Sustainable Digital Investment
towards Oman Vision 2040

Undersecretary for Communications and IT at Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology – Oman

I am a result-oriented thought leader and industry shaper with a proven track record of success in academia, government, and the private sector. With a passion for fostering a positive attitude, I firmly believe that every challenge presents an opportunity for growth. I am dedicated to leveraging technology and innovation to drive economic advancement, both within Oman and globally.

Throughout my career, I have gained invaluable experience across academia, government, and the private sector. I have spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at nurturing Oman's knowledge-based economy, which have provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the country's innovation ecosystem.

Currently serving as the Undersecretary for Communications & Information Technology at the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology, I am leading efforts to architect a Digital Economy that contributes to Oman's prosperity. In my previous role as Group VP Technology for Asyad Group, I was responsible for formulating and executing the organization's technology and innovation strategy. Prior to that, I served as the director of Research Centers & ICT Research at The Research Council of Oman, where I successfully managed research centers and pioneered national-level initiatives in research and innovation. Additionally, as an Assistant Professor at Sultan Qaboos University, I imparted knowledge, conducted cutting-edge research, and mentored undergraduate and postgraduate students.

I have a strong academic background, with a B.Eng in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Sultan Qaboos University, Masters of IT in Data Communications from the Queensland University of Technology, and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

I am a positive and optimistic person who believes in the power of technology to shaping a brighter future for Oman and the world at large, firmly believing that it can only be achieved through unwavering dedication and hard work.

Governor at North Al Batinah

Former Minister of Communication Technologies at Tunisia ICT Expert & Strategist

Business Manager AI & Data Technology Lufthansa Industry Solutions

National Program Head for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies at Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology – Oman

Experienced caliber with more than 20 years demonstrated history of work in the government & private sector considering information technology and other industries. Skilled in Management, Leadership, Strategy, Project Planning, Team Management, and Project Management. Strong business development professional with a Master of Business Administration - MBA from University of Bedfordshire.

Combined a rich experience from various industries including a recipe of (Petroleum Marketing, FMCG, Telecommunications, and Information Technology).

Director - Middle East Legal AI and NewLaw Leader at PwC Middle East

Alex Rosenrauch, Director - Middle East Legal AI and NewLaw Leader at PwC Previously a qualified Australian lawyer with experience working in-house and in private practice, Alex specialises in Legal Technology and Legal Transformation and has a deep understanding of implementing, building and procuring technical solutions. Alex’s experience spans across the APAC region where he was previously the Legal Generative AI Delivery Lead, the United States where he led numerous legal transformation initiatives, and the Middle East where he is now currently based (Dubai). Alex's contributions have been recognised through various awards, including the Financial Times Collaborative Innovation Award, the Association of Corporate Counsel Value Champion Award, and the Financial Times In-house Digital Transformation Award, all of which were achieved as part of high-performing team

CEO & Founder at Omdena

President at Swiss AI Association

Founder & Managing Director at Artificial Intelligence International Institute (AIII)

CEO at Intella

Director, Data & AI at Crunchbase

Jeanie is the Director of Data and AI Management at Crunchbase. Her team is responsible for leading cutting-edge data and AI initiatives that enhance the core of Crunchbase's product. Prior to Crunchbase, she worked in consulting at PwC where she provided strategic advice to global financial services institutions. She has a degree in Economics from UC Berkeley. In her free time, Jeanie likes to explore and has visited over 100 countries!

Founder at the Ethical AI Alliance

Head of Data Management at the Central Bank of Oman

Judge & President at the Court of Appeal – Ministry of Justice, Egypt

Public Technologist, Former Ministry Advisor, Tech Envoy (EU Commission projects)

Yonah Welker is a public technologist with work encompassing algorithms, emerging technologies, and policies, addressing society, human capacity, designated groups and spectrums such as social, expressive and human-centered AI, robotics, emerging learning, work, health, public and economic solutions. It includes the co-creation of emerging technologies and algorithms, screening, evaluating and cooperating with national, public and private projects, cohorts, ecosystems and funds, contributing suggestions to repositories and frameworks.

Prior to it, Yonah Welker was co-founder of Hardwaretech think tank, cocreated and screened tech ventures and projects, served as an evaluator and expert for technology transfer and innovation ecosystems, including funds, authorities, EU-Commission funded projects, curated initiatives of AI for humanity, humanitarian and cross-national initiatives. Yonah Welker has provided over a hundred appearances and commentary, addressing social technologies and policies. The comments were featured by the WH and UN-related institutions and initiatives, OECD, national institutes, reports and outlets.

