Dr. Saeed is a futurist, thought leader, author and a public keynote speaker. He is a veteran of the UAE technology industry with over 30 years of experience in driving technology adoption. He has been into many positions: the founder and former Director General of the Emirates ID Authority, a former member of the scientific advisory committee of the UAE Space Agency, and a former Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on information technology. Currently, He is the director of the Center for Futures Studies at the University of Dubai, an adjunct lecturer of public policy: science & technology track at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), the chairman of the board of Smartworld (a leading digital solutions provider in the UAE), a founding member of the Emirates Robotics & Automation Society (RAS), a member of the Global Future Council on AR/VR of the World Economic Forum (WEF), and a board member of the Emirates Safer Internet Society (eSafe). He is on advisory board of well-known startups including Virtual Rehab Inc and 01Gov, and also on industry advisory boards of several universities in the UAE. He has co-authored the book Digital Nation: How the UAE is building a future based on tech innovation. His interest covers areas including future foresight, innovation, smart cities, digital transformation, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, Blockchain and studying impact of emerging technologies on businesses and society.
Mohammad AlShamsi
RoboHiTech
Mohammed AlShamsi is a renowned robotics expert with over a decade of experience. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Management and a Higher Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering Technology from the Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai. As the founder of RoboHiTec and the Emirates Robotics Club at HCT-Dubai, Mohammed has demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for robotics. He was recognized as the First Emirati International Robotic Expert by UAE Pioneers and received First Place in Robotics & AI for Good Award 2016. He served as a Mobile Robotic Deputy Chief Expert for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 and is dedicated to advancing the field through innovation and education.
Khalifa Al Qama
Dubai Future Labs
Khalifa AlQama is the Head of Dubai Future Labs (DFL), an initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF). It is envisioned to be the region’s industrial R&D service centre and home for its first Research and Technology Organization (RTO). In his role, AlQama’s responsibilities include the development of specialized laboratories such as the Dubai Future Labs, the first Applied Research Lab in DFF that focuses on Automation, Robotics and AI. He has also built a team of researchers, scientists and analysts to create work that ensures that businesses in key UAE industries achieve long-term success. From his work in DFF, AlQama is also responsible for attracting key players from niche tech sectors to participate in consortia alongside industry representatives to conduct applied research in critical UAE industries of transport, logistics, services and construction. Prior to becoming Head of DFL, with more than 12 years’ experience in leadership roles and business management, AlQama successfully owned and managed several businesses in multiple fields such as engineering and printed electronics. With a vision and persistence to explore opportunities of untapped potential, he founded Opsys LLC, the multi-disciplinary engineering firm focused on fire prevention, which serves the region’s oil and gas, manufacturing and telecommunications industries with the state-of-the-art cutting-edge system, the CAP9 Fire Prevention System. AlQama completed several training programs including a specialized AI Program by the National Program for Artificial Intelligence. He holds a certificate in Business Information Technology from Higher Colleges of Technology.
Dr. Abdelrahman AlMahmoud
Technology Innovation Institute
Dr. Abdelrahman Al Mahmoud is the Principal Cloud and Big Data Researcher at Technology Innovation Institute (TII). He is responsible for Secure Cloud and Machine Learning at the TII’s Secure Systems Research Centre (SSRC). Dr. Abdelrahman has worked in the research domain for nearly 10 years covering topics like big data analytics paradigms, privacy-preserving analytics/machine learning, cyber security, and robotics, which he aims to pursue at SSRC. He also served in the Artificial Intelligence Office in the Prime Minister’s Office as an Advisor/Head of Research and Infrastructure. Dr. Abdelrahman was a member of the UAE Youth Science Council and Sub-Committee member in the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences in its 11th edition with a strong focus on AI in Medicine. He is also an active member of the UAE’s steering committee for the ISO SC42 working group for AI, technical committee member for The Digital School initiative under the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. Dr. Abdelrahman holds a Ph.D. in Privacy Preserving Big Data Analytics and a M.S in Computer Science from Khalifa University of Science and Technology, UAE, and a B.S. in Information System from UAE University.
Dr. Fahad Almaskari
Khalifa University
Dr. Fahad Almaskari, Assistant Professor in Aerospace Engineering department, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, UAE. He holds B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Arizona, USA. He completed M.S. and Ph.D. programs from the University of Manchester. Dr. Fahad had the honor of being the managing director of the 2nd Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC 2020). In 2017, he launched his first startup “LaunchTech Solutions”, which provides simulation solutions for different industries. He is also the co-founder of DroneLeaf, which aims to democratizing drones for future societies.
