Speakers

HE Minister Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai

Minister of Communications and Information Technology

His Excellency Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai was appointed Minister of Communications and Information Technology in October 2021.

His Excellency has held several positions related to the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

His Excellency has served as the President of Communication Regulatory Authority after being the Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar National Broadband Network Company (QNBN), as well as having served in senior positions in the telecommunications company Ooredoo Qatar, formerly known as Qtel.

His Excellency currently holds several other positions, including Member of the Board of Trustees of Qatar University, and a Member of the Board of Directors of Al Jazeera Media Network.

His Excellency the Minister of Communications and Information Technology received a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the American University in Cairo.

His Excellency also holds professional certificates in management and leadership from several institutions, including the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), INSEAD Business School, and the Carnegie Bosch Institute.

Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo

Group Chief Executive Officer

Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo Group Chief Executive Officer Aziz was appointed Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer in November 2020. He has been a Board member of Ooredoo Group since 2011.

Since his appointment, Aziz spearheaded some of the biggest deals in the history of the company, including the successful merger of Indosat Ooredoo with CK Hutchison, creating Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH), and the signing of definitive agreements with Zain Group and TASC Towers Holding to create the largest tower company in the MENA region.

Under his leadership, Ooredoo Group underwent a major business transformation, achieving one of the most robust financial performances in its history in 2023.

Previously, Aziz served as Deputy Undersecretary for Budget, Treasury and Financial affairs at the Ministry of Finance, and as Co-head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Qatar Investment Authority. He was a Board Member at Accor SA from 2015 to June 2022.

In March 2021, he was appointed as Board member of KATARA Hospitality and member of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums. In December 2021, he was appointed on the Board of Commissioners of Indosat.

Aziz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from ESLSCA University.

Abdulaziz Al-Nasr

beIN SPORTS Presenter

Qatari national, Abdulaziz Al-Nasr is one of the most well-known faces in sports broadcast across the MENA region and beyond.

Al-Nasr kicked off his career with Al Jazeera Media Network, working on the production of sport documentaries and reports, then left to work with the TV Support and Development Committee on establishing the new Qatar TV channel.

He returned to Al Jazeera Sports (now beIN SPORTS) in 2012 and since then has presented FIFA World Cups, UEFA Euros, AFC Asian Cup, AFC Champions League, English Premier League, LALIGA, Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League.

Dr. Madanmohan Rao

Executive Director, Extensia

Dr. Madanmohan Rao is an author consultant in digital media and innovation. He is the Conference Chair for Extensia’s Digital Africa Summits, and has published over 15 books. Based in Bangalore/India, he has given talks and workshops in 90 countries around the world. He is a graduate of UMass/Amherst and IIT-Bombay.

Hilal Mohammed Al-Khulaifi

Chief Legal, Regulatory & Governance Officer

Hilal Mohammed Al-Khulaifi was appointed Group Chief Legal, Regulatory & Governance Officer in March 2023. Presently, also Board of Director of Ooredoo Kuwait and Asiacell Telecommunication (Iraq).

Prior to joining Ooredoo, he held the position of Director of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI).

Throughout his distinguished career, Al-Khulaifi has taken on several leadership roles, including Chairmanship of the Anti-Concealment Committee, the Tender and Auction Committee of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment, the Health Insurance Law Drafting Committee, and the Chairman of Qatar Chamber Election Committee (2018). Additionally, he has served as Secretary of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment.

Al-Khulaifi is an active member of various committees, including the establishment of the Court of Trade and Investment at the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, the Financial Sanctions Committee at the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (CRA), and the Permanent Residential Committee at the Ministry of Interior. Moreover, he has represented the State at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

Currently, Al-Khulaifi is a member of the International Association of Legislation (ILA) and a certified arbitrator at the Qatar International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Law from Qatar University and a Master’s in Law (LLM) from the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin

ITU Secretary-General. United Nations Specialized Agency for ICTs. Committed to connecting the world.

