2023 Agenda*

The Touchdown Middle East 2023 Agenda includes three key talk tracks – Regional, Operational and Investment – with Keynotes, Fireside Chats and Panels from expert speakers from across the GCC region and beyond. The two-day Agenda is split into two themes:
 
  • Day 1 (21st Nov) – Regional Overview. Our Day 1 sessions will look at key trends and topics affecting the GCC market.
  • Day 2 (22nd Nov) – GCC Deep Dive. Day 2’s sessions take a deeper look at all GCC countries.
Our roster of Speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Interested in speaking at Touchdown Middle East 2023? We still have some speaking slots remaining – email info@touchdownme.com for more information.
 
*This programme is subject to change
 

Days

21st November

12:00-19:00

The conference will kick off in the afternoon with a welcome Keynote, followed by dynamic discussions on the trends and topics affecting the GCC regional market.

12:00

DOORS OPEN

13:00-13:20

Opening Speech

Welcome Presentation: Henry Sutton (GDCA) and Stijn Grove (Kickstart Europe)

Henry Sutton

Gulf Data Centre Association

Stijn Grove

Kickstart Europe | DDA

13:30-13:55

REGIONAL

Looking In: A local perspective on the GCC data centre market

PANEL: An outlook on the GCC data centre market today from local players. A look at their ambitions in the region, their view on technological advances and the services and products that see the most uptake. How is the market expected to grow? With what speed? What are the challenges and biggest opportunities?

Henry Sutton (Moderator)

Gulf Data Centre Association

Kamel Tawil

Equinix

Antonios Tatarakis

Oracle

Fuad Mohseni

Batelco

Magide Sebtioui

Huawei

14:00-14:25

REGIONAL

Looking Out: An international perspective on the GCC data centre market

PANEL: An outlook on the GCC data centre market today from international players. A look at their ambitions in the region, and what challenges and opportunities outside players face when entering the GCC market.

Greg Jasmin (Chair)

X2X Group

Gary Watson

Keppel DC REIT Ireland

Ammar Al Horani

Eaton

Noha Khalifa

AMS-IX

Mike Buckingham

Quantum Switch

John Weber

IREP

14:30-14:55

OPERATIONAL

A perspective on data centre policy: what is the best way forward?

A look at how the GCC data centre market compares to its well-established counterparts, and the latest updates from the region.

Stijn Grove (Moderator)

Kickstart Europe | DDA

Sean Christie

Datalec Precision Installations

Natascha Geraedts

Eversheds Sutherland

Anna Klaft

GDA

15:00-15:15

OPERATIONAL

Unification of Data Centre Operations Management

KEYNOTE: Downtime is not an option. A novel rational to unify mission-critical operations at the facilities echelon, via an autonomous methodology, amalgamating personnel with technology, preserving uptime, mitigating costs, risks, and sustainability, is obtainable.

Kev Doyle

PTS Consulting

15:20-15:50

INVESTMENT

Investment and development of data centre assets in the GCC

PANEL: This panel will look at the opportunities and challenges of developing and investing in dta centres in the GCC region.

Andrew Thomson (Chair)

Al Tamimi & Company

John Rippingale

Sudlows Consulting

Stephen Beard

Knight Frank

Joe McCaffrey

Duke McCaffrey

15:55-16:25

REGIONAL

Women in Infrastructure: A GCC Review

PANEL: There are more women in the workplace in the Gulf than ever before, but is it enough? How does the digital infrastructure community fair?

Zenab Abbas (Chair)

Marketing Advisory

Takwa Dawdi

RED Engineering

Abeer Al Mahmeed

Batelco

Annemarie van Zadelhoff

datacenterHawk

16:30-17:00

REGIONAL

LAUNCH: GDCA GCC Data Sovereignty and Data Flow Report

PANEL: This session will feature the launch of the Gulf Data Association’s (GDCA) report on data sovereignty and data flow for the GCC. Representatives from law firms from across the GCC will feature on this panel to share their findings and to discuss the future of data laws in the region.

Henry Sutton (Moderator)

Gulf Data Centre Association

Gareth Mills

Charles Russell Speechlys

Christopher O'Brien

Charles Russell Speechlys

Zil Rehman

Pinsent Masons

17:30-19:00

WELCOME RECEPTION

*This programme is subject to change

22nd November 09:00-17:30

Day 2 will see leading voices come together over the course of the day to look at the strategies, opportunities and trends of each market across the GCC.

09:00

DOORS OPEN

09:30-09:45

INVESTMENT

Connecting Oman

FIRESIDE CHAT: Oman is one of the best connected GCC markets, with more new cables connecting in the near future. How is it leveraging this advantage to build more capacity and can we expect major changes in the region’s connectivity as a result?