CEO at Oman American Business Council (AmCham Oman)

Rebecca Olson leads the team at OABC. Hailing from Upstate New York, Rebecca brings to OABC more than 20 years of experience serving nonprofit and for-profit organizations in Rochester, Boston, Nairobi, Ramallah, and Muscat. After completing her Master of Science (MS) in Communications and Global Business at Rochester Institute of Technology, Rebecca worked with various social development and humanitarian organizations in Boston, pitching urgent press releases to large media outlets and writing speeches for use at international events, UN panel presentations, and US congressional hearings.

After moving to Muscat in 2013, Rebecca founded Olson LLC, a writing and editing company that specializes in web content, information architecture, marketing plans, and other professional materials for a diverse clientele. Rebecca joined OABC as Executive Director in 2017, helping to double the organization’s membership and number of events annually. Promoted to CEO in 2023, Rebecca is passionate about serving OABC members, facilitating more trade between Oman and the U.S., and helping to make Oman an easy place to do business. Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys learning Arabic, traveling, music, and spending time with her three boys exploring the most beautiful parts of Oman.

Founder at Radical Philanthropies featured in WSJ, Entrepreneur, Forbes,

Artur Kiulian, serial entrepreneur with a Master's in AI, co-founder of a venture studio in LA, and author of a book on AI applications in business. Artur built 65 startups and then shifted focus to social impact initiatives. Artur founded non-profit Radical Philanthropies, organized over 1000 data scientists to combat COVID pandemic and now focusing on making sure no person is left behind in the current AI race - through teaching models to speak underrepresented languages.

CEO at The Experience Accelerator

Sarah Schwab is the Founder & CEO of The Experience Accelerator, an edtech company revolutionising behavioural skill & mindset development through AI-powered learning platforms, immersive VR solutions, and Avatar Coaches. Sarah’s innovative learning approaches help leaders, managers, and students improve mindsets, collaboration, employability, and change management skills at scale. Recognized by the World Economic Forum and Venturelab as a leading edtech innovator, Sarah is on a mission to make world-class behavioural development accessible globally. In addition to her edtech focus, Sarah also serves as Associate Faculty for Eller Executive Education & Cotrugli Business School where she works with Government Leaders and Senior Executives from across EMEA. Her prior roles include Partner at Heidrick & Struggles’ (H&S) Leadership Development; Executive Director at Thunderbird School of Global Management and Managing Director at the Corporate Executive Board, now Gartner.

Principal AI strategist at Desert Spark, Founder of X Mind Systems.

•Master innovator of high impact solutions across retail banking, corporate, wealth, investments and markets

•25+ years leading cutting edge delivery from ideation to solution industrialization

•Deep knowledge of AI and its applications, spotting patterns and turning these into reusable assets

•Focused on business outcomes underpinned by data and technology

Founder at AI Minds Academy AI and Ethics Expert

Head of Information and Communication Technology at Transom

As head of IT, my role involves leading Transom Handling digital transformation, setting the strategies and direction, and building and maintaining talents and digital capabilities. When I joined in 2019, I ran a digital maturity assessment for the company and built a five-year transformation roadmap. With the team, we achieved our goals and targets to complete the digital transformation for all ground operation practices, including implementing a 100% digitalized system for the commercial, services provision, and invoicing. Because of the aviation dynamic environment, another achievement crowned our effort by implementing a dynamic resource management system, which brought a better user experience. In a linked effort, my team and I managed to migrate to a new IaaS, and that reduced our operation cost dramatically. In addition, TRANSOM Handling is moving to a new ERP system.

Founder and CEO at AvidBeam Technologies

Hani Elgebaly is the founder and chief executive officer of AvidBeam Technologies Inc., an AI company specialized in scalable video processing using deep learning, computer vision and Big Data techniques. AvidBeam applications span markets such as Smart Cities, critical infrastructure, and transit systems as well as spotting insights and business intelligence in retail markets. AvidBeam won the best AI startup at CES in Las Vegas. Before AvidBeam, Dr. Elgebaly spent 19 years with Intel Corporation mostly in Oregon, USA where he led R&D development and strategic initiatives and delivered many innovative products. During his tenure with Intel, he led the instantiation of Intel Mobile Platform Software Group in the US and in Bangalore, India and championed the establishment of the first Intel Labs in the Middle East and Africa. He also led the establishment of Wireless Center of Excellence (CEWA) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hani has more than 50 issued US patents, 10 international standard contributions and over 40 journal and conference publications. He is also a Senior IEEE member. He received his Ph.D. degree in computer science from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, M.S. degree in computational science from University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and B.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering with highest honors from Cairo University, Egypt.

