

Visitors will have an opportunity to hear the latest developments from NetApp INSIGHT 2026 in Las Vegas, one of the company’s key events focused on tackling today’s biggest AI and technology challenges with intelligent data infrastructure.

The UAE is moving quickly from AI experimentation to deployment. What do you think will determine which organizations actually turn adoption into measurable business value?

The organizations that create measurable value will be those that connect AI to a clearly defined business decision, then give it the right data and operating model to support that decision.

The UAE has already built significant momentum. Boston Consulting Group found that 42% of UAE organizations qualify as AI Leaders, while 37% have reached the scaling stage of AI maturity. The next test is whether that maturity translates into sustained outcomes.

Deploying a model is not the same as changing how a business operates. AI needs trusted, consented, and real-time context around customer identity, behavior, intent, and journey stage. It also needs clear ownership, measurable objectives, and teams that understand how to use the output.

From my perspective, data readiness and organizational adoption will be the two biggest differentiators. The organizations that can put reliable context in front of AI at the moment of decision, and embed the resulting insight into daily workflows, will be best positioned to turn adoption into measurable value.

How much of the current gap between AI ambition and AI impact comes down to fragmented or outdated customer data?

A significant part of the gap comes down to data readiness, although technology alone is not the whole answer. Most organizations do not lack data. Their challenge is that the data is fragmented, difficult to interpret, or unavailable when a decision needs to be made.

Historical data provides useful depth, but AI also needs data in motion. It needs to understand what a customer is doing now, what has changed, what the customer has consented to, and whether the signal belongs to the correct individual or account.

Tealium’s Future of Customer Data research found that 88% of organizations consider real-time data important to achieving business objectives. That is important because an AI system working from yesterday’s profile may produce a technically valid recommendation that is no longer relevant.

The real opportunity is to create a trusted context layer that connects identity, behavior, consent, and intent, then makes that context available to models and decisioning systems while the customer interaction is still taking place.

Does agentic AI create a new governance problem for enterprises, particularly when agents are acting on customer data without constant human intervention?

Agentic AI does not make the principles of governance entirely new, but it raises the stakes and increases the speed at which controls need to operate. When an AI agent can move from recommendation to action, governance can no longer be treated only as a periodic policy or review exercise. It needs to operate within the data flow and decision process itself.

Enterprises need clear controls over which data an agent can access, the purpose for which it can use that data, how identity and consent are verified, which actions it is authorized to take, and when a person must review or approve the outcome.

The key question is not only whether an agent can access a piece of customer data. It is whether the agent should use that data for this customer, for this purpose, at this moment.

That requires trusted data, current consent, auditability, defined action limits, and clear escalation paths. As autonomy increases, accountability needs to become more precise, not less.

Which sectors in the Middle East do you think are furthest ahead in using real-time customer data and AI together effectively?

From my experience across the region, telecommunications and travel, hospitality, and tourism are among the most active and promising sectors because they generate frequent customer signals and have a clear need to respond in the moment.

In a recent discussion with the Chief Commercial Officer of a major telecom operator in the region, we talked about growth as filling a bucket while also stopping the leaks. Acquisition fills the top, but poor service, irrelevant engagement, and unresolved friction allow value to escape through churn. Sustainable growth requires both attracting new customers and protecting the loyal customer base already in the bucket.

This is where AI-supported decisioning can create real value. Trusted, consented, real-time behavioral data can help an operator recognize changes in usage, service issues, digital engagement, and signs of churn. The next best action may be to resolve a problem, recommend a more suitable plan, position a bespoke package at the right time, or avoid making an offer when the customer first needs support.

The objective is not to push more offers. It is to improve relevance and timing. That can support retention, strengthen loyalty, and create opportunities to grow average revenue per user, or ARPU, by responding to what the customer needs in that moment.

Travel, hospitality, and tourism have a similarly strong opportunity. The customer journey moves from inspiration and research to booking, arrival, the in-destination experience, and loyalty. Each stage creates different needs. A traveler facing disruption needs assistance, while a guest already at a destination may value a timely, personalized experience or service.

These sectors show why hyper-personalization at scale depends on trusted, consented behavioral data in motion. The value comes from giving AI initiatives the current context they need to choose the next best action for that specific moment.

At AI Everything Abu Dhabi 2026, what are the biggest changes you are seeing in the conversations enterprises are having compared with a year or two ago?

The biggest change is that enterprises are no longer asking whether they should adopt AI. They are asking how to move it into production, connect it to measurable outcomes, and govern it at scale.

