09:00 - 09:50
REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS
09:50 - 10:00
INAUGURATION & OPENING CEREMONY
10:00 - 10:15
Lessons / challenges for migration to the cloud large-scale in Saudi Arabia
Zaid Aljameel
Director of Cloud Infrastructure
Digital Government Authority
10:15 - 10:30
Empowering the Kingdom's Digital Infrastructure Ecosystem
- How do you empower the Kingdom’s digital infrastructure, namely data center and cloud to meet today’s needs and embrace future AI workloads?
- What are the key ingredients of a successful national digital infrastructure ecosystem?
- How can the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia play a key role in the global digital infrastructure landscape?
Mehdi Paryavi
Chairman & CEO
International Data Center Authority (IDCA)
10:30 - 10:50
Data Centers Cooling in High Ambient Regions
- Air cooled chillers
- Net cooling capacity
- Energy efficiency
Lorenzo Cipriani
Sr Product Manager – Applied systems
Daikin Middle East and Africa
10:50 - 11:10
Trends in AI cabling clusters
- Enhanced Port density requires new solutions
- Scalable cabling solution for flexible pod designs
- Optimized cable management
Mustafa Akileh
Middle East Data Center Manager
Corning Optical Communications
11:10 - 11:30
Desert Dragon Data Centers – Advancing Saudi Arabia’s Next-Gen Data Centers with AI-Powered Infrastructure
- Innovative Data Center as a Catalyst for Vision 2030 and Kingdom’s digital transformation
- Enhancing Intelligence, Performance, and Sustainability using Cutting-edge technologies
- Leading the way in innovative data centers – 1st Immersive Cooling Technology Adaptations in the Kingdom
Khurram Shah
Chairman
Desert Dragon
11:30 - 12:00
Panel Discussion
Building the AI Factory: Sovereignty, Strategy, and Infrastructure
- Sovereignty Drives AI Infrastructure Demand: Shift from cloud to sovereign AI infrastructure for national and enterprise control
- Retrofitting Datacenters for AI: Challenges and practical solutions for upgrading existing facilities
- Greenfield AI Factory Builds: Why start from scratch and how to do it effectively
Moderator
Anas Al Saifi
Senior Sales Manager – Telecom Data Center, MEA Region
Delta Electronics
Mohammed Almazroai
Data Center Director
Mobily
Said el Bouhali
Head of Data Centers Middle East and Africa
Delta Electronics
Farooq Aljwesm
Head of Data Centers
Aramco
12:00 - 12:30
PRAYER BREAK & VISIT TO EXHIBITOR LOUNGE
12:30 - 13:00
Panel Discussion
Powering Saudi’s AI Ambitions: Scaling Data Centres to Meet Hyperscale Demands
- Role of Data Centres as the Backbone of AI Transformation
- Building a Future-Ready Digital Infrastructure
- Driving Hyperscale Success with Public-Private Partnerships
Moderator
Tahir Gok
Senior Analyst - MENA Lead
datacenterHawk
Kamel Al Tawil
Managing Director
Equinix Middle East FZ LLC
Nishil Dhanani
Executive Director-Project Development
DataVolt
Khurram Shah
Chairman
Desert Dragon
13:00 - 13:20
AI-Factories Infrastructure: Design, Power & Cooling Dynamics
- Best practices for designing and building AI-ready data centers with resilient Tier compliant infrastructure.
- Focused on advanced technologies such as direct-to-chip liquid cooling, rapid-response UPS and generator systems to handle fluctuating GPU loads, optimized fluid and power distribution, high-density rack integration, and the unique challenges of commissioning such complex environments
Naveed Saeed
Sr. Vice President, Topology,Global Tier Authority
Uptime Institute
13:20 - 13:50
Panel Discussion
AI Networking Needs and impact on Cabling Strategy
Moderator
Naveed Saeed
Sr. Vice President, Topology,Global Tier Authority
Uptime Institute
Hans-Jürgen Niethammer
Market Development Strategic Cloud Business EMEA/APAC
CommScope
TOM GLOVER
Executive Director, Head of Data Centre Transactions EMEA
JLL
JENA LADHANI
CEO
CBRE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
13:50 – 14:00
High Reliability and Cost Effective DLC Data Center Built Experience Sharing
- Experience in building DLC data centers
- BEEHE liquid cooling product lines
- Case study: NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 cooling solution
Gaven Gu
Sales Engineer
BEEHE Electric CO.,ltd
14:00 - 15:00
LUNCH BREAK & VISIT TO EXHIBITOR LOUNGE
15:00 - 15:30
Panel Discussion
Leveraging Hybrid IT Infrastructure for Effective Digital Transformation in the Generative AI Era
- Aligning hybrid IT strategies with business goals for digital transformation success
- Supporting Generative AI deployment and scaling to drive innovation and competitive advantage
- Enhancing business continuity and disaster recovery through hybrid IT solutions
Moderator
Iftikhar Alvi
Head of Special IT Projects
Tatweer Education Holding Company
Ali Hummadi
Executive Director - Digitalization
