Saudi Arabia’s enterprise technology landscape took center stage as the Digital Transformation Summit KSA 2026 convened the Kingdom’s most influential technology leaders, C-suite executives, and digital innovators for a powerful day of strategic dialogue and collaboration. Hosted by Exito Media Concepts, the summit
underscored the Kingdom’s accelerating momentum toward becoming a globally competitive, AI-driven digital economy aligned with Vision 2030.
Bringing together CIOs, CTOs, CFOs, AI leaders, and transformation heads from leading enterprises, the summit served as a high-impact platform where digital ambition met execution. With enterprise AI, data platforms, cybersecurity, legacy modernization, and digital trust dominating the agenda, DTS KSA reinforced its role as a catalyst for strategic enterprise transformation across the Kingdom.
Opening Remarks: Shaping the Kingdom’s Enterprise Tech Future
The summit commenced with welcome remarks by Exito Media Concepts, setting the tone for a day focused on leadership accountability in digital transformation. The opening narrative emphasized that in today’s AI-driven economy, technology is no longer a support function, it is the engine of enterprise growth, resilience, and competitive advantage.
Saudi Arabia’s rapid digital adoption, expanding smart city initiatives, and sovereign cloud investments were positioned as clear indicators of the Kingdom’s commitment to building a future-ready digital infrastructure.
Opening Keynote: The CEO’s AI and Digital Growth Blueprint
In the opening keynote, Sameer Joshi, IT Director at SPIMACO, addressed the evolving mandate of CEOs in the age of AI. He highlighted that digital leadership can no longer be delegated; it must be owned at the highest executive level.
The session explored how CEOs must integrate AI enterprise-wide, strengthen data governance frameworks, and foster cultures of innovation aligned with measurable business impact. The discussion reinforced that sustainable digital growth requires leadership alignment, strategic clarity, and governance maturity.
Bridging Strategy and Execution: ITIL and the Enterprise Impact Model
Markus Bause, VP Product at PeopleCert, presented a compelling case for the modern evolution of ITIL as a framework that bridges digital ambition with operational impact. As enterprises adopt AI and data-driven platforms, governance and structured execution have emerged as critical differentiators.
The session demonstrated how ITIL enables scalable AI adoption, strengthens digital trust, and aligns technology initiatives with business outcomes, transforming experimentation into enterprise-wide value.
AI, Agentic Systems, and the Evolution of Workforce Innovation
Nadin Zureikat, Chief Revenue Officer at Elevatus, examined the shift from traditional AI systems to Agentic AI, systems capable of autonomous decision-making and continuous learning. The keynote emphasized how workforce innovation will increasingly depend on intelligent automation, AI-powered talent platforms, and scalable digital capabilities.
Complementing this perspective, Shafi Rasulov of IOMETE explored how AI is fundamentally reshaping enterprise data platforms. From hybrid and sovereign cloud
environments to scalable AI-ready architectures, enterprises are rethinking data infrastructure to support advanced analytics and next-generation AI workloads.
Fireside Chat: How the C-Suite Drives ROI in Digital and AI?
One of the summit’s most impactful sessions brought together cross-functional leaders to discuss how organizations can translate digital investments into measurable ROI.
The panel explored common disconnects between CIO, CTO, CFO, and CDO functions and emphasized the importance of unified governance, integrated roadmaps, and shared accountability. The conversation reinforced that scalable transformation requires collaboration between finance, technology, and business strategy leaders.
Modernization as a Strategic Imperative
Legacy systems emerged as a recurring theme throughout the summit. Zahid Farooq of Red Sea Global highlighted how outdated infrastructure can hinder agility, scalability, and innovation. The spotlight session positioned modernization not as a technical upgrade but as a business imperative essential for compliance, cost optimization, and market responsiveness.
Similarly, Mohamed Elkady of OutSystems addressed the rise of AI-powered low-code platforms, empowering enterprises to accelerate development cycles while maintaining governance and architectural integrity.
Cybersecurity in the Age of Quantum Risk
Cyber resilience dominated the afternoon sessions. In the fireside chat titled “From Zero Trust to Quantum Threats,” industry leaders examined the growing complexity of digital risk. The discussion underscored Zero Trust as a foundational framework while also addressing the implications of quantum computing on encryption, infrastructure, and national digital resilience. The consensus was clear, cybersecurity must be embedded into digital transformation strategies from the outset.
The CIO’s Agenda: Enabling Business Value Through Scalable Leadership
The CIO-focused panel highlighted the expanding role of technology leaders as strategic enablers of enterprise growth. Discussions centered around managing tech debt, aligning AI initiatives with real-world business objectives, and redefining IT spend as strategic investment rather than operational expense.
The session reinforced that modern CIOs must balance innovation with governance, ensuring agility without compromising security, compliance, or operational continuity.
Future Forward: AI, Data, and Digital Trust
The closing fireside chat explored the next frontier of AI and digital infrastructure. As enterprises move from proof-of-concept experimentation to production-scale AI
deployment, the emphasis has shifted toward high-quality data, secure private AI environments, and trust-by-design frameworks.
Speakers highlighted the importance of embedding ethics, compliance, and cybersecurity into AI architecture from day one, ensuring that innovation is matched with
accountability and transparency.
DT50 Felicitation and Closing Reflections
The summit concluded with the prestigious DT50 felicitation, recognizing distinguished technology leaders driving transformative impact across Saudi Arabia’s enterprise ecosystem.
The Takeaway
The Digital Transformation Summit KSA 2025 was more than a conference — it was a strategic convergence of leadership, innovation, and enterprise ambition. Over the course of the day, Saudi Arabia’s technology leaders demonstrated a shared commitment to building scalable, AI-driven, secure, and value-oriented digital enterprises.
As the Kingdom advances toward its Vision 2030 objectives, DTS KSA reaffirmed that the future of enterprise transformation will be defined not just by technology adoption, but by visionary leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and digital trust at scale.
For Media Partnership Enquiries, please reach out to:
Prakruthi Nayaka
Executive – Media and Public Relations
prakruthi.nayaka@exito-e.com
+91 9482440958