Data & AI First Series

Intelligence
Amplified

A new summit series for the leaders building AI-driven organizations across the Gulf.

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Editions

Where We’re Going

Kuwait City
Abu Dhabi
Riyadh
Doha
Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi

2027

Riyadh

Riyadh

2027

Doha

Doha

2027

Kuwait is just the beginning.

Why This Exists

The Gulf’s Biggest
AI Bet

The GCC is making the largest bet on artificial intelligence of any region in the world. Kuwait’s Vision 2035 names AI as its primary economic diversifier. The UAE has the world’s first Minister of AI. Saudi Arabia is building NEOM — an entire city run on data. The question is no longer whether AI will transform the region. It’s who will lead that transformation.

Between ambition and execution, there’s a summit series.

Launching 2026Kuwait City4 GCC Cities
AI Summit event

Data & AI First

A working summit for AI leaders

Market Landscape

The Numbers Behind the Ambition

The Gulf’s AI economy is accelerating faster than any other region. These are the benchmarks driving the conversation.

$39.8B

Kuwait ICT market by 2028

$500B+

AI contribution to MENA GDP

73%

CEOs ranking AI top priority

3X

Growth in GCC AI talent demand

2028

Kuwait's AI hub target year

45%

Enterprises accelerating AI spend

Highlights

See It in Action

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Event Highlights
What We Cover

10 Tracks. One Mission.

From governance to generative AI, from national policy to production deployment.

01
Track 01

Enterprise AI Strategy

Building AI-first organizations from boardroom buy-in to production deployment. Learn how leading enterprises are structuring AI governance, building internal capabilities, and creating roadmaps that move beyond pilots to full-scale transformation.

200+

Expected Attendees

30+

Expert Speakers

4

GCC Cities

1

Day of Intelligence

Format

More Than a Conference

Every format is built for actionable outcomes — not passive listening.

Keynotes & Leadership Panels

Strategic sessions with CDOs, CTOs, and government AI leaders. No vendor pitches — pure practitioner insight.

Workshops & Deep Dives

Hands-on sessions: model deployment, data pipelines, prompt engineering, AI governance. Bring your laptop.

Data & AI Awards

Recognizing excellence in AI Transformation, Data Innovation, Ethics, Emerging Talent, and Public Sector Impact.

Startup Pitch Stage

The GCC's most promising AI-native companies pitch to investors, enterprise leaders, and government funds.

Live Case Studies

Real deployments, real numbers. Organizations share what worked, what failed, and what they'd do differently.

Curated Meetings

Pre-scheduled 1-on-1 meetings between enterprise leaders and solution providers. Quality over quantity.

Audience

Who Should Attend

Data & AI First is designed for the people who decide how organizations adopt AI. Not observers — operators.

Roles
Chief Data Officer
Chief AI Officer
Chief Information Officer
Chief Technology Officer
Chief Digital Officer
Head of Data Science / Analytics
Head of Machine Learning / AI
Data Architect / AI Architect
Director of Data Engineering
Head of Digital Transformation
Industries
Government & Public Sector
Banking & Financial Services
Energy & Utilities
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Telecommunications & IT
Retail & E-Commerce
Education & Research
Manufacturing
Transportation & Logistics
Media & Entertainment
Speakers

Who’s Speaking

AI leaders, Chief Data Officers, and enterprise architects from across the Gulf region.

Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti

Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti

Head of Cyber Security

UAE Government

Sara Al Hosani

Sara Al Hosani

Cybersecurity Expert

ADNOC

Ali Al Kaf Alhashmi

Ali Al Kaf Alhashmi

VP Cyber Security & Technology

Mubadala

Bernard Assaf

Bernard Assaf

Security Leader

Enterprise

Hussain Al Khalsan

Hussain Al Khalsan

Cybersecurity Director

Government

Shaytel Patel

Shaytel Patel

Group SVP Technology Audit

DP World

James Wiles

James Wiles

Security Strategist

Enterprise

Toufeeq Ahmed

Toufeeq Ahmed

Security Architecture Lead

Enterprise

Trusted By Industry Leaders

Our Partners

Backed by global technology leaders and regional enterprises across the Gulf.

Abu Dhabi University
Acronis
ADGM Academy
Akamai
AmiViz
Bitdefender
Celonis
Claroty
CPX
Dragos
EY
Fortinet
GBM
Google Cloud Security
Group-IB
Kaspersky
ManageEngine
Palo Alto Networks
SentinelOne
SonicWall
Abu Dhabi University
Acronis
ADGM Academy
Akamai
AmiViz
Bitdefender
Celonis
Claroty
CPX
Dragos
EY
Fortinet
GBM
Google Cloud Security
Group-IB
Kaspersky
ManageEngine
Palo Alto Networks
SentinelOne
SonicWall
Anomali
Beacon Red
Cerebra
Corelight
CyberKnight
Deepinfo
DTS Solutions
EC-Council
GAFAI
Gorilla
Keysight Technologies
Nozomi Networks
OPSWAT
Pentera
Secureworks
Securonix
Tenable
Wallix
Xage
Yokogawa
Anomali
Beacon Red
Cerebra
Corelight
CyberKnight
Deepinfo
DTS Solutions
EC-Council
GAFAI
Gorilla
Keysight Technologies
Nozomi Networks
OPSWAT
Pentera
Secureworks
Securonix
Tenable
Wallix
Xage
Yokogawa
FAQ

Common Questions

QUESTIONS

What is Data & AI First?

Data & AI First is a summit series by Events First Group designed for enterprise leaders driving AI transformation across the GCC. It brings together Chief Data Officers, AI architects, government strategists, and solution providers for a full day of practitioner-led sessions, workshops, and curated meetings.

May 2026

Data & AI First
Kuwait

The Gulf’s first leadership summit dedicated to building AI-driven organizations. Join us in Kuwait.

Date

May 18, 2026

Location

Kuwait City

Format

Full-Day Summit

Countdown

00

Days

00

Hours

00

Min

00

Sec

200+ senior leaders expected
30+ expert speakers confirmed
Exclusive networking reception
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