CEO at Artificial Intelligence Academy

Dr. Al Rawahi is a CEO of Artificial Intelligence Academy. Graduated with PhD in Artificial Intelligence from UK. She is dynamic Senior Executive with over 20 years of experience in Artificial Intelligence, Innovation, and Digital Transformation. Known for driving strategic initiatives that promote economic growth and societal advancement. Highly skilled in leveraging cutting-edge technologies and fostering cross-sector partnerships to build and sustain robust innovation ecosystems. Demonstrated success in developing and implementing digital frameworks that accelerate technology transfer across academia,government, and private sectors. Exceptional project management and strategic planningabilities, with a proven track record of leading complex projects to successful outcomes and fostering collaborative environmentsthat encourage creativity and innovation.

Head of IT Change & Innovation at National Bank of Oman

I am Hussain Sajjad Ali Al Lawati, a passionate and results-oriented business professional with 14+ years of experience in the field of Information Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation. Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated a strong ability to lead and drive transformation, having spearheaded initiatives that increased operational efficiency by 20%.

In the last decade, I've been fortunate to receive several recognitions for my achievements, including The World CIO 200 Finalist 2023 - Global CIO Forum, Leader Category winner - World CIO 200 Summit 2023 & 2024 - Oman Edition, Outstanding Leadership Award - Internet 2.0 Conference and Semi-finalist NTI BizPro Awards 2017 - National Training Institute. My work has also been featured in Book of Titans BOTS 6.0, The Global Game Changers 2023 - Passion Vista magazine, internet 2.0 conference magazine and YouTube channel and Oman Economic Review magazine.

Head of Digital Transformation at Petroleum Development Oman

Bio-With over 15 years of experience in data science and artificial intelligence, I am currently leading the digital transformation at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the largest oil and gas exploration and production company in the country. My role involves developing and executing a comprehensive roadmap for digital transformation, working closely with cross-functional teams and leaders across the organization. I also play a pivotal role in driving the organization's digital strategy, enabling it to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

AI Education Lead & Board Member at LEAD Network | Government AI Strategy Advisor

Arta is an AI, Innovation & Strategy expert with over a decade of experience working with C-Suite Executives in Fortune 500 companies, governments, and AI scale-ups.

As the AI Lead & Board Member at LEAD Network, Arta launched a human-centric AI workstream, impacting over 20,000 senior executives from 200+ global corporations, including IBM, Cargill, and Unilever.

Arta brings private-sector AI expertise to the public sector by partnering with governments to craft strategies, strengthen governance, and drive workforce upskilling. She launched the first national AI Bootcamp, backed by governments and top AI corporations, to equip non-tech professionals with practical AI skills to solve real-world challenges.

Key areas of expertise:

C-Suite | Corporations | Governments | Scale-ups
AI, ML, DL, LLM, NLP | Gen AI | Inclusive AI | Ethical AI
Innovation, Transformation Strategy | Revenue Strategy | Investment Portfolio Strategy
Transformation Management | Agile Innovation | Impact Entrepreneurship & Intrapreneurship
Mental Health Advocate | DEI Ambassador | Youth Mentor | Remote Work

CTO at Plaxonic Technologies

Aditya Sharma is a technology leader and innovator with a deep passion for AI, cloud-native solutions, and transformative technologies. As the CTO at Plaxonic, he spearheads next-generation technology initiatives for a global company operating across 5 countries with a team of over 200+ members. Aditya is also the co-founder of Kloudlite, a pioneering Development Environment as a Service (DEaaS) platform. Previously, he co-founded Helfis, a preventive healthcare startup where he played a key role in designing, developing, and scaling wearable tech solutions. With a strong focus on leveraging technology to solve complex challenges, Aditya has built a reputation as a forward-thinking leader and regular speaker at tech conferences.

president at RUSSOFT Association

Graduated from the Saint Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation in 1978. During the decade from 1978 to 1988, was working as a defence enterprise engineer at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. From 1988 to 1992, served as secretary of the USSR Mission to UNESCO. From 1992 to 1995, was deputy director of the office of the ‘Interprivatization’ Fund. From 1995 to 1996, acted as executive director of the Association of Special Economic Zones of Saint-Petersburg. From 1996 to 2000, served as Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of Saint-Petersburg.

From 1999, became President of ‘Fort-Ross’ - Saint-Petersburg Consortium of software developers, which was transformed into RUSSOFT Association after merging with NSDA Association in 2004.

Valentin Makarov is also a member of the Board of APKIT and Chairman of the Grant Committee of the Russian Foundation for the Development of Information Technologies.

CEO at Boxology

Fred Haentjens, CEO of Boxology, is an expert in AI-driven digital transformation and HR digitalization across industries including oil, gas, finance, telecom, healthcare, government, transportation, land development, and hospitality. With 20+ years of experience, he uses AI to boost efficiency and drive innovation, delivering data-driven strategies and talent solutions for sustainable growth.