A year or two ago, many conversations centered on experimentation and individual use cases. Today, the questions are more operational. Leaders want to understand how AI will work with their existing data, how agents will receive current customer context, how decisions will be controlled, and how value will be measured beyond a successful pilot.

I am also hearing much more emphasis on adoption. Organizations recognize that a model does not create value by itself. Teams need clear use cases, practical training, shared measures of success, and confidence in the data behind the recommendation.

The conversation has therefore moved from AI capability to AI readiness. That includes the quality of the data foundation, the governance around it, the ability to make decisions in real time, and the people and processes required to turn those decisions into action. For me, that is a sign that the market is becoming more mature and more focused on sustainable business impact.

Optro, the leading AI-powered GRC Intelligence Platform, today announced its expansion into the United Arab Emirates (UAE), establishing Dubai as the company’s newest regional center. The move represents a major step forward in serving global GRC teams and providing localized support for its rapidly growing customer base across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The announcement was made at the 2026 CAE Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The expansion comes at a historic inflection point for technology governance in the region. Under the “UAE Government 4.0” directive of the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, federal institutions are tasked with converting 50 percent of government sectors, services, and operations to autonomous Agentic AI models within a two-year timeline. As non-human agents gain authority to execute workflows, invoke APIs, and issue binding administrative decisions, enterprise and public-sector audit, risk, compliance, and infosec teams are facing unprecedented operational, cybersecurity, and regulatory complexities.

With strict regulatory frameworks taking shape, including Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) AI & ML Guidance, the UAE National AI Policy & Ethics guidelines, the Federal Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), and Cybersecurity Council/NESA standards, demand is surging for connected, real-time approaches to audit, risk management, data sovereignty, and non-human access control. Optro is built specifically for this paradigm shift. By deploying agentic AI tailored to regional frameworks, Optro gives local practitioners an unmatched ability to execute continuous risk assessments, manage non-human access identities, and automate live compliance mapping against evolving UAE regulations.

“Enterprises and public sector organizations across the Middle East are setting a global benchmark for autonomous innovation,” said Raul Villar Jr., Chief Executive Officer at Optro. “However, deploying agentic AI at scale requires a corresponding evolution in control and assurance. By establishing our regional hub in the UAE, we are delivering the localized presence, partner network, and agentic GRC tools required to help organizations govern autonomous operations, protect data sovereignty, and turn regulatory compliance into a competitive advantage.”

“Internal Audit and GRC functions are playing an increasingly strategic role in helping organizations strengthen resilience, enhance governance, and respond to emerging risks,” said Fady Nader, EY MENA Risk Consulting Partner. “As organizations continue to embrace digital transformation and AI-enabled ways of working, there is a growing need for integrated assurance and timely risk insights. We are pleased to collaborate with Optro in supporting organizations across the region as they evolve their governance, risk and assurance capabilities and adapt to an increasingly dynamic business environment.”

“Our alliance with Optro reflects Deloitte’s commitment to helping clients modernize their control environments,” said James Smith, Controls Assurance Leader at Deloitte Middle East. “Optro’s investment in regional data hosting is another important step and demonstrates their long-term commitment to the region and we are proud to partner with them.”

Optro’s expansion into the UAE follows the company’s recent launch of its Asia-Pacific (APAC) regional hub in Singapore, announced at The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) International Conference in June. Earlier this year, Optro also acquired Midship — the premier AI-native autonomous controls testing solution — delivering highly governed, enterprise-grade AI agents to Optro’s customers and prospects, enabling Optro to rapidly scale across global innovation centers, helping risk, compliance, and audit teams modernize operations and navigate complex regulatory environments in real time.

Integrated Media is at GISEC Global Dubai 2026 with Fady Richmany, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Emerging Markets at Commvault

How is AI changing the attack surface for organizations in the region?

AI is crucial for digital transformation, so we are not debating the importance of AI. I think the UAE is one of the most advanced countries when it comes to adopting technology. The Dubai Government has also announced plans to use agentic AI extensively in the coming years

However, AI comes with a significant amount of data and introduces new types of identities. We are no longer dealing only with human identities but are increasingly dealing with robotic and AI-agent identities that can access data and systems. This creates additional complexity and consequences from an identity and security perspective.

At the same time, AI-powered attacks are another major concern. In the past, a hacker typically needed to be highly technical. Today, with AI, launching sophisticated attacks can become much simpler.

So, AI is important, but it needs to be utilized properly and governed effectively. There needs to be a balance when organizations and large enterprises adopt these technologies.