Henry Sutton (Moderator)

GDCA

Ahmed H. Mosa

Awasr

09:50-10:15

REGIONAL

eSports in the Gulf: Is the GCC ready for cloud gaming? 

PANEL: eSports and online gaming already have a strong presence in the region. Is there sufficient infrastructure ready for the big gaming publishers or is this an area the region needs to push?

Mark Hill (Chair)

Charles Russell Speechlys

Elham Al Moosawi

Batelco

Rami Jamal

PIERCER esports

Mohammed Siddiqui

stc Bahrain

10:20-10:40

INVESTMENT

Kuwait: The GCC’s most untapped market?

FIRESIDE CHAT: Kuwait has seen a scramble of players trying to get into the market to support a range of new requirements. However, with challenges of getting real estate, power and licencing, many have moved on to easier locations. Is this about to change and will we see the unlocking of one of the GCC’s most untapped markets?

Henry Sutton (Moderator)

GDCA

Ronald Philip

Agility Logistics Parks

10:45-11:15

BREAK

11:15-11:30

OPERATIONAL

Data centres as grid assets

KEYNOTE: This discussion will explore how data centre owners and operators can maximise the use of their necessary assets, enable renewable energy, and generate additional revenue of their investment.

Ammar Al Horani

Eaton

11:35-12:05

REGIONAL

Solar in the desert: Renewable Power Investigation

PANEL: This panel will look at the current efforts, across the GCC, being adopted to allow for a more environmentally sustainable data centre market, and whether these efforts are commercially and technically viable.

Liam Round (Chair)

DEIF

Qusay Abu Abed

Danfoss

Magide Sebtioui

Huawei

12:10-12:25

OPERATIONAL

Supporting Sustainable Data Centre Growth in the GCC

KEYNOTE: A look at the energy trends and technologies that will support sustainable data centre growth in the GCC over the short, medium and long term.

Alban Hohmann Schauly

Caterpillar Electric Power

12:30-14:00

LUNCH BREAK

14:00-14:25

REGIONAL

UAE Regional Hub: Successes & Challenges

PANEL: The UAE has long been the regional hub for data centre development. To what does it owe its success and what lessons has it learned along the way?

Zenab Abbas (Moderator)

Marketing Advisory

Joe McCaffrey

Duke McCaffrey

Alistair Davis

Black & White Engineering

Greg Jasmin

X2X Group

14:30-14:55

REGIONAL

Masterclass: Entering the Qatar market

FIRESIDE CHAT: Qatar has overseen a number of major deployments and continues to see more Government support for foreign investors to come to the market. How easy is it for customers to enter the Qatari market and what lessons can we learn from past projects?

15:00-15:15

INVESTMENT

Ian Paul (Moderator)

Vertiv

James Corby

MEEZA

Christopher O'Brien

Charles Russell Speechlys

Batelco: Digital Infrastructure Redefined

KEYNOTE: Delivered by Diamond Sponsors, Batelco.

Hani Askar

Chief Global Business Officer

15:20-15:45

INVESTMENT

Bahrain's new digital age

PANEL: With new subsea cable investment, a regulated, open telecoms market, and an abundance of new talent in the ecosystem, is Bahrain poised to become a pioneer for innovation and digital infrastructure growth in the GCC market?

Musab Abdullah (Chair)

EDB Bahrain

Hasan Zainal

Batelco

Taha Hussain

AMS-IX

Gareth Mills

Charles Russell Speechlys

Sajeda AlAsfoor

Tamkeen

15:50-16:15

REGIONAL

Development growth in Saudi

PANEL: The time for Saudi is now – with most new data centre activity coming from the Kingdom, will this mark the moment that Saudi re-writes the flow of data between Europe and Asia? Is the market ready to take on a bigger regional role?

Henry Sutton (Moderator)

Gulf Data Centre Association

Giedre Malinauskaite

CNTXT

Stephen Flanagan

Knight Frank

Mike Buckingham

Quantum Switch

16:20-17:00

REGIONAL

Showcasing the future – what’s next?

PANEL: Smart cities, Artificial Intelligence, digital currencies, autonomous cars – what’s next and what do we need to do to support it?

Giedre Malinauskaite (Chair)

CNTXT

Ameen Altajer

INFINITEWARE

Louay Zeatier

Oracle

Daneh Al Rayes

Smart Way Consulting

Islam Salim

Batelco

17:00-17:15

CLOSING REMARKS

*This programme is subject to change

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