With over three decades of leadership experience in global telecommunications policy, Ms. Bogdan-Martin has emphasized the need for digital transformation to achieve economic prosperity, job creation, skills development, gender equality, and socio-economic inclusion, as well as to build circular economies, reduce climate impact, and save lives. Her historic election by ITU Member States in September 2022 made her the first woman ever to head the nearly 160-year-old organization. Known for mobilizing innovative partnerships, she aims to promote meaningful connectivity, intensify cooperation to connect the unconnected, and strengthen the alignment of digital technologies with inclusive sustainable development.

Chris Watson

Partner & Chair, Technology, Media & Communications

Chris Watson is one of the world’s leading communications law experts. He is Chair of the Management Board of the CMS Technology, Media and Communications sector group, and was previously Head of the group for eight years.

He focuses on international commercial matters in TMC, particularly in areas where competition and regulation overlap, and on EU law arising in cross-border and complex transactions.

Ranked by Chambers and Partners as Band 1 for Telecommunications in the UK, Chris is described by clients and contacts as “exceptionally bright”, boasting an “amazingly international practice”. Sources told Chambers and Partners: “He is very knowledgeable on telecoms regulation and competition law, and one of the nicest people you could ever meet.”

He also has extensive experience in other regulated network sectors such as postal, electricity and other utilities and as well as broad experience on commercial, corporate, and financial matters.

Chris is a sought after speaker and is frequently quoted in the media. He is a past member of the governing Council of the International Bar Association (IBA), chair of its Diversity Council and a past chairman of the Communications Law Committee. He is a member of the techUK Communications Infrastructure and Services Council. Chris’s memberships also include Supreme Court of England and Wales, and the Paris Bar.

Nasser Al-Mohannadi

Qatar Insurance Group, Head of Retail

Nasser Al-Mohannadi is a graduate of Bournemouth University with a bachelor’s degree in business studies. From 2018 to 2021 Nasser managed the motor claims department before being promoted to the position of head of QIC retail and motor claims at QIC Qatar where he manages the largest and most diverse team in terms of roles. Overseeing both underwriting and claims, Nasser ensures a seamless insurance journey for customers. As an executive, he participates in numerous committees focused on the future of insurance and QIC’s digitization efforts.

Passionate about mountaineering, Nasser believes a challenge is only significant when it seems impossible to attain. He thrives on tackling formidable obstacles within the industry, aiming to keep QIC ahead of the competition through innovation, and driving its leadership in the MENA market.

Daniel Patterson

Data Protection Commissioner at the Qatar Financial Centre

Daniel Patterson is a certified data protection officer (CDPO) and an accomplished privacy professional with expertise in enterprise risk management, specialising in compliance, operational risk, and data privacy for local and international organisations in Qatar, Ireland, Spain, and the Netherlands.

As Data Protection Commissioner at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Data Protection Office (DPO), Daniel leads oversight, advisory, and enforcement activities, ensuring firms adhere to regulations and safeguarding the rights and legitimate interests of data subjects.

Daniel has served as the EU Data Protection Officer for a leading Irish life assurance company and a global payments firm. He holds CIPP/E and CIPM certifications and is a Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

Dr. Ezieddin Elmahjub

Associate Professor of Law at Qatar University

Georges Abi Saab

General Counsel, Ooredoo Group

George Abi Saab is the General Counsel at Ooredoo Group since 2020, where he plays a pivotal role in managing and overseeing all legal aspects of the Group. In this capacity, he provides vital support to the Chairman and the Board of Directors on legal matters, develops the overarching legal strategy for mergers and acquisitions, and ensures the successful implementation and dissemination of these strategies.

One of George’s notable achievements was leading Ooredoo’s M&A expansion such leading the acquisition in Iraq, Tunisia and Kuwait as well as obtaining a license in Myanmar as well as leading many corporate finance work such as a USD 1.25 billion sukuk issuance.

Currently, George is at the helm of a transformative project involving the sale and leaseback of up to 30,000 towers in Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, and Jordan. This initiative represents a significant step towards establishing a jointly owned independent tower company through a cash and share deal. In addition, Georges is also leading the adjacencies carve out in Data Center and Fintech.

