Thursday, 12 February 2026
Celebrating excellence in data & AI leadership.
Chief Data & AI Officer
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)
Head of Data Science for MENA
Visa
Group Chief Information Officer
Switz Group
Chief Specialist, Data & AI Governance Office
Roads and Transport Authority, Govt. of Dubai
Data Governance Officer
Bank Muscat
Group Head of Digital Transformation, AI & Robotics
The Kanoo Group
Head of AI, Data & AI Department | Strategic Affairs
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)
AI and Data Science Consultant
Reef Luxury Developments
Group Head of Data & AI
Al Futtaim
A live read of the executives confirmed — from their professional profiles.
Meet the CIOs and enterprise AI leaders joining us at this event.
Leaders who have already been part of the Vision journey, including previous editions in this city.
Introduce the CDO Vision Series, its core objectives, and the key themes driving the day's strategic discussions.
The evolution of the data and AI leader’s scope - from data warehousing and BI to generative and agentic AI - and why this shift fundamentally changes expectations of impact and accountability. How governments can deliver a quantum leap in citizen experience by moving beyond bolted-on AI toward truly AI-native platforms, and the realities of doing this at scale in a regulated environment. Key lessons from execution: building AI talent at scale, resisting technology hype cycles, and anchoring AI transformation in outcomes, trust, and disciplined operating models.
AI has become a central focus in the boardroom, compelling CXOs to work closely together to lead comprehensive AI strategies that balance innovation, governance, and tangible business outcomes. As AI technologies reshape industries and customer expectations, executive collaboration is vital for aligning AI initiatives with organizational goals, managing risks, and embedding ethical considerations at the highest level. This panel will explore how top leaders are jointly adapting this rapidly evolving digital ecosystem to drive sustainable value.
As AI adoption expands from experimentation to enterprise-level implementation, understanding sector-spanning success stories becomes essential. This panel will explore how AI drives operational efficiency, smarter decision-making, and personalized experiences at scale. Leaders will discuss methods to align AI initiatives with business goals and address pressing issues around ethics, governance, and workforce adaptation. Panelists will examine methods for turning AI insights into actionable strategies that impact business performance.
The future of enterprise growth is closely tied to the adoption of agentic AI, which offers capabilities far beyond traditional AI by enabling autonomous execution. This panel will examine how agentic AI enables continuous improvement in business processes, drives competitive differentiation through faster innovation cycles, and supports customer experiences. Leaders will discuss how to build resilient enterprise architectures that fully leverage agentic AI’s potential. They will also explore strategies for aligning AI initiatives with organizational goals, addressing ethical and governance considerations, and preparing the workforce for AI-driven transformation.
Kader Es Slami
Etisalat
Omar Aboutaleb
Nestle
Manish Vaidya
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)
Kirill Lyadov
R-Pharm
Shashank Sridharan
Allianz Partners
Kader Es Slami
Head of AI & Smart Data Practice
Etisalat
Omar Aboutaleb
Data, Digital & AI Transformation Leader
Nestle
Manish Vaidya
Head of AI, Data & AI Department | Strategic Affairs
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)
Kirill Lyadov
CDO
R-Pharm
Shashank Sridharan
Head of Enterprise Analytics and AI
Allianz Partners
AI-native organizations thrive because they adapt and evolve continuously through AI at every level. By integrating machine learning and automation across operations, they achieve real-time insights and autonomous decision-making that traditional firms can’t match. This panel will examine the cultural, technical, and leadership shifts required to make AI not just a tool, but the foundation of business strategy and execution. How enterprise leaders are using AI to differentiate in the market, gain competitive intelligence, and anticipate future trends.
Relive the highlights and key moments.
This conversation was recorded as part of the CDO Vision AI World Series, an invite-only global gathering where senior data and AI leaders share real-world insights on scaling AI responsibly and effectively across organizations. About us: https://cdovision.aim.media/
In this conversation, Gopi Maren, Chief Specialist at the Data & AI Governance Office, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Government of Dubai, shares insights on building strong data foundations and AI governance frameworks for organizations. He discusses why successful AI adoption depends not just on technology but on data ownership, accountability, and governance across the organization. From data classification and quality to explainability, fairness, and compliance, every AI use case must be supported by strong governance and risk management practices. Gopi also highlights the importance of collaboration between industry practitioners to exchange real-world experiences and learn how organizations are turning AI vision into practical implementation. This conversation was recorded as part of the CDO Vision AI World Series, an invite-only global gathering of senior data, analytics, and AI leaders discussing how enterprises can responsibly scale AI and data-driven innovation.
