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Rapid investment in AI, data centres, cloud and connectivity is expanding the region’s digital capabilities, but it is also increasing the potential consequences of disruption. This opening panel will examine how governments and industry can protect essential infrastructure while preserving the speed and openness required for growth.
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Opening Keynote Panel | Accelerating Iraq's Emergence as a Strategic Digital Infrastructure CorridorIraq's geographic position creates an opportunity to strengthen digital links between the Gulf, Asia and Europe. As new fibre routes, international partnerships and domestic infrastructure projects take shape, this opening panel will explore what is required to turn Iraq's strategic position into a competitive, scalable digital corridor.
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As AI becomes embedded across government, telecoms and enterprise operations, organisations must secure more than the underlying infrastructure. Models, training data, inference environments, AI agents and employee use of third-party tools all introduce new points of exposure.
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As Iraq’s digital economy expands, strong local interconnection infrastructure will be critical to delivering faster, more resilient and affordable digital services. This session will explore how the development of Iraq’s first neutral Internet Exchange serving all Iraqi regions, can strengthen the country’s domestic Internet ecosystem and support its emergence as a regional connectivity hub.
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Panel | Resilience by Design: Rethinking Concentration Risk in the Age of Gigawatt AI InfrastructureThe scale of the Middle East’s AI ambitions has created a new generation of large, concentrated infrastructure projects. Recent debate around Stargate UAE has raised an important strategic question: should critical compute remain concentrated in mega-campuses, or should capacity be distributed across smaller, interconnected and more protected facilities?
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As regional networks face increasing pressure to diversify beyond established connectivity paths, terrestrial infrastructure can provide another layer of resilience. This panel will explore how Iraq can strengthen network redundancy and ensure new corridors deliver genuine route diversity.
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A focused case-study presentation examining how cyber incidents can affect physical operations, safety and service continuity across telecoms, energy, utilities, ports and data centres.
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Telecoms and cable infrastructure underpin cloud services, AI platforms, financial systems and government communications. This panel will explore how operators can strengthen resilience against cyberattacks, physical disruption and geopolitical instability without revealing sensitive operational vulnerabilities.
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Iraq's opportunity extends beyond transit traffic with Iraq's Ministry of Communications recently outlining data-centre plans spanning Baghdad, Basra and Mosul. As we see more fibre expansion and planned data-centre development in the region, how can international and domestic capital participate in the country's digital infrastructure growth?
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Critical-information-infrastructure rules, data-localisation requirements and national cybersecurity frameworks are developing across the Middle East. This panel will examine how organisations can move beyond compliance exercises and build security, sovereignty and trust into regional infrastructure from the outset.
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Türkiye's geographic position places it at the intersection of some of the world's most important emerging digital corridors. With new terrestrial and subsea infrastructure creating additional paths between Europe, the Middle East and Asia, this opening panel will explore how Türkiye can strengthen its position as a strategic regional connectivity hub.
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Digital infrastructure depends on global suppliers of network equipment, software, semiconductors, power systems and industrial technology. This presentation will explore how organisations can identify cybersecurity exposure before equipment is deployed into nationally significant infrastructure.
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When critical infrastructure is attacked, technical containment is only one part of the response. Senior leaders must make rapid decisions about service continuity, government notification, communications, customers, partners and operational safety.
This candid conversation will explore:
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New international infrastructure is strengthening Türkiye's potential as an entry and exit point for traffic between Europe and markets further east and south. Projects such as WorldLink propose connecting the Gulf through Iraq into Türkiye, while other terrestrial and subsea infrastructure is creating additional regional connectivity options.
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No organisation can guarantee that every attack will be prevented. This panel will therefore focus on the practical capabilities needed to contain disruption, maintain essential services and recover quickly when an incident succeeds. Building continuity plans around realistic cyber and physical scenarios.
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Türkiye's digital infrastructure opportunity goes beyond international transit. The country's 2026-2030 AI Action Plan targets increased investment in data centres, cloud computing and AI infrastructure, including an ambition to increase installed data-centre capacity to at least 1 GW by 2030. This panel will explore:
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Technology alone cannot secure the region’s expanding digital infrastructure. This presentation will consider how government, defence, universities and industry can build the specialist skills and broader security culture required for the next phase of growth.
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Closing Keynote Panel | Collective Defence: Building a More Secure and Resilient Digital Middle EastCyber threats do not respect organisational or national boundaries. The final panel will look ahead at how the Middle East can develop a stronger model of collective defence that supports information sharing, coordinated response and trusted digital growth.