George’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of La Sagesse, Lebanon. Furthermore, his commitment to lifelong learning is evident in his completion of a mini-MBA in Telecoms, Data Privacy & Technology from Harvard Business School, AML and Compliance Regulatory from Qatar Chamber of Commerce and in in Intellectual Property Rights from the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva.

Steve Jump

vCISO, Strategist, Coach and Mentor at Custodiet Advisory Services; CSO at SLVA Cybersecurity

Steve Jump has an unashamedly technical background, being both a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, an entrepreneur and coach. Skills, he uses it to translate complex technology into both serious business value, and risk removing strategies.

Steve presents and moderates at conferences around the information security governance and cyber risks that he encountered through his career and especially in his vCISO roles, as being existential threats to business.

Steve consults, coaches, and advises in the field of Information Security and Cyber Risk Governance, at all levels of business and technical management, and at undergraduate and intern level.

Lars Gehrmann

Qatar Insurance Group, Group Chief Digital Officer

Lars is Chief Digital Officer at QIC Group. In this role he focuses on building and supporting new digital Ventures through QIC Digital Venture Partners (DVP) while transforming the way QIC operates digitally powered by AI.

DVP Corporate VC invests into early stage insurTechs that help us in our journey. Our international partnership team works with global insurTechs to enter the regional Insurance market leveraging QIC’s assets and skills.

Lars’ fundamental work for the MENA insurTech Initiative connects insurTechs with incumbents, regulators and VC, and is helping them to enter and scale in the MENA region. The MENA InsurTech Summit 2024, a with over 120 international speakers, the three day event brought everybody into one place for deep networking. Join us at the 2025 edition.

Lars has over 20 years of extensive experience in building & managing digital companies in insurance, financing, leasing, automotive and education. His first Insurtech project was in the year 2000.

With a passion for new digital business models, platforms and ecosystems, he is also a strategic advisor & investor to several digital startups.

Dr. Muhammad Malik

Manager of Information Security Assurance at beIN MEDIA GROUP

Dr. Muhammad Malik is a seasoned information security leader with over 20 years of experience, specializing in setting up security strategies and running comprehensive security programs. Currently leading the Information Security Assurance Program at beIN MEDIA GROUP, he has a proven track record of enhancing security postures for both Australian government agencies and global enterprises. His expertise spans corporate IT, broadcasting technologies, battlespace communication and IoT environments. Dr. Malik holds a PhD in Computer Science from UNSW, and his credentials include CISM, CISA, CISSP, SABSA Foundation, and SANS GIAC Strategic Planning (GSTRT). Recently admitted to the Carnegie Mellon CISO program, he is also a frequent contributor to ISACA journals and a speaker at industry conferences.

Alex Constantinidis

Chief Information Security Officer, QNB Group

Dr Alex Constantinidis is the Chief Information Security Officer for QNB Group. He is an accomplished information risk and security professional with Banking and Big Four consultancy background. Alex has worked in various capacities across the three lines of defence focusing on protecting organisations from Cyber Security threats. Alex has a track record in identifying security vulnerabilities, and he been a presenter at International Information Security Conferences and hacker boot camp courses.

Dr. Joseph Boutros

Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M at Qatar

Joseph Jean Boutros received the M.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1992 and the Ph.D. degree in 1996, both from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications (ENST, Telecom Paris), Paris, France. From 1996 to 2006, he was with the Communications and Electronics Department at ENST as an associate professor. Dr. Boutros also was a member of the research unit UMR-5141 of the French National Scientific Research Center (CNRS) in Paris.

In 2007, Dr. Boutros joined Texas A&M University at Qatar as a professor in the Electrical Engineering Program. Dr. Boutros teaches courses in signal processing, communication theory, probability theory, neural networks, and computer programming. His mathematical approach for teaching communication theory is combined with a strong practical computing component. Dr. Boutros has been a scientific consultant for Alcatel Space, Philips Research, and Motorola Semiconductors, and member of the Digital Signal Processing team at Juniper Networks Cable. His fields of research are codes on graphs, sphere packing and lattices, iterative decoding, codes for security, and connections between coding theory and other areas, such as cryptography and machine learning. His research is mainly performed under grants and tight collaboration with private companies and public institutions such as Mitsubishi Electric Europe (Rennes, France), Google Pittsburgh (USA), Nokia Bell-Labs Paris (France), and the Qatar National Research Fund.