Ibrahim Al Najjar
DP World
Ahmad AlAttar
Dubai Future Labs
Ahmad completed his Bachelors in Mechatronic Systems Engineering in Canada back in 2017. His bachelor’s thesis focused on natural language processing and dialog managenet. He obtained his Masters in Electronics Engineering and Management from King’s College London in 2019. Ahmad is now pursing a PhD in Robotics and AI Engineering at the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London. His research focuses on robot motion learning. He is currently a reseach fellow at Dubai Future Labs, conducting research in robot manipulation and control.
Ali Abuzinjal
Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park
Ali Abuzinjal has more than 20 years of experience in IT and technology domain, Ali has worked in several projects while he was working in Etisalat the leading telecom company in UAE. One of his remarkable projects was designing and implementing the first UAE wireless Broadband network. Ali has supported some of the region’s most notable smart city and digital transformation projects, including Al Reem Island. In 2008, Ali joined a special oversea project as infrastructure and backbone connectivity Manager, he was a key player in establishing and launching Etisalat Nigeria. In 2019 Ali Joined Sharjah Research, Technology, and innovation science park, to support the vision of UAE to build a diversified knowledge economy. Ali is currently the media face of the Science Park, and he appears in several TV. Ali holds a B.S in Telecom Engineering and M.S of Science in Smart Cities and Data Privacy from Khalifa University.
Dr. Hend Al Tair
Ministry of Education
Ever since she earned her PhD in computer engineering from Khalifa University, Hend AlTair has been devoted to research and innovation. She joined the Ministry of Education and has been assigned to be the Director of Science, Technology and Scientific Research Department. Dr Altair has been an invited speaker for a number of events in UAE and she has been nominated to be MoE representer for a number of international and national meetings and workshops. Dr Altair is a member of a number of committees and working groups that are related to research planning, measuring and management. Dr Altair obtained number of diplomas: Future Foresight, Public Sector Innovation Diploma and Expert in Intellectual Property. Dr Altair has a passion for advancing research and linking the higher education institutions with the national priorities and strategies.
Dr. Khalifa H. Harib
United Arab Emirates University
Dr. Khalifa H. Harib is currently an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the UAE University. He also held the position of an adjunct professor at the American University of Sharjah. Dr. Khalifa was seconded to Tawazun Holding and Tawazun Economic Council. He obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Ohio State University, U.S.A, both in mechanical engineering, in 1993 and 1997 respectively. Dr. Khalifa chaired the department of mechanical engineering at the UAE University during 2000-2003, and 2007-2008. His research and teaching interests include robotics, computer-aided manufacturing, and dynamics and control. Dr. Khalifa has authored and co-authored numerous journal and conference papers and book chapters in his areas of research. He served on various national assignments including the Higher Committee that started the Dubai Metro Project, the board of the Emirates Science Club, and the board of trustees of the ICT fund.
Dr. Nawaf AlMoosa
Khalifa University
Dr. Nawaf Almoosa is a faculty member at the school of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Khalifa University of Science and Technology, UAE, with a joint appointment as the Acting Director of the Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC). His research interests cover high-performance heterogeneous computing, and distributed optimization and control with applications to computing, telecommunication, and robotic systems. He is a member of the Smart Infrastructure Team at EBTIC, where he is currently working on network synchronization, heterogeneous radio access, and software-defined networking. Dr. Almoosa is a graduate of Khalifa University and Georgia Institute of Technology.
Dr. Talib Alhinai
McKinsey & Company
Dr. Talib Alhinai is a roboticist and a founding member of the Emirates Robotics and Automation Society. Dr. Talib earned his Ph.D. in Aerial Robotics from Imperial College London, UK, where he created the world’s first flying 3D-printing drone as part of his dissertation work. Alhinai has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Science & Healthcare, a visionary by MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35, and as an MIT-Imperial College Global Fellow. He also previously co-founded and led Buildrone, which focused on developing autonomous flying robots capable of printing structures in 3D at scale while in flight, and that can also carry out in-situ inspections and remote repairs in inaccessible and hazardous environments. Talib led the Buildrone team’s winning at the UAE Drones for Good Award in 2016 – “the world cup of drones”, for a drone that can detect and repair pipeline leaks.
Dr. Essa Basaeed
Dubai Police G.H.Q
Dr. Essa Basaeed Deputy Head of Security Analytics and Forecast Center, Dubai Police. He completed his B.Eng. (Hons.), M.Sc, and Ph.D. in computer engineering at Khalifa University, UAE. Essa is a recipient of many awards and recognitions such as the EmTech Innovators Under 35 Award and the m-Government Award for University Students (Government Summit 2014). Essa is also an active volunteer and was the IEEE UAE Section Chair for 2017-2018.
