Dubai – International Data Corporation (IDC) today formally announced the formation of its new CIO Advisory Council, an independent industry body tasked with spurring collaboration, incubating innovation, and accelerating the proliferation of new technology trends across the Gulf region.
"The CIO Advisory Council will provide strategic direction to IDC in terms of research coverage, thereby assisting us in our quest to provide the region's ICT professionals with a trusted, neutral, and secure source of information, advocacy, and resources for enhancing their processes and shaping the technology landscape of tomorrow," says Jyoti Lalchandani, IDC's vice president and regional managing director for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. "Its members have also been instrumental in shaping the agenda for the upcoming IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2018 , and will chair a number of informative sessions at the event."
Membership of IDC's CIO Advisory Council is strictly by invitation only and is restricted to senior executives from the region's foremost end-user organizations. The founding members include the following esteemed leaders, whose influence on the region's ICT environment extends far beyond the widely respected organizations they represent:
H.E. Wesam Lootah, CEO, Smart Dubai Government Establishment
Mr. Fuad Al Ansari, Vice President of IT, ADNOC Refining
Mr. Yahya Abdulrahman, Executive Director of IT & Communications, Saudi Electricity Company
Mr. Ahmad Almulla, Executive Vice President of Corporate Services, Emirates Global Aluminium
Dr. Salim Al Ruzaiqi, CEO, Information Technology Authority, Oman
Mr. Robert Teagle, Group CIO, Kuwait Food Company (Americana Group)
One of the members' first tasks is to sit on the official judging panel that will review nominations for the IDC CIO Excellence Awards 2018, which will honor those ICT leaders that have excelled in conceptualizing and delivering game-changing digital transformation initiatives for their organizations. With five categories in total, the winners will be announced during the IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2018 on February 21-22, and the Council's members will be personally handing out the awards.
Hosting more than 200 of the region's most influential ICT leaders at Dubai's JW Marriott Marquis, the IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2018 will combine an eclectic mix of presentations, panel discussions, focus groups, and workshops. The event's agenda has been designed to help the region's CIOs exploit the transformative powers of innovation accelerators such as robotics, artificial intelligence, next-gen security, and the internet of things.
In a new twist for 2018, the Summit will include a series of sessions focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities presented by some of the region's key country markets, as well as 24 separate focus groups that will explore the industry's very latest developments in an intimate roundtable setting, thereby enabling delegates to tailor their Summit experience to meet their own individual needs.
Away from the event's main venue, attendees will be able to participate in various informal activities like golf, seaplane city tours, driving experiences at Yas Marina Circuit, and heritage desert safaris, to name just a few, confirming the CIO Summit's status as the industry's premier platform for networking and professional development.
A range of flexible partnership opportunities are available for the IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2018. To learn more, please visit www.idcmesummit2018.com or contact Sheila Manek at smanek@idc.com or on +971 4 446 3154. You can also join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #IDCMECIO.
About IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC.
IDC in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey
For the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey region, IDC retains a coordinated network of offices in Riyadh, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, Cairo, and Istanbul, with a regional center in Dubai. Our coverage couples local insight with an international perspective to provide a comprehensive understanding of markets in these dynamic regions. Our market intelligence services are unparalleled in depth, consistency, scope, and accuracy. IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey currently fields over 130 analysts, consultants, and conference associates across the region. To learn more about IDC MEA, please visit www.idc-cema.com. You can follow IDC MEA on Twitter at @IDCMEA.
