More than 1,000 Tech Leaders Gather in Riyadh to Redefine the Future of IT at the IDC Saudi Arabia CIO Summit 2024

Audio By Carbonatix

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 23, 2024--

The IDC Saudi Arabia CIO Summit 2024 brought together more than 1,000 of the kingdom's top IT decision makers this week at the Fairmont Riyadh. Hosted by International Data Corporation ( IDC ) on September 18–19, the summit explored the theme, The Future of IT: Rethinking Digitalization for an AI Everywhere World.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240922198863/en/

IDC's Thomas Meyer, Hamza Naqshbandi, and Jyoti Lalchandani speaking at the IDC Saudi Arabia CIO Summit 2024 held September 18 and 19 at the Fairmont Riyadh. (Photo: Business Wire)

"AI sits at the heart of Saudi Arabia's vision for a dynamic, future-ready economy," said Hamza Naqshbandi, IDC's Country Leader for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. "The kingdom's commitment to AI innovation positions it as a global leader in the digital era, driving sustainable growth, security, and opportunities for future generations."

Thomas Meyer, general manager and group vice president for IDC EMEA, presented the event's keynote, which examined the disruptive power of AI and the critical need for CIOs to adopt an AI-first strategy. "AI is not just the next wave of innovation; it's the cornerstone of competitive advantage in today's digital economy," said Meyer. "Those who harness its potential will lead the next era of digital transformation."

The summit also played host to the inaugural edition of the CIO50 Saudi Arabia Awards. Organized by Foundry (an IDG, Inc. company), the awards honored the kingdom's top 50 CIOs and senior technology executives for their role in driving extraordinary innovation and change within their organizations and across Saudi Arabia.

The summit's agenda included a series of specially curated tracks that provided a blueprint for how organizations can unlock new growth opportunities, optimize operations, and enhance customer experiences. These sessions addressed the most pressing issues facing IT leaders in today's increasingly AI-powered world, with a focus on unlocking business value from data, harnessing GenAI, automation, and low-code platforms, and reimagining security, resilience, and business continuity for the 'AI Everywhere' era.

Another highlight was the numerous panel discussions that took place throughout the event. Featuring exclusive insights from respected regional and international industry pioneers, these sessions explored critical topics such as the development of optimal IT operating models, the enhancement of citizen centricity through smart cities, the optimization of IT performance and business value, and the implementation of best-practice strategies for vendor selection and management.

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240922198863/en/

To learn more, please contact Sheila Manek [email protected] on +971 4 446 3154.

KEYWORD: MIDDLE EAST SAUDI ARABIA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY MOBILE/WIRELESS CARRIERS AND SERVICES APPS/APPLICATIONS CONSULTING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IOT (INTERNET OF THINGS) SOFTWARE NETWORKS INTERNET DATA MANAGEMENT SECURITY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

SOURCE: International Data Corporation

Copyright Business Wire 2024.

PUB: 09/23/2024 02:00 AM/DISC: 09/23/2024 01:59 AM

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240922198863/en