Dr. Hamad AlDarmaki
Ministry of Interior
Hamad is certified project manager and a PhD student of artificial intelligence on identity of security who has led projects for the International Security Coalition, Religions Coalition for Community Security, Future Oversight Project, and the Security Accelerators for (10X). He spearheaded automated studies which aim to assess social media, as well as ban extremist content over the internet. Due to his extensive work background in a variety of fields, Hamad is playing a critical role in the Dubai Expo 2020 – UAE pavilion, especially in sensitizing the value and culture of the UAE on the adverse effects of radicalization and encouraging them to embrace the benefits of globalization. Furthermore, he was selected as an assessor for the Minister’s Award. In terms of creative and automated achievements, he launched ten creative initiatives including automation and artificial intelligence projects. Hamad has strong analytical skills. He is time conscious, a consensus builder, exhibits exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, and is an excellent leadership skill.
Ismail AlAli
Technology Innovation Institute
Maitha AlQaydi
Dubai Future Labs
Maitha AlQaydi received her B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Khalifa University of Science and Technology, UAE, and her M.S. in Robotics from King’s College London, UK. Her main research interest is in the areas of mechanics, mechanical design, and system dynamics with a focus on robotics.
Majid Khonji
Technology Innovation Institute
Majid Khonji is an assistant professor in the EECS department at Khalifa University, UAE, a Research Affiliate with MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), USA, and leading research activities of the autonomous vehicle laboratory (www.avlab.io) at KUCARS. He received his M.Sc degree in Security, Cryptology, and Coding of Information Systems from Ensimag, Grenoble Institute of Technology, France, and PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering from Masdar Institute, UAE, in collaboration with MIT in 2016. Previously, he was a visiting assistant professor with MIT CSAIL, a senior R&D technologist at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and an information security researcher at Emirates Advanced Investment Group (EAIG).
Mohammed AlZaabi
Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
Mohamed Alzaabi has joined Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in 2016 as an expert in software systems. Mohamed is working in different research projects related to space, robotics, and artificial intelligence. He also worked on establishing partnership between MBRSC and local universities to conduct space related projects. Mohamed received his Ph.D. in 2015 from Khalifa University of Science and Technology, UAE. He received the 2013 Young Emirati Research prize, presented by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. AlZaabi also received the UAE m-government service award, which was given to the first winning team in the Smart Application Contest organized by the Dubai Government.
Mohammed Khoory
Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
Mohammed Khoory is a senior software engineer at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. He has a B.S. in Computer Science in 2012, and since then he has worked with MBRSC on various space missions, including KhalifaSat and the Emirates Mars Mission “Hope Probe”, and led the development of the on-board flight software on the Rashid Rover as part of the Emirates Lunar Mission. His interests include real-time embedded systems, software for space systems, and space robotics.
Musab AlHammadi
McKinsey & Company
Musab has a B.Sc from Khalifa University in Electronics Engineering. He is currently a Project Manager at the office of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Working Applications under the Prime Minister’s Office. He has ~10 years of experience in Automation from his past posts at Tawazun, Khalifa University Robotics Labs, and DEWA. His passion is to help organically grow a robotics tech community in the UAE.
Rashed AlSuwaidi
Artificial Intelligence Office
Rashed AlSuwaidi is a member of the Artificial Intelligence Office, UAE. He worked previously as a QS Engineer at Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, and Senior Associate Researcher at Tawazun Technology and Innovation. Rashed holds a BEng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Sussex and a M.S. degree from the university of Warwick. Rashed has participated in the Mohammed Bin Zayed International Robotics Competition, where his team ranked fourth in the grand challenge. He was also chosen as a member of the first batch of Futureneers, an initiative to help young Emirati talents to enhance their readiness for the future. He also has experience in software development; he contributes to the success of Coders hq initiative, as a project manager, while he gets involved in the National Program for Coders as a software developer.
Dr. Saeed Al DhaheriDubai University
Mohammad AlShamsiRoboHiTech
Khalifa Al QamaDubai Future Labs
Dr. Abdelrahman AlMahmoudTechnology Innovation Institute
Dr. Fahad AlmaskariKhalifa University
Ibrahim Al NajjarDP World
Ahmad AlAttarDubai Future Labs
Ali AbuzinjalSharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park
Dr. Hend Al TairMinistry of Education
Dr. Khalifa H. HaribUnited Arab Emirates University
Dr. Nawaf AlMoosaKhalifa University
Dr. Talib AlhinaiMcKinsey & Company
Dr. Essa BasaeedDubai Police G.H.Q
Dr. Hamad AlDarmakiMinistry of Interior
Ismail AlAliTechnology Innovation Institute
Maitha AlQaydiDubai Future Labs
Majid KhonjiTechnology Innovation Institute
Mohammed AlZaabiMohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
Mohammed KhooryMohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
Musab AlHammadiMcKinsey & Company
Rashed AlSuwaidiArtificial Intelligence Office