Maqsoud Kruse grow up in a multicultural and multiethnic family environment to a German father and an Emirati mother, which enabled him to have a deep understanding of cultural and social influences on oneself and on others as well as appreciating the values of tolerance, coexistence and diversity.

Maqsoud Kruse has been serving as the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) since its inception in 2021. Prior to that, he served as the Strategic Communications Advisor at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs (MOPA) in addition to his role as a member of the National Media Team that has been commissioned by the UAE Cabinet.

In addition to his twenty years of service in International, Governmental and Private sectors; he is an international writer, public speaker and a regular guest on a variety of media outlets and publications.

Discovering his passion for Psychology at the early age of thirteen, Kruse have been ever since interested in cultivating human potential and the identification of giftedness and special abilities. This is reflected in his broad and interdisciplinary intellectual and scientific interests that includes but not limited to Psychological and Neurological Sciences, Gifted Education, Strategic Studies, Political Propaganda, Tolerance, Extremism and Terrorism, Political Islam and Contemporary Arabic Thought.

He earned his Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from the University of Melbourne in Australia and his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). He is currently a postgraduate researcher pursuing his doctorate at Lancaster University in the UK.

Maitha Sabah previously served as a political producer and presenter at Sky News Arabia (SNA), a 24-hour Arabic Language rolling news channel dedicated to provide objective and dynamic coverage across broadcast and digital media platform.

She also served as a roving reporter for the Ukrainian-Russian crisis covering the refuges at the Polish-Ukrainian boarder as well as the main events held in Brussels by the European Union and the NATO. Currently she serves as a Freelancer at Baynounah T.V. Previous events that Maitha hosted was a moderator for “Majales Ramadan” organized by Abu Dhabi Interior Ministry. She also presented the UAE President’s Cup 2022.

She holds a M.S in Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy. In addition, she holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies focusing on Global Security and Human Rights issue in the Middle East. She received both degrees from the American University in Washington D.C.

Walter Pasquarelli is a globally recognized writer, speaker, and expert on AI strategy and synthetic reality. He has advised Fortune 100 executives, world leaders, and royalty on navigating the impact of generative technologies.

Previously, Walter led AI thought leadership and advisory at The Economist Group, shaping global business and policy responses to AI. He also spearheaded the creation of the first global AI Index, benchmarking national readiness for emerging technologies. His strategic guidance has supported companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Coca-Cola, as well as governments across the UK, US, Canada, the European Commission, UAE, Colombia, India, Thailand, and Serbia.

A sought-after speaker, Walter has led panels at the World Economic Forum, hosted The Economist’s Data Dividend series, and delivered over 50 talks in 2024 on AI’s societal impact. He is recognized among the top 15 speakers on ethical AI worldwide.

Walter is an expert AI member at the OECD and an Affiliate Researcher at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at Cambridge University

Seasoned technology leader experienced in developing secure platforms, mobile security, and hardware-assisted solutions across major tech giants

Ambassador Mamuka JGENTI, career diplomat and lawyer with up to 30 years of experience in the fields of international relations, security, justice and human rights. Holding various positions in the national administration and at international organisations, was actively involved in implementing the reform agenda and the modernisation of national legislation and practice, while contributing to the elaboration of international standards and legal instruments.

Since 2013, Ambassador Jgenti is being engaged with various international organisations and institutions, such as the European Commission, Council of Europe, World Bank and national development agencies of France, Germany, Greece and others in sharing his expertise and providing advice to a number of jurisdictions worldwide. From 2019 Amb. Jgenti holds the position of the Senior Key Expert on Justice and CSOs at the Brussels based European Union Global Facility Against Money Laundering and Countering the Terrorism Financing, tasked with supporting the partner states in overcoming deficiencies and ensuring the compliance of their legislation and practice with the AML/CFT standards of the FATF and the European Union.

Within the EU Global Facility, Mr Jgenti is also responsible for co-ordinating EU GF engagement with a number of jurisdictions, including South Africa, Turkiye, Indonesia, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Jamaica, Seychelles, Uzbekistan and other states. Ambassador Jgenti continues to be engaged in working with future lawyers at different high-education institutions of Georgia and France and is the author of various academic publications and research articles.