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With investment accelerating across data centres, cloud and AI infrastructure, how can Türkiye convert its geographic connectivity advantage into a broader digital infrastructure ecosystem? Türkiye's current AI strategy explicitly seeks to mobilise significant private-sector investment into data centres, cloud and AI infrastructure, making the investment proposition particularly timely.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomThe Middle East is rapidly emerging as one of the world's most dynamic digital infrastructure markets. Driven by ambitious national strategies, sovereign AI initiatives, hyperscale investment and expanding data centre capacity across the GCC, the region is positioning itself as a global hub for AI, cloud and digital infrastructure growth.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom
As data centres become increasingly important to economies, governments and businesses, ensuring they remain secure, resilient and operational through disruption is becoming a strategic priority. This panel will explore how resilience can be built into the Middle East's rapidly expanding data centre ecosystem and what it means for the sector to become a fundamental part of the region's critical infrastructure.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomWith plans announced for massive hyperscale and Neocloud expansion across the Middle East, demand for cloud, AI compute and data centre capacity is accelerating. However, which of these announcements are just for PR and which will be a reality? This fireside chat will explore what the real growth is and how it is reshaping the regional market
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Identifying the data-centre, connectivity, power and AI assets that remain strategic priorities
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Understanding what projects must offer to win local sovereign backing
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Examining how regional capital can draw in global funds, operators and expertise
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Identifying which projects will attract sovereign and institutional capital
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Understanding how risk, timing, contracts, and pricing are changing investment choices
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Examining what would persuade global investors and financiers to commit capital alongside regional funds
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomAs countries rethink digital dependence, control of data is becoming central to infrastructure, AI, and national sovereignty. However, Data Sovereignty isn’t just about where Data lies but how it moves, who controls it and how it is secured. This panel will discuss:
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Investing in the Physical Layer of AI
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Building Saudi Arabia's Next AI Infrastructure Platform
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Scaling AI-Ready Capacity Across the Gulf
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Building New Digital Corridors Between Europe, Asia and the Middle East
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Financing the Next Generation of Terrestrial Connectivity Routes
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Building the Next Hyperscale and AI Campuses Across the Middle East
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomData centre demand across the Middle East has never been stronger, yet translating unprecedented demand into cash flow remains a challenge. With rising capital costs, power constraints, connectivity costs and evolving customer requirements, longer investment cycles are forcing investors, operators and developers to rethink how they deploy capital and generate returns.
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Compare the investment case for large AI campuses, regional colocation, fibre and network assets
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Hear how operators and investors test contracts, power access, delivery risk and returns
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Learn when to build, partner, refinance, delay or walk away
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Examine how lenders, investors and operators are pricing physical, cyber and geopolitical risk
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Understand whether back-up power, route duplication and hardening preserve value or erode returns
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Decide which resilience costs should fall on operators, customers or government
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomWith a new wave of data centre development across the Middle East, operators face increasingly complex site selection decisions. This panel will discuss how operators, hyperscalers and investors are determining where the next generation of digital infrastructure will be built.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom
As the Middle East emerges as a global hub for AI infrastructure, operators are being forced to rethink traditional design principles. This session will discuss how operators are designing facilities capable of supporting 100kW+ racks while balancing scalability, efficiency, and speed to market.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomAs the Middle East emerges as a global hub for AI infrastructure, operators are being forced to rethink traditional design principles. This session will discuss how operators are designing facilities capable of supporting 100kW+ racks while balancing scalability, efficiency, and speed to market.
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Compare the funding routes available from land purchase through to stable operating assets.
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Find out where banks are pulling back and global equity or private credit is stepping in.
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See how regional capital can bring in outside money, operating skill and market proof.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomAs sustainability commitments intensify, how can data centres achieve net-zero ambitions without compromising growth? This panel will discuss how operators can combine cutting-edge design, renewable energy, and operational efficiency with sustainable practices to improve efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and support more circular infrastructure models.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomAs digital demand continues to rise across the Middle East, power is emerging as the key enabler of data centre growth, AI deployment, and broader digital transformation. This panel will explore why energy sits at the heart of the digital economy and how stakeholders can ensure power infrastructure keeps pace with the region's ambitions.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomAs demand for new data centre capacity accelerates, access to grid power can dictate when projects come online. How can the Middle East streamline grid connections and ensure energy infrastructure is delivered alongside digital infrastructure?
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomAs data centres place larger and more dynamic loads on power systems, reliability will become increasingly important. This panel will explore how grids and data centres can evolve together to provide the resilient, uninterrupted power required for the next generation of digital infrastructure.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomWith Middle Eastern data centres requiring increasingly large amounts of power, what combination of renewable and alternative energy sources can provide the scale, reliability and affordability needed for future growth?
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomAs AI workloads increase cooling demands, water scarcity is becoming a major constraint on data centre growth. Whilst new technologies promise significant reductions in water usage, questions remain around their cost, scalability and readiness for widespread deployment.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomAs AI infrastructure drives rack densities beyond the limits of traditional air-cooled environments, liquid cooling is rapidly becoming a critical enabler of next-generation compute. But as adoption accelerates, operators must navigate new challenges around deployment, operations, maintenance, and water management.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomWhile liquid cooling has emerged as the leading solution for AI workloads, it is not the only path forward. Operators are exploring hybrid cooling systems, advanced air cooling, rear-door heat exchangers, free cooling technologies, and innovative facility designs to support increasing rack densities while balancing cost, sustainability and operational complexity.
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas BallroomAs AI workloads, ultra-high-density racks and sustainability pressures reshape the industry, cooling is rapidly becoming one of the most critical factors determining how data centres scale. Operators must support increasingly dense compute environments while maintaining efficiency, reliability and long-term flexibility. This session explores the technologies, architectures and operational strategies that will define the next generation of AI-ready data centres
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Datacloud Keynote Stage, Baniyas Ballroom