ARASCO
Javed A. Akbar
Chief GRC & Data Officer
National Industrialization Company – Tasnee
15:30 – 15:45
The Kingdom: Market Insights & Opportunities
Stephen Beard
Global Head of Data Centres
Knight Frank LLP
15:45 - 16:00
AI in the Manufacturing Industry
- Efficiency
- Innovation
- Resilience
16:00 Onwards
CLOSING SPEECH AND VISIT TO EXHIBITOR LOUNGE
09:00 - 10:00
REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS
10:00 -10:15
DevSecOps: Embedding Security for Critical Infrastructures and Applications
- Integrating Security from the Start: Incorporate security measures throughout the entire development lifecycle, rather than as a final step
- Automate Security Practices: Utilize automated tools and processes to continuously monitor and protect infrastructure against vulnerabilities
Khalid Alusail
Executive Director - Technology Development
Red Sea Global
10:15 - 10:30
Innovation without Limits or Governance without Creativity? Redefining the Relationship Between Risk and Opportunity in Smart City Infrastructure
- Shift from ‘Compliance vs. Creativity’ to ‘Governance for Innovation’
- Leverage Open Innovation as a Practical GRC Tool
- Integrate ‘User Experience’ as a Critical Risk Indicator
ALI AL JANADEBAH
GM, Org Excellence & Maturity
Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, Al Baha Municipality
10:30 - 10:50
Verifying and troubleshooting critical infrastructure: The ultimate toolbelt for accelerating commissioning and maximising uptime
- Addressing the challenge of verifying, troubleshooting and certifying network & fibre cabling at speed & scale
- The power of preventative and predictive maintenance for ensuring uptime of critical infrastructure
Mike Slevin
Senior Director Field Sales EMEA/GM
Fluke
10:50 – 11:10
Fireside Chat
Sustainable and Green Datacenters for a Digital Saudi Arabia
- Implementing energy-efficient practices in data center operations to reduce carbon footprint
- Investing in renewable energy sources like solar and wind to power data centers
- Promoting sustainable business practices among tech companies and encouraging the adoption of green technologies
Moderator
Dr. Mohammed ALSURF
Managing Director / Founder & President
Tilad Sustainability Co. / Sustainability Professionals of Saudi Arabia
Muneer uz zaman Mohammed
Director Data Center
Diriyah Company
John Seed
Group Director, Strategy & Development
Dar Al Riyadh
11:10 – 11:40
Panel Discussion
Engineering the Future: Enabling High-Performance Data Centres Through Smart Design, Sustainability, and Localized Innovation
- Smart Design is the Foundation of Efficiency and Scalability
- Sustainability is No Longer Optional—It’s Strategic
- Localized Innovation Drives Competitive Advantage
Moderator
Mathew Lambourn
Technical Director
JAMES L WILLIAMS Middle East
Simon Young
Sub Regional Lead - Energy, Location & Strategy, MEA
Ramy Boufarhat
CEO
JAMES L WILLIAMS Middle East
Alistair Davis
Director
Black & White Engineering
11:40 - 12:10
PRAYER BREAK & VISIT TO EXHIBITOR LOUNGE
12:10 - 12:40
Panel Discussion
Cloud-Powered Transformation: Redefining Collaboration, Decision-Making, and Competitive Advantage in the Digital Era
- Balancing Security and Agility: Unlocking Operational Efficiency as a Strategic Advantage
- Navigating Compliance and Data Localization: Building a Future-Ready Framework
- Fortifying Cloud Security: Proactive Strategies for a Resilient Digital Future
Moderator
Saleh Malkawi
Vice President of Sales - Middle East, Turkey, and Central Asia
Uptime Institute
Jamil Barakat
EVP - Business Technology
Riyad Bank
Abdulaziz Alsubki
Technology Infrastructure & Cloud Services Director
King Abdullah Financial District Development & Management Company (KAFD DMC)
12:40 - 12:50
Building Sovereign AI Cloud Infrastructure for the Gulf's Data Centers: A Practical Guide
- How to build sovereign, air-gapped AI cloud in local data centers
- Deploy and manage 140+ AI models with full control
- Compliance with GCC data laws and national AI mandates
Mihai Marcuta
Co-Founder & CEO
NodeShift
12:50 - 13:00
Public Cloud Adoption: Secure, Compliant, and Efficient Transformation for Saudi Enterprises
- Clarifying service models and adoption ambitions to choose SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, or private cloud where they fit best
- Delivering measurable outcomes with FinOps and a practical roadmap by assessing, piloting, decision, and optimization with clear KPIs
- Meeting Saudi regulatory requirements (PDPL, NCA CCC-1, CST) with governance, zero-trust security, and resilience built in
Dakheel Almogbil
Public Cloud Operations
Aramco
13:00 - 13:30
DCCI SAUDI ARABIA AWARDS
13:30 Onwards
LUNCH BREAK & VISIT TO EXHIBITOR LOUNGE
*The above is a running agenda and is subject to change