Ana María Montoya is the Director of Data Analytics at the World Justice Project (WJP), where she leads the integration of cutting-edge methodologies, including large language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence (AI), into data collection and analysis processes. At WJP, she has pioneered the use of web scraping, big data approaches, and AI to leverage textual data—such as news articles and judicial decisions—for validating and enriching perception-based justice indicators. Ana María holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University and a B.A. and M.A. in Political Science from Universidad de los Andes (Colombia). Her research focuses on the judicial enforcement of land restitution orders and the compliance of public authorities with judicial decisions protecting property rights in Colombia. During her doctoral studies, she built an original dataset of over 6,000 judicial decisions related to land restitution, integrated these with compliance data, and advised the Colombian General Inspector Office on developing a public platform to monitor enforcement outcomes. Ana María brings extensive experience researching the emergence of the rule of law in conflict and post-conflict settings and has worked in various research capacities with academic, governmental, and international organizations, including the General Inspector Office in Colombia, LAPOP at Vanderbilt University, and the United States Institute of Peace, where she was a Minerva Peace and Security Scholar. She is also affiliated with the Women’s Rights After War Project at the London School of Economics’ Gender, Justice and Security Hub.

Dino Wilkinson leads Baker McKenzie’s IP, technology and data practice in the Middle East. He has been practicing as a lawyer for more than 20 years and is recognised as one of the leading technology lawyers in the region with top-tier team and individual rankings in the independent legal directories. Dino supports local, regional and international clients on the challenge of compliance with new technology legislation, and he also advises governments in the region on policy and regulation in this area.

Dr. Rabii Madi, MD, MBA the Director of Urological Robotic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He is a distinguished urologist with over 25 years’ experience, renowned for his expertise in robotic-assisted surgeries. Throughout his career, he has performed more than 2,500 robotic procedures, including complex prostatectomies, nephrectomies, and reconstructive surgeries. Dr. Madi’s educational journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He then earned his Doctor of Medicine from Kursk State Medical University, Russia. Pursuing advanced training, he completed a residency in urology at the American University Hospital in Lebanon, followed by a fellowship in urologic oncology and minimally invasive surgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Professionally, Dr. Madi has held significant positions, including serving as the Director of Robotic Surgery at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, US. He later led the Urologic Oncology and Robotic Surgery programs at Augusta University Health in Georgia, US, for nine years. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Madi is a prolific contributor to medical literature, with over 50 peer-reviewed publications and more than 150 presentations at national and international conferences. Dr. Madi is multilingual, fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Russian, enabling him to effectively communicate with a diverse patient population

Marc Rotenberg is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), a global network of AI policy and human rights experts in over 100 countries. He led the development of key international frameworks, including the OECD AI Principles and the Universal Guidelines for AI, and compiled the AI Policy Sourcebook.

Prof. Oreste Pollicino is a leading expert in AI regulation, digital constitutionalism, and fundamental rights. He is a Full Professor at Bocconi University, where he directs the LLM in Law of Automated Systems, and the Italian Member of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights.

Founder of Pollicino & Partners AIdvisory, he has advised on GDPR, AI Act compliance, and digital rights for public and private sectors. A Fulbright Scholar and former visiting professor at Oxford and NYU, he has authored over 300 articles and 40 books, and contributes as a columnist for Il Sole 24 Ore.

Gabriele Mazzini is a pioneer and leading expert AI governance and regulation and a sought-after advisor, lecturer and public speaker across the world.

Former Team Leader at the European Commission, he designed and led the drafting of the Commission EU AI Act and acted as the principal advisor during the legislative negotiations with the Parliament and the Council.

He also shaped earlier policy work on the European approach to AI since 2017, including the White paper on the ecosystem of excellence and trust for AI and the work on liability for emerging technologies.

Previously, Gabriele was a senior executive at the Millennium Villages Project, an international development initiative across several sub-Saharan countries founded by Columbia University economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs. He also worked in New York with early stage start-ups in the field of emergency communications and smart energy solutions. As EU official, he also served in the European Parliament and the EU Court of Justice.

