IoT Summit

The Internet of Things (IoT) market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is experiencing significant growth, with projections indicating a substantial increase in connections and market value. By 2025, the region is expected to have over 500 million IoT connection. With new and evolving connectivity choices in the Internet of Things, this summit will help to demystify the choices that customers and CSP’s face in making IoT Solutions as simple as possible so that IoT becomes mainstream in the customers products and operations.

We will explore how RedCap in IoT is emerging in some markets and the benefits and features it will provide. How NTN Operators are scaling up commercial operations and partnering with Mobile Network Operators to provide extensive coverage capabilities to meet customer needs. Governments in the MENA region are actively promoting IoT adoption to address challenges like water scarcity and improve infrastructure We shall look at new case studies and solutions that other new technologies will bring e.g. Ambient IoT, making it easier for customers’ needs in security, geography and connectivity in IoT.

Agenda

15:00 - 15:05 - Welcome and Introduction to the IoT Summit - Shantal Wilson, Senior Marketing Manager, GSMA

15:05 - 15:15 - Introduction to the GSMA IoT Community - Shane Rooney, Senior Technical Director - IoT, GSMA

15:15 - 15:30 - Orchestrating Intelligence: Beyond Connectivity in the Age of IoT and AI - Fuencisla Merino, Business Development and Digital Strategy, Ooredoo

As IoT adoption accelerates and AI becomes ubiquitous, the intersection between the two is redefining what “connected” truly means. This session explores how intelligent connectivity, powered by advanced networks such as 5G Standalone, 5.5G, and emerging Non-Terrestrial Networks, is transforming industries and enabling smarter, more autonomous systems.

From AI-driven IoT platforms to Edge computing, Energy-Efficient Devices, and Federated Learning, we will uncover how innovation in connectivity, data management, and hardware is building the foundation for the next digital revolution. The discussion will also address the increasing role of regulation, security, and sustainability - not as constraints, but as catalysts for trust and competitive differentiation.
Attendees will gain insights into the shifting expectations of IoT customers - from infrastructure to outcomes, from CapEx to OpEx - and how businesses can create real value through intelligent orchestration.

Join us to discover how AI and IoT together are moving beyond connectivity to a world where networks think, devices decide and organizations orchestrate intelligence for impact.

15:30 - 15:45 - IOT evolution in the 5G advanced era - Danial Mausoof, Vice President of Technology, Product, and Services, Nokia

For more than a decade, the Internet of Things has been the technologies great promise. Predictions of billions of connected devices never quite matched reality. But as networks become intelligent and 5G evolves into RedCap and AI-native RAN, it may just be coming together finally.

Danial will explore how the convergence of AI, 5G, and Edge is transforming IoT from a fragmented experiment into a scalable platform for industry and society. He’ll unpack how new technologies such as RedCap, Non-Terrestrial Networks and Ambient IoT are unlocking real-world use cases across energy, transport, public safety and defense — and how the Middle East & Africa are poised to lead this new wave of intelligent connectivity.

15:45 - 16:00 - Post Quantum Cryptography in IoT Ecosystem - Lory Thorpe, IBM Research, Chair GSMA Post Quantum Telco Network Task Force, IBM

16:00 - 16:15 - When Things Think: AI and GenAI Unlocking the Internet of Things - Fethi Filali, Director of Technology & Research, Qatar Mobility Innovations Center

16:15 - 16:30 - The Internet of Everything, Every Place, Everyone - Nada Meeajan, Country Digital Acceleration Lead, Qatar & Kuwait, Cisco

As IoT adoption accelerates across the MENA region, the true power of connectivity lies not just in devices, but in how those connections transform human lives and industries. This session explores the intersection of IoT, human experience, and next-generation connectivity. From wearables ensuring safety on oil rigs to devices empowering the elderly and differently abled to live independently, IoT is making technology more human-centered than ever. Through Cisco’s real-world examples across industry, logistics, and safety, we’ll uncover how IoT is evolving from a network of things to an Internet of Every Thing, Every Place, and Every One, leading to an inclusive future for all.

16:30 - 16:45 - From Smart to Sentient, Ersen Omuris, Head of Tech Planning, Fixed & PMO, Vodafone

Discover how IoT is transcending connectivity to become a sentient, intelligent ecosystem. In this session, we’ll explore Vodafone Qatar’s pioneering approach to leveraging IoT for real-world impact—driving sustainability, transforming industries, and empowering networks and devices to think, decide, and orchestrate the future. Join us to shape the next era of mobile innovation and help build a smarter, more sustainable world. Because ‘Together, we can!’.

16:45 - 16:50 - IoT Summit Closing Remarks