Why are threat actors increasingly targeting backup and recovery environments?

Backup and recovery are the last line of defence.

When a company is compromised, one of the first things it needs to do is access its backups to recover its data and operations. Hackers understand this. If they want their attacks to be effective, they also need to target the backup environment.

This is where companies like ours, along with many others in the industry, play an important role in making sure that backups remain clean, protected, and safe so organizations can recover when an incident occurs.

How does identity management need to evolve as AI agents and autonomous workloads multiply?

Agentic AI is putting additional pressure on IT because it is creating many robotic identities.

We have also seen attacks where AI has been used with little or no human intervention. This creates an additional security burden, which means these identities need to be properly protected.

Our approach focuses on the recovery side. Organizations need to use the appropriate security technologies available in the market to protect their environments and ensure that the right identities have access to the right resources.

But we also need to address what happens when an identity is compromised. How do you recover the environment? How do you recover the identity infrastructure? That is becoming a very important topic.

What does Cloud Unity offer beyond separate point solutions?

Cloud Unity brings together identity, security, and operational resilience. We combine people and processes and work closely with many of the leading security technology partners in the market.

We integrate information from different technologies and provide identity resiliency to help protect organizations from both sides of the problem.

We also have something called ResOps, or Resiliency Operations. It is a methodology for how organizations should operate. We believe organizations need to educate their people, keep them aware, and make sure everyone understands their role during a crisis. They also need to modernize their processes.

All of this comes together to make sure the environment remains resilient and productive. And this is not a one-time exercise but has been continuously tested – time and again.

How does ResOps help organizations move from reactive security to a more measurable and proactive approach?

In the olden days, we used what we called backup drills. This is particularly common in banking and government, where people would come together every quarter and check whether the backup was working.

But that approach is no longer enough.

Recovering data is not simply about recovering the information. During a cyberattack, you need to recover clean data and ensure that the environment you are restoring is safe. That means organizations need continuous testing. You have to align people, processes, and technology and make testing an ongoing activity.

When a compromise happens, everyone needs to know their role – Who has access? What are the steps that need to be followed? Who is responsible for each action? The ultimate objective is to be able to recover a clean copy of the data and get the organization back into operation as quickly and safely as possible.

What will the new Center of Excellence in Abu Dhabi focus on, and how will it support the UAE’s digital transformation goals?

One of our strategies is to align closely with local authorities, and work together with them. We work very closely with the UAE Cyber Security Council and have developed this initiative together with them.

The purpose of the Center of Excellence is to bring innovation to the region. It will be a center for innovation, with R&D and technology development taking place in the region. It will also be a center for developing local talent. We are partnering with universities and aim to train young Emiratis in areas such as cyber resilience and cyber defense. It will also be a center for awareness.

I would quote what Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti said- the responsibility for cyber defense does not rely on one technology, one individual, or one government. It requires the entire community to work together to fight cyber threats. That is the purpose of the center. It is to bring all these elements together, support the cybersecurity community, and give back to the region. We want to create awareness, talent, and innovation.

Organizations that issue ID cards — from schools and healthcare systems to government offices, corporate campuses and others — need printers that are easy to operate, produce consistently high-quality credentials and keep pace with growing security requirements. The latest enhancements address each of those priorities.

Built to Print: Faster, Sharper Output and Stronger Security

Speed and reliability are essential for high-volume credential issuance. Printing more cards in less time with fewer interruptions, these printers have been updated with newer, faster hardware and electronics platforms. Support for high-capacity ribbons also streamlines the issuance workflow and maintains high productivity, reducing reloads and lost time. For front-desk and HR staff who issue dozens of badges a day, this means shorter lines and less time waiting on a stalled print job.

“We’ve been at this for a long time. For more than three decades, organizations have trusted us to power their ID badging programs,” said Apryl Erickson, VP and Head of FARGO. “With thousands of printers in the field worldwide, we’re excited to build on that legacy by delivering enhanced solutions that provide greater value to our end users and support their mission-critical issuance processes.”

Card quality matters just as much as issuance speed. With 300 x 600 dpi resolution, an enhanced color profile and adjustable K-panel printing, organizations benefit from having professional-quality ID cards that look sharper, have crisper text, cleaner logos and more accurate color.

When an organization issues credentials, they need to enhance card security and safeguard cardholder data. As such, all DTC printers offer enhanced AES-256-GCM encryption and resin scramble data protection. On the DTC1500 and DTC4500e, a built-in, customizable watermark overlay adds a layer of security at no added cost.