He holds a LLM from Harvard Law School, a PhD in Italian and Comparative Criminal Law from the University of Pavia, Italy and a Law Degree from the Catholic University in Milan, Italy. He is qualified to practice law in Italy and New York.

Dr. Victor Mateu leads the research and development of cryptographic solutions in the cryptographic research center at TII. His extensive expertise in applied cryptography spans among different areas such as secure protocol design, cryptographic engineering, security architecture for embedded systems, design of electronic voting solutions, zero knowledge proofs, and quantum resistant cryptography.

Dr. Mateu has written multiple conference papers, open-source IEEE and Elsevier journal papers and book chapters. Moreover, he has also actively contributed several open-source projects supporting cryptographic libraries and its integration in company products for international companies.

Mustafa Alrawi is the Group Director of Editorial Partnerships at IMI and a columnist for The National. He is an accomplished journalist and broadcaster, with more than 18 years’ experience working in the UK, the UAE and the Middle East.

He has interviewed a number of international business leaders including Mubadala’s Khaldoon Al Mubarak, BP’s Bob Dudley and Emaar’s Mohamed Alabbar. He was The National’s business editor for four and a half years. He is a published author and a regular public speaker and moderator at events and conferences.

David Yates is a dedicated and results-oriented lawyer with extensive experience in the dynamic intersection of technology, media, telecommunications, and data. David handles all aspects of transaction and advisory matters, as well as supporting clients to resolve disputes.

He has a robust understanding of the relevant and evolving legal landscape in the MENA region and is committed to providing strategic counsel and innovative solutions to navigate complex legal challenges.

He has a proven track record of success in corporate, contractual, and regulatory environments, facilitating clients’ business growth while ensuring compliance with evolving laws and regulations.

Christophe joined Pasqal in September 2022 as SVP of Global Business Development, leveraging over 20 years of experience in driving growth and customer success in high-growth environments. He oversees European business development and coordinates global sales strategies.

A graduate in IT Engineering from Evry-University–Paris-Saclay, Christophe has held key roles at leading tech firms including IBM, Oracle, Synertrade, UiPath, and Nvidia. Notably, at UiPath, he successfully built the large accounts sales division during the company’s pre-IPO phase.

Simon Hurst is an experienced professional who has worked as a private practice lawyer (A&O), in-house counsel (Barclays Capital) and with global businesses (Barclays Corporate, Dyson, HSBC, Lloyds, Standard Chartered) supporting and leading the evolution and innovation of their operating models through the use of people, process, technology and now increasingly AI.

Sami Mahroum is renowned for his influential work in innovation policy and technology policy. He has held senior roles at institutions like the OECD, INSEAD and Nesta, advising on innovative strategies across Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

Dr Mahroum has served on two World Economic Forum’s Agenda Councils and was a member of founding teams of the FARI Institute: AI for the Common Good in Brussels.

Dr Mahroum authored Black Swan Start-Ups, exploring how successful tech ventures emerge in unexpected places, which has been downloaded over 25,000 times, and his work on AI, technology, and society has been featured in leading publications such as the Financial Times, California Management Review, and Project Syndicate.

Borko Handjiski is a Partner with Oliver Wyman in the Government and Public Institutions practice.

Borko brings more than two decades of experience in advising governments on strategy, public policy, and organisational development.

He spent the first half of his career with the World Bank, supporting the economic development of emerging economies across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Since 2015, Borko is based in the UAE and advising public sector leaders in UAE and the broader region, of which three years as internal advisor with Abu Dhabi government.

In addition, Borko Handjiski is author of the book ‘The Public Sector CEO’, and a Board member of Macedonia2025, the largest non-profit organisation promoting the economic development of his home country, North Macedonia.

Stephane Timpano is the Chief Executive Officer of ASPIRE, the Business Development & Program Management arm of ATRC, the Advanced Technology Research Center of Abu Dhabi. He is responsible for leading ASPIRE in bridging the technology gap between R&D, talent, and industry, enabling the development of advanced technological solutions and support the Abu Dhabi knowledge economy development agenda. He also leads A2RL, the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, pushing the limits of Autonomous Technologies, Robotics and AI through extreme motorsports.

