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.
Opening Speech
Welcome Presentation: Henry Sutton (GDCA) and Stijn Grove (Kickstart Europe)
Henry Sutton
Gulf Data Centre Association
Stijn Grove
Kickstart Europe | DDA
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
Antonios Tatarakis
Oracle
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
Mike Buckingham
Quantum Switch
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
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.
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
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
Annemarie van Zadelhoff
datacenterHawk
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
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.
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
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
Rami Jamal
PIERCER esports
Mohammed Siddiqui
stc Bahrain
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
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.
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.
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
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
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?
Ian Paul (Moderator)
Vertiv
Christopher O'Brien
Charles Russell Speechlys
Batelco: Digital Infrastructure Redefined
KEYNOTE: Delivered by Diamond Sponsors, Batelco.
Hani Askar
Chief Global Business Officer
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
Gareth Mills
Charles Russell Speechlys
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
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
Daneh Al Rayes
Smart Way Consulting
CLOSING REMARKS
*This programme is subject to change