Built to Last: Secure, Reliable, Sustainable Performance and Less Downtime

Reliable and sustainable, the enhancedDTC printers are backed by three-year product warranties, provide ongoing printer health monitoring and are specifically engineered for efficient energy use.

Organizations also need to keep operator maintenance low. An integrated diagnostic utility and Color Assist tool are now built directly into the printer driver, so common issues can be identified and resolved without a support call. An optional OLED SmartScreen on the DTC1250e further simplifies day-to-day operation, helping non-technical staff be productive from day one with no IT ticket required.

Built for More: Room to Grow Without Starting Over

Programs rarely remain static, and organizations need to scale as their needs grow without incurring the cost of new hardware. FARGO DTC printers offer field-upgradable dual-side printing and encoding options that let organizations start with what they need and add capabilities later, without having to buy new base hardware, as programs expand.

These upgrades build on more than 30 years of DTC printing expertise. The portfolio also integrates with HID’s broader ecosystem for access control and identity management, helping organizations expand their credentialing programs as needs evolve. The DTC1500 and DTC4500e are also compatible with FARGO Connect, a secure, cloud-based card printing platform that provides real-time fleet visibility.

The enhanced DTC printer portfolio is commercially available now. Product availability for enhanced FARGO DTC1250e and DTC4500e printers is slated for late October/early November, varying by region. Enhanced FARGO DTC1500 units will follow later in Q4 2026. Building on these enhancements, HID plans to further expand the FARGO DTC portfolio later this year with a streamlined, single-sided printer designed for organizations with lower-volume issuance needs. It will not be available in the United States and Canada. It will be offered only in select regions outside these markets. The new model will bring the same reliability and ease of use while providing an accessible entry point into the broader FARGO portfolio.

For decades, the financial industry has managed to replace banknotes and coins with “invisible” assets through different technological implementations. However, innovation in the sector has generally moved at a slow pace when dealing with something as sensitive as people’s finances. In 2026, the black swan is beginning to emerge: the first steps of AI agents that will redefine the industry (as they will many others). The financial black swan is not a crisis: it is a huge change. Across the Middle East and Africa, where a convergence of government-backed modernization agendas, digitally native consumers, and institutional ambition is accelerating the timeline for transformation.

The first step has been the use of Gen AI without the customer perceiving it. Coding, fraud prevention, phishing detection, and credit assessment are some of its tasks. But it is now beginning to become a tool for managing users’ finances. In the MENA region, this shift is already visible at the institutional level. Across the 25 MEA banks benchmarked by the Evident AI Index (June 2026), the established leaders are no longer running pilots, they are directing investment toward high-friction processes where AI can materially reshape productivity, scalability, and competitiveness. UAE-based banks and fintechs are already validating agent-initiated transaction pipelines in production environments. These are some of the examples, but there are more.

In July 2026, the revealing Mills Review, published by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), the UK’s official financial regulator, pointed out that AI agents will become the new financial interface. Essentially, an AI assistant will manage budgets, answer queries, generate reports on demand, and move money between accounts. How much was spent on a vacation in total, how a stock portfolio performed over the past month, or canceling an annual subscription will be as easy as making a query to ChatGPT today. For MENA consumers, who have in many cases leapfrogged legacy banking behaviors entirely, this vision is the baseline expectation.

The Mills Review also argues that Open Banking will evolve toward a model in which AI agents will have access to a broader range of financial products to enable intelligent decisions across different areas, and highlighted that this will lead to an evolution in regulation. In the GCC, this evolution is being actively shaped by regulators and governments alike, with initiatives such as Dubai’s target of 90%+ digital transactions by 2026 signaling not just ambition, but structural commitment to a cashless, AI-enabled financial ecosystem.

The agentic AI opportunity in the region is real, but it remains underexploited. According to EY-Parthenon’s 2025 Generative AI in Banking Survey, 99% of respondents are familiar with agentic AI,  yet only 31% have pursued implementation, with a further 46% expressing interest. Awareness, in other words, has raced ahead of execution. This gap between recognition and production-grade deployment is precisely where the competitive battle will be won or lost.

This represents a major shift in the industry, where historically the leading banks have, for the most part, remained the same. Differentiation can now change everything, and it would not be surprising if new players manage to break into the ranks of the world’s most important financial institutions. In the Middle East, the region’s financial landscape already includes a new generation of digital-first challengers sitting alongside heritage institutions, all of which are now actively exploring or deploying agentic capabilities. The reason sounds obvious when explained: if the experience with an AI assistant can manage customers’ money better, it will prevail. This is not an exaggeration: just four years ago, nobody knew ChatGPT, and now we have become so accustomed to it that we all ask ourselves: why shouldn’t I manage my assets with a chatbot that can provide reports and recommendations? A study by JPMorgan found that half of Gen Z wanted to use them to manage their finances.