Mr. Timpano brings to his role over 20 years in management consulting with Bain & Co, serving as Senior Partner in multiple offices (Milan, Johannesburg, Lagos, Riyadh, Dubai), and 5 years in the media/tech industry as Business Development Director at Sky TV (News Corp) and Managing Director at IMS, formerly EMI Music Operations.

Stephane Timpano holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi in Milan, Italy, a degree in Political Sciences (Sciences Po) and a degree in Economics.

Long Li is the General Manager of BytePlus in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. A seasoned leader with a proven track record of success in the tech industry.

Long Li brings a wealth of experience in AI, big data, and cloud computing technologies. With a deep understanding of the retail, media, and internet apps industries, Long Li is passionate about leveraging technology to drive innovation and growth in the MEA region.

Long Li is committed to building strong relationships and fostering a collaborative environment. His focus on cross-cultural communication and deep understanding of the technology industry ensures that BytePlus delivers the highest level of service and support to its clients.

Long Li’s vision is to establish BytePlus as the most trusted technology partner in the MEA region, empowering businesses to achieve their full potential by leveraging the experiences accumulated from Bytedance’s rapid growth over the last 13 years.

Dr Jean-Michel Moriniere has been a French practicing lawyer for 28 years and a legal consultant in the UAE for almost 20 years.

He has been a lecturer in law at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi since 2007 and he is a research associate at Nantes University’s maritime law Centre. He is also the vice-president of the Academic board at EM Normandie in Dubai.

He got acquainted with legal aspects of digital technologies when doing research at the University of Waterloo, Canada and was once a founder of the first legal website and digital legal journal in France.

He assists creators and innovators through their legal pathways and has a keen interest in law and new technologies.

Ahmed Nabil is an Information Security expert with over 20 years of experience in Cyber Defense, Cloud Architecture, IT Management, and Digital Transformation. He holds multiple certifications from Microsoft, CISCO, ISACA, ISC2, and others.

A public speaker at global conferences (e.g., Microsoft Ignite, GISEC, CISO Africa Summit), Ahmed has co-authored a book on M365 Security.

Currently the Head of Information Security Engineering at a leading bank, Ahmed has held senior roles as CISO, Regional Security Manager, and Chief Security Architect across various sectors in Egypt, UAE, and the Middle East.

He has been awarded the Microsoft MVP for 12 years and the Microsoft Regional Director award in 2020. Recognized with the MESA CISO 100 Award, CISO 50 Award, and multiple CISO of the Year titles, Ahmed was also a finalist for the EC-Council CISO Award and recently named a Global Ambassador for the Responsible AI UAE chapter.

He holds a BS in Electrical and Control Engineering, an MSc in Business Information Technology, and an MBA.

Nabil Cheqroun is leading Honeywell Building Solutions’ (HBS) projects P&L business across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa. He is responsible for expanding the company’s footprint, deploying its go-to-market strategy and building regional partnerships and capabilities to deliver projects varying from Airports land and airside, Smart Cities, Energy efficiency, and integrated projects in all types of buildings, warehouses, facilities.

Nabil has held various leadership roles in Project and Program Management, P&L, Sales, and was responsible for all end-to-end business operations and strategy for the META region.

Prior to his current role, Nabil spent nearly 17 years in the Energy field – Power, Transmission, Distribution and Renewable Energy.

Nabil has been with Honeywell since 2021, and previously worked for General Electric, Alstom, Areva T&D, and Bombardier Transportation where he held various regional roles including leading sales and business leadership roles.

He holds a Doctorate in the field of leadership development & energy transition from Ecole des Ponts Business School ParisTech, a dual specialized master in project and program management & Business development from SKEMA business school, and an electrical engineering degree from CESI Paris.

Sultan Mohamed Bin Ghanim Alkaabi is a PhD researcher in Data Science and the Vice President of the Fujairah Youth Council, recognised for his pioneering contributions to AI ethics, digital governance, and innovation leadership in the UAE.

He currently serves at the Ministry of Interior, where he integrates predictive analytics into sustainable policing strategies.

Sultan Mohamed holds a Master’s in Innovation Management from the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, where he was awarded for excellence in innovation.

A certified AI Ethics Assessor by IEEE and a Government Excellence System Evaluator, he has actively contributed to digital transformation frameworks and AI governance initiatives aligned with UAE Vision 2031.

