IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2024: How CIOs Are Embracing the AI Era

Get ready for the IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2024. Addressing the theme ‘The Future of IT: Rethinking Digitalization for an AI Everywhere World’. This 17th annual edition will explore the pivotal shift that is reshaping the region’s IT landscape and provide essential guidance on navigating AI’s transformative influence across industries.

Expert speakers will dissect the reality of an ‘AI Everywhere’ world and empower IT leaders to understand their new roles in today’s AI-infused landscape. They will also present essential guidance on achieving success in this new world and crafting innovative solutions to current and emerging challenges.

Recent breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI) are reshaping the technological landscape at an unprecedented rate, and IDC forecasts that annual worldwide spending on AI-centric systems will exceed 300 billion USD by 2026.

Developing GenAI implementation strategies will be imperative for technology leaders, and they must focus on prioritizing key areas such as business model building, internal operational improvements, risk mitigation, and overall organizational efficiency.

“The IDC Middle East CIO Summit has been the platform of choice for industry leaders across the region for the past 17 years,” says Jyoti Lalchandani, IDC’s group vice president and regional managing director for the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa. “We aim to empower the ICT ecosystem to develop their capabilities and thrive in the ever-evolving digital era.”

The summit will provide an unrivalled platform for IT leaders to discuss all the latest tech trends, network with their peers, and discover all they need to accelerate their digital journeys and prepare for the future of AI. 

“It is always exciting to attend IDC Middle East CIO Summit and learn more about new technology developments across the industry and the region,” says Jason Roos, CIO at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and a member of the IDC Advisory Council. “The real value of the summit is the opportunity to get away from the office and meet with other CIOs to learn about their challenges. It’s a great place to share ideas and to see what new advancements are being leveraged to improve technology adoption and delivery across a multitude of industries, especially in areas such as AI.”

So, what CIOs can expect from the two-day event?

IDC analysts will share their latest research-backed insights, with the aim of equipping CIOs to successfully lead the modernization of business operations and capitalize on emerging digital economy trends. And given the uncertain geopolitical environment — particularly in regulated sectors like government, financial services, healthcare, and oil and gas — the issue of digital sovereignty will be a major focus of attention.

The summit will host four sessions led by CIOs themselves, providing first-hand perspectives on the following topics: 

• Talent Development and the Demand for New Skills: How Do You Structure Your Team Optimally?
• Maximizing IT Performance with the Right IT Operating Models
• Realizing Optimal Business Value from IT
• Vendor Selection and Management: Best Practices and What to Look Out For

And with security remaining firmly at the top of CIO priorities, the event will examine the emergence of AI-created threats and new risks related to AI usage, the growth of OT digitalization and the vulnerabilities this creates, and the growing challenges around cloud and application security.