The infrastructure for agentic commerce is also being built in real time across the GCC. Mastercard has conducted regional pilots in partnership with Majid Al Futtaim, enabling consumers to search, select, and purchase VOX Cinema tickets programmatically through an integrated AI assistant. In May 2026, Visa launched its global Agentic Ready program in the UAE, with early adopters including ADCB, ADIB, Emirates NBD, Mashreq, Tabby, Wio, and Ziina already validating agent-initiated transaction pipelines in production.

We are living in a time of change. In its 2026 report on the financial sector, the World Economic Forum urged organizations to move with “urgency” and “discipline”. The greatest benefits, it stated, will go to those working on a holistic redesign of workflows and technology architecture. In the MENA region, the conditions for genuine transformation are already in place: strong institutional will, government-aligned modernization agendas, and a consumer base that has leapfrogged legacy behaviors entirely.

One of the major questions is why, if the financial sector has such a strong technological tradition, the emergence of AI Agents represents a black swan. There are several reasons. First, historically, customers used banks to execute transactions; therefore, in the executive conversations avoiding risk was prioritized over innovation. This is changing with the emergence of digital banks, which are generally more inclined toward disruption, and shifts in consumer habits. In the GCC specifically, consumers who bypassed branch banking and moved directly to mobile-first financial services are now primed to embrace AI-managed financial experiences with little friction. The challenge of the future is not to provide a tool, but to redesign experiences to address this transition comprehensively. AI has the potential to resolve the technological debt involved in migrating traditional banks, which have historically struggled the most with this transition.

The second reason is the technical debt banks have demonstrated in dealing with change. This has also occurred in other industries, but the idea of paying for a premium license for every employee and expecting immediate returns only leads to frustration. There is significant resistance when it becomes clear that certain tasks and workflows will inevitably be different from what has been established. In the Middle East, where several national banks have invested heavily in core banking modernization programs over the past decade, the foundations are more favorable than in many Western markets, but the final leap from modernized infrastructure to genuinely agentic deployment still requires focused capability and deliberate execution.

The third reason is regulation. Technology companies, banks, and authorities will need to maintain an ongoing dialogue to ensure that innovation and integrations do not affect users’ personal data or security, while ensuring that restrictions do not become a barrier to progress. One of the most valuable lessons from the banking sector’s legacy is the importance of being extremely careful when dealing with something as sensitive as people’s money.

For many years, the impact of AI was often explained as something that belonged to a distant future. In the financial sector, it is already a reality: it is part of multiple tasks and is beginning to become an asset in the customer proposition. With AI Agents, innovation can no longer, and should no longer, go unnoticed. New habits require the redesign of customer journeys, and this could represent a revolution for the sector. For Middle East banks, the opportunity is particularly compelling: a region where government will, consumer readiness, regulatory pragmatism, and institutional investment have aligned at the same moment. What is required now is the execution capability to convert that alignment into production-grade deployment. What is at stake is no small matter: the management of millions of people’s money and a battle for the competitiveness of banks on a scale rarely seen before.  For those that move with urgency and discipline, the financial black swan is a transformation to be led.

Awards included 56 Distinctions in School Mathematics, 27 in National Competition and 17 in International Competition; 16 students received MathFit Rising Star special mentions for effort and progress.

Achievements spanned school examinations, national assessments, the UK Junior Mathematical Challenge, SOF International Mathematics Olympiad, Math Kangaroo, World Maths Championship and Germany’s Mathematik-Olympiade.

Grade 4 Revaan Birla ranked first worldwide in SOF’s Olympiad, reaching 99,499 registered schools across 72 countries. Grade 6 Maahi Batra secured national gold and first place at Germany’s Mathematik-Olympiade, competing in German despite it not being her first language. Grade 7 Hritika Somani secured two golds at the Mathematik-Olympiade in Frankfurt; Grade 4 Krishiv Binoi Nair won Math Kangaroo gold, among over six million participants across 90 countries.

Manan Khurma, Founder and CEO of Cuemath, said: “Parent Summit celebrates what we call being ‘MathFit’ — developing a child’s ability to reason, persevere, and feel genuinely at ease with numbers. True mathematical capability isn’t just about speed or memorisation; it is about building the mental stamina to tackle unfamiliar challenges with confidence.