His leadership development includes international training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and ongoing mentoring efforts to advance youth leadership and ethical AI adoption in public institutions.

Shaher Tayfour is a passionate software developer and tech community builder with a focus on artificial intelligence, data science, and digital innovation.

He has led multiple youth-focused initiatives, built AI-driven applications, and collaborated with government and industry partners on technology programs.

As the founder of CodersLaunchpad, he works to make advanced tech skills accessible through hands-on learning.

Naima is Senior Vice President Portfolio Strategy at Mubadala. She holds Master Degrees in both Computer Science and Finance & Investments. Naima also completed her Executive Education in Artificial Intelligence at MIT.

Muhammed Lameen Abdul-Malik is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, with over 25 years of experience in international management working in the UK Government, United Nations in nuclear science and technology, the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, an International Saudi Think Tank and an entrepreneur.

During his tenure at these organizations, he helped establish Zambia’s first cancer hospital, which treats about 1,500 cancer patients annually; developed a regional strategy to help Africa use nuclear science and technology to address its development challenges; launched a unique global infectious diseases index to inform governments about their prevailing infectious diseases and has written papers on green hydrogen and how to use deep tech /AI to develop an economy.

He runs his own boutique consultancy and is also a Senior Advisor at Roland Berger, a European Strategic Consultancy.

Enrico Natalizio is currently Chief Researcher of the Autonomous Robotics Research Center with the Technology Innovation Institute (UAE) and a Full Professor with the LORIA laboratory at the Université de Lorraine (France).

He obtained his master’s degree magna cum laude and his Ph.D in Computer Engineering at the University of Calabria (Italy) in 2000 and 2005 respectively.

In 2005-2006 he was a visiting researcher at the BWN (Broadband Wireless Networking) Lab at Georgia Tech in Atlanta (USA). From 2006 till 2010, he was a research fellow at the Titan Lab of the Università della Calabria (Italy). In 2010, he joined POPS team at Inria Lille – Nord Europe (France) as a postdoc researcher and from 2012 till 2018 he was an Associate Professor at the Université de technologie de Compiègne (France), and Full Professor at the Université de Lorraine, from September 2018.

His research interests include UAV communications and networking, robot and sensor communications with applications in networking technologies for disaster management and infrastructure monitoring, and IoT privacy and security.

He is currently an associated editor of Elsevier Vehicular Communications, and Computer Networks. He has been ranked in the top-2% world-wide scientists of the Stanford-University’s bibliometric study for the year 2024.

Ali Haidar is a Canadian qualified Barrister and Solicitor with almost 20 years of both in-house and private practice experience across Canada, the UK, and the Middle East.

As Head of Legal and Government Affairs for Microsoft in the UAE, Ali leads various legal and tech strategic initiatives, including an active role as a Responsible AI thought leader and frequent public speaker and commentator.

With a multijurisdictional legal background and a commitment to ethical technology, Ali guides organizations through the complexities of AI governance and adoption and has established himself as a valuable voice in discussions on the effective use of AI technology to support the practice of law.

Ali has worked in private practice, with firms such as Clifford Chance LLP in London, and in-house with multinationals 3M Company, and Microsoft.

He holds a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, in Toronto, and a degree in Economics from Western University, in London, Ontario.

Helal Tariq Lootah is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Lune Technologies a leading, DIFC based Financial Data Science Startup.

Mr Lootah is also currently a Board Member of the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), a member of the Dubai Youth Council and is a New York Qualified Attorney and Counsellor at Law.

Prior to Co-Founding of Lune Technologies, Mr Lootah notably occupied positions in organizations such as Dubai Courts, and holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Exeter, England.

Abhinav Kumar Srivastava is an Associate Vice President – Information Security at NMC. In his current role, Abhinav leads NMC’s information security practices and provides leadership, vision, and managerial oversight in developing and implementing strategies that enable effective information security practices, robust security controls implementation, enhanced security culture, and minimized security risks for the organization.

Abhinav holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering, laying the foundation, followed by a Master’s degree specializing in Information Security, and is currently engaged in the pursuit of a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Information Security.