He is co-inventor of 14 industrial patents, including algorithms and techniques in channel coding and digital communications. In 2019, he was appointed holder of the Occidental Petroleum Professorship in STEM Leadership. Dr. Boutros is the general chair and organizer of the 2003 and the 2023 IEEE Information Theory workshops at La Sorbonne and at Saint-Malo, France. He is the director of the artificial intelligence summer school (2023 & 2024) at Texas A&M at Qatar.

Georgios Dimitropoulos

Associate Dean of Research, HBKU College of Law

Georgios (George) Dimitropoulos is an Associate Professor of Law, as well as Associate Dean for Research and S.J.D. Program Coordinator at HBKU College of Law. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) and a Research Associate at the University College London Centre for Blockchain Technologies (UCL CBT).

George studied law at the University of Athens, and holds an LL.M. and J.S.D. from Yale Law School, as well as an LL.M. and Ph.D. summa cum laude from the University of Heidelberg. Before joining HBKU he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg and a Hauser Research Scholar at New York University (NYU) School of Law. He has held visiting positions at the Athens Public International Law Center (AthensPIL), Singapore Management University (SMU), University College London Centre for Law, Economics and Society (UCL CLES), the Université Catholique de Lyon (UCLy) and the Jigme Singye Wangchuck (JSW) School of Law in Bhutan.

Professor Konstantinos Masselos

President of the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission - Professor in Computing Systems Design

Professor Konstantinos Masselos has been appointed as the President of the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT) in February 2018 and his mandate has been renewed in February 2022.

He is Vice Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) for 2024 (Outgoing Chair) and he was BEREC Chair for 2023 and Vice Chair for 2022 (Incoming Chair) and for 2019.

He is Professor in the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the University of Peloponnese and he served as Rector of the above University during the period 2012-2017.

From 2005 to 2008 he was a Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College London. Also, during the period 2010-2016 he was an Honorary Lecturer in the same Department.

From 2001-2004 he worked in the telecommunications industry.

Since 2005 he has been collaborating as an expert with various units of the European Commission. Also, he was member of the Scientific Committee of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) from 2015 to 2017.

Thomas Basikolo

Programme Officer, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Thomas BASIKOLO is Programme Officer in the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB), International Telecommunication Union (ITU). He coordinates and manages the ITU AI/ML Challenge, AI for Good Innovation Factory for climate action, ITU lead of Green Computing pillar of the Green Digital Action, focal point of the Expert Committee of China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Center, and is an advisor to the ITU-T Focus group on AI-Native Networks. Prior to joining ITU, he worked as a Research Engineer in the Engineering Department of Microwave Factory Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan.

He received a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Yokohama National University, Japan. He is recipient of multiple Best Paper Awards, the IEEE AP–S Japan Student Award and the Young Engineer of the year award by IEEE AP–S Japan in 2018.

He has co-authored peer-reviewed journal and conference papers, predominantly in the areas wireless communications and antenna engineering. He serves as a Reviewer of IEEE and IEICE Journals. His interests includes, machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence and network science, and their applications in wireless networks as well as how technology can be used to advance the UN SDGs.

Umar Azmeh

Registrar, Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre

Umar is the Registrar of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC). Prior to this, he practised both as a barrister and a solicitor in England and Wales. Part of his experience includes working at the Court of Appeal in London, advising the senior judiciary (among others the Lord Chief Justice) on some of the most serious and significant cases in the jurisdiction.

He most recently practised at a market-leading firm of solicitors in London, specialising in civil and regulatory investigations. Umar holds an LLB degree from King’s College, London, and an MSc degree from the University of Oxford (Worcester College) where he graduated first in his year.

He is also a doctoral candidate from the University of Oxford (St Anne’s College), and a regular contributor to academic and practitioner publications. Earlier this year, Umar won the Legal Personality of the Year award at the inaugural Lexis Nexis Middle East Legal Awards 2024.