“Seeing so many of our UAE students excel across school, national and global stages proves that when effort and curiosity are nurtured, mathematical potential is truly limit-free.”

Pooja Purohit, Cuemath tutor, said: “Online learning involves weeks of consistent, quiet focus from a child. The Parent Summit is meaningful because it brings that journey into the light. Hearing their name recognised in front of their families validates those hours of perseverance and builds a proud, confident mindset.”

Cuemath’s pre-event “Teach-It-Back” contest invited all summit participants to explain any maths concept in a two-minute video, emphasising teaching as a sign of being MathFit. Winners received AED 1,000 in cash prizes, announced at the summit.

“This event celebrated our students’ achievements and how engaging mathematics develops skills beyond the classroom. Seeing the enthusiasm of the students and the pride of their families was incredibly rewarding,” said Asma Mohamed, Partnerships & Community Engagement Manager, Cuemath Middle East.

Shalav Kumar, parent of Nevaeh Halder Kumar, who placed first among 67 students from KG to Grade 10, said: “It was wonderful to see an event that made math so engaging and hands-on for kids of every age — a truly well-organized experience that brought out the best in every young presenter.”

Nevaeh added: “It was so much fun teaching everyone about data and graphs — I can’t wait to be part of this contest next year!”

Through the Technology Partner track, ISVs and startups can bring their solutions to Core42 Sovereign Enabled Public Cloud and build with Microsoft Azure services. Core42 Insight provides the data residency, governance, monitoring and security controls around those deployments, while Core42 teams work directly with partners on architecture, compliance documentation and taking the solution to market.

Through the Channel Partner track, resellers and solution providers can sell Core42 cloud and AI solutions to customers with specific data residency, control, security and compliance requirements. Core42 supports them with sales training, technical expertise and go-to-market support to help develop opportunities and grow their business.

Depending on their track and eligibility, partners can work with Core42 sales teams on qualified opportunities and access technical support including architecture reviews and sandbox environments. Selected partners may also receive Compass token credits, support from Core42 solution architects, joint marketing opportunities and co-investment funding for priority customer projects. Channel partners can bring eligible Core42 solutions to customers through Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

“Government and regulated industries need greater choice in the cloud and AI solutions available to them, while retaining clarity over where their data sits, how their environment is governed and which controls apply to each workload,” said Ahmed Labib, VP Partnerships and Ecosystems, Core42. “The Core42 Partner Program brings more technology companies into our ecosystem and helps them build around those requirements. For customers, that means access to a broader range of solutions. For our partners, it creates new opportunities to build, sell and grow in the UAE.”

The launch strengthens Core42’s partner-first ecosystem model, which spans silicon leaders, hosting providers, ISVs, and model providers, and builds on the company’s strategic collaboration with Microsoft for sovereign cloud delivery. Core42 Sovereign Enabled Public Cloud combines Microsoft Azure services with UAE-specific data residency, governance, monitoring and security controls managed through Core42 Insight. Partners can design solutions around the requirements of a particular customer and the relevant workload classification.

The suitability of each solution depends on its workload classification, customer requirements and applicable regulatory framework. Core42 works with partners to identify the relevant technical and governance controls, while partners and customers remain responsible for obtaining any required regulatory or sector-specific approvals.

Joining the program takes three steps: partners apply, describing how they want to build or sell with Core42; onboard with the resources, training, and support they need; then launch solutions, register opportunities, and scale their business.

The two-day congress, organized by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres & Retailers (MECSR) is taking place on 5^th-6^th October under the theme ‘Level Up: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today’.

The opening featured a series of keynote sessions, panel discussion and thought-provoking industry conversations focused on leadership, innovation, technology and the evolving expectations of today’s consumers and their impact on the retail market.

The event began with the opening remarks by David Macadam, CEO, MECSR; Richard Dean, Master of Ceremonies followed by Dr. Younis Al Mulla, Chairman, MECSR and Ayman Alburti, Board President, MECSR; CEO, Azad Properties, MECSR / Azad Properties.

The event kicked off with an insightful session titled ‘Dubai’s Retail and Tourism Agenda: The View from the City’ featuring Mohammed Feras Arayqat, Vice President, Retail Calendar and Promotions, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE).

Arayqat discussed how Dubai’s retail sector and tourism economy have evolved alongside each other over the past two decades, and how the city’s continued growth in visitors and residents demanding are influencing the way retail destinations are planned, leased and programmed. He also highlighted the role of Dubai’s retail calendar and major campaigns in driving footfall and shaping the city’s retail landscape in the years ahead.