“AI is no longer just answering questions. It’s becoming a coworker.” Hazim Ahmed, Lead Data Scientist at Emirates, shares how organizations are moving from conversational AI to agentic AI that can take actions and guide users. But the biggest barriers today aren’t models or technology, they’re data quality, governance, and organizational trust in AI. These are the exact conversations happening among enterprise leaders at CDO Vision AI World Series, where data and AI executives share real-world strategies for scaling AI beyond pilots.
At CDO Vision Dubai, Kirill Lyadov, Chief Data Officer at R-Pharm, shared his perspective on why 2026 is becoming the year of Agentic AI and not just in hype, but in real enterprise implementation. He emphasized two key priorities for organizations adopting AI today: • Designing new AI-driven workflows that create measurable business value • Strengthening risk management, quality control, and cybersecurity as AI systems become more autonomous Kirill also highlighted an important leadership shift: executives must start using generative and agentic AI themselves, whether for strategic planning, decision support, or boardroom discussions, before scaling its adoption across the organization. CDO Vision brings together global data and technology leaders to exchange real-world insights, explore emerging AI capabilities, and collaborate on how data and AI can drive meaningful business transformation.
Daniil Demitrov, Head of Product Data Analytics at Uzum, shares how his team is rethinking AI not just as a tool for automation, but as a strategic layer embedded across the organization to drive measurable business value. Operating in highly regulated financial markets across Central Asia, Danill highlights two key challenges: ensuring high-quality data for reliable AI outputs and balancing innovation with strict data privacy and compliance requirements. As companies continue to navigate this balance between optimization and regulation, conversations like these become increasingly important. At CDO Vision, leaders from across industries come together to exchange ideas, learn how peers are implementing AI responsibly, and explore how data and AI can systematically drive business outcomes.
After years of incremental automation, enterprises are now demanding transformation-level ROI from agentic AI. At CDO Vision Dubai 2026, this panel moderated by Shashank Sridharan (Allianz Partners) featured Kirill Lyadov (R-Pharm), Manish Vaidya (Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi), Omar Aboutaleb (Nestlé), and Kader Es Slami (E&). Together, they unpack: 🔹 Why most AI pilots fail to scale 🔹 Governance, explainability & production accountability 🔹 Observability, drift detection & cost control 🔹 Building defensible advantage through domain-specific data This is a must-watch for CDOs, CIOs, and AI leaders moving from experimentation to enterprise-wide execution. 🎯 About CDO Vision A global executive platform bringing together data & AI leaders shaping enterprise strategy across London, Los Angeles, Singapore and beyod.
At CDO Vision Dubai 2026, leaders explored how AI is transforming customer engagement in real time. Tasneem Jamaly (Braze) highlights the shift toward hyper-personalized marketing, where AI predicts what customers need and delivers the right message at the right moment. Join the next CDO Vision edition and be part of the conversations shaping the future of AI.
At CDO Vision Dubai 2026, global AI leaders came together to exchange real-world insights on scaling AI across industries. Orlando Beakbane (Braze) shares why education and enablement are critical as organizations adopt AI and why leaders must rethink the build vs. buy decision to drive better outcomes in marketing and customer engagement. From understanding AI applications to making smarter investment decisions, conversations like these are shaping how enterprises move forward. Join the next CDO Vision edition and be part of the conversations defining the future of AI.
At CDO Vision Dubai 2026, leaders from across industries came together to share how AI is driving real business impact. Ekaterina Strukova (Freedom Broker FRHC) highlights the focus on building advanced, safe AI systems that deliver operational efficiency and measurable growth, while emphasizing the value of platforms like CDO Vision in exchanging ideas and insights. Join the next CDO Vision edition and be part of the conversations shaping the future of AI.
Joseph Nadi opens CDO Vision Dubai 2026 with a powerful Vision Talk that challenges conventional thinking on AI. Moving beyond the noise of rapid adoption, he reframes the conversation around what truly matters, building organizations that are AI-native at their core, not just AI-enabled at the surface. A defining perspective for leaders navigating the next phase of enterprise transformation.
Interested in attending, partnering, or sponsoring? Fill out the form below.
CDO Vision Dubai 2026 takes place on February 12, 2026 at The H Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is a one-day, invite-only summit for Chief Data Officers and enterprise AI leaders.