Dr. Bharat Vagadia

Head Policy and Regulatory Affairs Ooredoo Group

Dr. Bharat Vagadia has regulatory oversight across the nine Ooredoo operations across MENA and South Asia. Prior to joining the group, he was with Ooredoo Qatar and prior to that, was a management consultant advising fifty clients including governments, regulators and operators in over twenty-five countries.

His experience includes sector liberalization, creation of independent regulatory authorities, licensing frameworks and competition and regulatory policies that foster competition and long-term consumer welfare, as well developing appropriate operator responses to these instruments in order to develop a fair and proportionate digital ecosystem.

He is the author of four books, the latest being Digital Disruption. He has taught, mentored and coached executives at leading business schools, including HEC Paris.

He holds a PhD, MBA, LLM, B-Eng, DipM. He sat on the board of Ooredoo Myanmar, is chair of GSMA AsiaPac and MENA policy groups, as well as chair of the IIC MENA Chapter.

Philip Marnick

General Director of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA)

Philip Marnick is the General Director of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). He was appointed early January 2022 by the Members of the Board, to assume the position, paving the way for a more effective regulatory framework by continuing the evolution of the telecom sector liberalization.

Mr. Marnick leads the TRA, including the development of consumer protection initiatives and resolving disputes. The TRA develops regulatory rules that promote competition, innovation, and investment in broadband services and facilities, as well as developing a more comprehensive and competitive framework that aligns with international best practices. Ensuring that Bahrain remains a center of innovation and that its telecommunications sector serves everyone while supporting Bahrain’s strategic objectives.

Before assuming his role at the TRA, Philip managed and directed at Ofcom in the UK, where he was the Group Director of Spectrum responsible for all aspects of UK national and international spectrum management – from strategy to delivery including awards, clearance and enforcement.

Mr. Marnick has worked in the telecommunications sector for over 30 years. He has served as a senior executive in technology, operations, and strategy. Mr. Marnick has worked in both start-ups (from inception to sale) and major corporations, in firms such as UK Broadband, O2, Orange, BT, J-Phone in Japan (now Softbank Mobile), Extreme Mobile, and SpinVox (now Nuance).

From analogue to 5G, he has engaged across every mobile generation. Throughout his carrier he has been at the forefront of industry developments – in both fixed and mobile. He has collaborated on the first deployments of mobile networks utilizing new technologies and standards, this has also included innovative products such as the first camera phone and photo messaging service, as well as mobile internet and hosted voice services.

Ahmad Abulaziz Al Neama

Group Regional Chief Executive Officer

Ahmad Al Neama was appointed Group Regional Chief Executive Officer in January 2022.

In this role he oversees the strategic evolution of six Operating Companies: Ooredoo Algeria, Ooredoo Tunisia, Ooredoo Palestine, Ooredoo Maldives, Ooredoo Myanmar and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison. His focus is to create synergies around digitalisation, business consolidation and partnerships to grow core business areas, and to drive top-line growth to maximise cost-efficiencies.

Ahmad is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ooredoo Algeria, Ooredoo Tunisia, Ooredoo Myanmar, and Vice-Chairman of the board of Ooredoo Palestine, as well as Commissioner at Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison

Previous key roles include President Director & Chief Executive Officer at Indosat Ooredoo from May 2019 to December 2021, Group Chief Technology Officer at Ooredoo Group from July 2017 to May 2019 and Chief Sales & Services Officer at Ooredoo Qatar from June 2015 to July 2017.

Ahmad joined Ooredoo Qatar in 2004 and built his career taking on several roles and functions including Director of Demand and Project Management, and Senior Director of Radio Networks, bringing extensive experiences in telecoms and network engineering, as well as B2C and B2B/ICT sales and operations.

A BSc holder in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Denver, Ahmad has over the years received further qualifications from the HEC Leadership Academy, Qatar Leadership Center, Arab Leadership Academy and Cranfield University & IMD, as well as additional specializations in Digital Signal Processing, Advanced Electromagnetic Fields Control and Methods of Engineering among others from leading institutions.