Another key session ‘The Human Future: AI, Happiness and How We Will Live, Work and Gather’ by Mo Gawdat, Former Chief Business Officer, Google [X] and Founder, One Billion Happy in discussion with David Macadam, CEO, MECSR.

The conversations focussed on the growing impact of artificial intelligence on business, the workplace and human behaviour. Gawdat with Macadam outlined how AI could reshape the way people work, shop and interact. He emphasised the need for leaders to navigate technological change with a greater focus on people’s wellbeing and confidence. The also highlighted the growing importance of employee and consumer wellbeing as businesses adapt to rapid technological change.

 In the next session ‘NEXT | Leading Through the New Realities’ featuring Alain Bejjani the author of NEXT | Leading Through the New Realities and former Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, was in

conversation with Richard Dean, Master of Ceremonies. The discussion explored how the conditions that shaped the Gulf’s retail and real estate sector over the past two decades are changing. The speaker further examined what these shifts mean for regional leaders and operators and how leadership must evolve to respond to new market realities. He highlighted the importance of recognising change early and enabling organisations to remain decisive and adaptable as the business environment continues to shift.

Another insightful session was ‘Capital and Confidence: Navigating the Region’s Next Chapter ‘featuring Gogi George, Director, Asset Management, Lulu International Holdings Ltd accompanied by Shane Eldstrom, Chief Executive Officer, United Developers (Place Vendôme); Duaij Al Rumaihi, Chief Commercial Officer, Seef Properties; Richard Dean, Master of Ceremonies and Tarik Abdullah Alaklan, Director Of Luxury Accounts, Cenomi Centers.

The speakers discussed how regional owners and developers are assessing a changing market environment, including evolving approaches to risk and return. They shared their perspectives on the current operating landscape and how businesses are navigating market shifts while positioning themselves for the region’s next phase of growth.

‘Brand Retail in the Gulf: Sustaining Growth in a More Demanding Market’ featuring John Hadden, · Chief Executive Officer, Alshaya Group in conversation with David Macadam, CEO, MECSR was focussed on rising consumer expectation across the Gulf and the convergence of shopping and entertainment.

Hadden also outlined how physical and online retail are increasingly aligning and what the region must do to maintain its position as a leading centre for brand retail.

The event continued with ‘Right in the Heart: Reinventing a Legacy Mall for Modern Retail’ featuring Mary Del Dosso, Mall Director, BurJuman and Reef Malls, Al Ghurair Group in talk with David Macadam, CEO, MECSR. Del Dosso discussed the repositioning of BurJuman, one of Dubai’s landmark shopping centres, including its evolving tenant mix, food, community and brand decisions shaping its future.

Day one concluded with a key session ‘AI in Retail: Levelling Up the Operation’ held by Baiju Pappachan, Founder and Managing Director, Raffle_Tech & BUZ Marketing LLC; Nevzat Yavan, Chief Operating Officer, ESAS Properties and Hamdi Kulahcioglu, Senior Partner, Akerio in conversation with David Macadam, CEO, MECSR.

The session focused on the growing use of artificial intelligence across retail operations, from shopping centre platforms to pricing, customer engagement and relationship and brand management. The speakers share their

experiences of implementing AI, its impact on customers and teams, and the opportunities they see for further adoption.

Day two will open with “The Road to Jeddah,” featuring David Macadam, Ayman Alburti (Azad Properties) and Thamer AlAboud, Chairman of the Tourism and Culture Council at Jeddah Chamber, previewing MECSR’s Saudi expansion.

Further sessions include “The Leadership Conversation: What It Takes to Lead Retail at Scale,” featuring Nasser Alajmi (AWJ Real Estate), Neeraj Teckchandani, CEO of Apparel Group, and Nada Ghaoui Abousaab (FIKRA Consultants) as moderator.

“Betting Big on the Gulf: Brands, Markets and the Plans,” featuring Kapil Sethi (GMG) and Majid Algothmi (RED Malls/Azad Properties). “The Holy Cities Opportunity,” featuring Konrad Kolankiewicz (Knowledge Economic City) and Mohammad Iqbal Alawi (Alsarah Holding), with Nada Ghaoui Abousaab (FIKRA Consultants) as moderator and “The Operator’s Playbook: Unlocking the Full Potential of Every Asset,” featuring Jihad Dirani (Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Co); Khaled Abuhamdeh (Al-Futtaim Group); Khalid Aljanahi (Cenomi Centers) and Rony Mourani, CEO of Mall of Qatar, with Richard Dean as moderator.

The programme will close with “The Next Wave: Retail, Dining and Destinations Reshaping the Mall,” featuring Ahmad Alkashakri (Restaurants & Cafés Owners Association) and Todd Pilgreen (Gensler), with David Macadam as moderator, followed by his closing keynote address.

Exhibition and Awards

Alongside the conference, the Retail Congress MENA exhibition will showcase destination malls, retail concepts, real estate developments and specialist services. The programme also features the MECSR Shopping Centre & Retailer MENA Awards, recognising outstanding assets, initiatives and teams across the region.

The MECSR Awards 2026 finalists have been announced, recognising outstanding achievements across the region’s retail and shopping centre industry. For the full list of finalists, please click here MECSR_Awards_Finalists and to attend the Gala Awards, please register at retailcongress.me.

Strong Industry Support

Retail Congress MENA 2026 is supported by leading developers, retail organisations, technology companies and industry partners from across the region.

The event is supported by four Diamond Sponsors: Cenomi Centers, Unified Real Estate Development, Azad Properties | RED Malls, and Al Othaim Investment, alongside Platinum Sponsors Knowledge Economic City Co. and Red Sea Mall. Danah Real Estate and Dalma Mall are Gold Sponsors, while Yardi Systems and Champion Group are Silver Sponsors. MRI Real Estate Software, Giftstarr, BurJuman, Kingdom Centre, and Ground Control Entertainment are Bronze Sponsors.

The event also features Awwal Events and Amusement Services International LLC as Exhibitors. AI Solutions LLC, Chris G Studios, Crystal House Sharjah, Dhamani, Artex, Eleva AI, Fairplatz and Premagic are Support Partners, while Eye of Dubai, Eye of Riyadh, Experience Abu Dhabi and Yardstick Marketing are Media Partners.

The acquisition is expected to expand Vertiv’s global thermal management services capabilities into Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and advance its strategy to support customers across the thermal chain. KES adds specialized fluid management, commissioning and load-testing capabilities spanning system preparation, performance validation, monitoring, maintenance and lifecycle optimization. 

The transaction builds on Vertiv’s established North American fluid management presence, including its 2025 acquisition of PurgeRite, and represents the next step in expanding its global thermal and fluid management services platform. By combining KES’s regional field expertise and load-testing capabilities with Vertiv’s broader services portfolio, the company expects to provide more comprehensive support as customers deploy and operate complex AI and high-density infrastructure with greater reliability, efficiency and accountability.

“As computing density increases, the performance of cooling and power infrastructure will depend as much on execution in the field as on engineering and system design,” said Gio Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv. “Our acquisition of PurgeRite, in December of 2025, established an important fluid management foundation in North America, and KES is expected to build on that foundation in EMEA. Together, these acquisitions advance our strategy to provide the specialized expertise and disciplined execution customers need as they deploy increasingly complex infrastructure at scale.”

That need for disciplined execution is particularly important as high-performance computing and AI workloads increase heat densities and accelerate the adoption of liquid cooling. In these systems, fluid quality is critical to uptime, thermal performance and equipment life. Contamination, trapped air, corrosion, improper chemistry and flow imbalances can reduce heat-transfer efficiency, contribute to equipment degradation and create commissioning and operational risks. Beyond initial commissioning, customers need lifecycle fluid management services to support system availability, thermal performance, equipment longevity and operational economics.

KES has built a strong reputation in Europe based on its technical specialization, experienced field teams, established operating infrastructure and safety culture. Its capabilities include fluid-system preparation, flushing, filtration, water treatment, commissioning and performance validation. KES also provides thermal load testing for liquid cooling infrastructure and electrical load testing for critical power systems.

Together, Vertiv and KES are expected to deliver significant customer benefits from an expanded set of capabilities designed to:

• Reduce operational complexity through a single accountable partner for commissioning, testing, fluid management and ongoing operations;
• Improve cooling system performance with clean, balanced and validated fluid systems that support optimal heat transfer and equipment efficiency;
• Maintain compliance with regional fluid handling, treatment and disposal requirements; and
• Increase confidence in infrastructure readiness through thermal load testing before facilities enter operation.

KES is headquartered near Dublin, Ireland, and serves customers across the EMEA region. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. The financial terms were not disclosed and are not expected to be material to Vertiv’s financial results.

For more information about Vertiv’s portfolio of power and thermal management products, infrastructure solutions, IT systems and services for critical digital applications, visit Vertiv.com.