News

IDC CIO Summit 2022 Is Coming To Qatar

In addition to the insightful panels, attendees will also have the chance to win exclusive prizes, take home personalized caricatures, and watch entertainment events.

Published

3 years ago

September 9, 2022

David Morelo

As the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology sector, International Data Corporation (IDC) is perfectly positioned to explore the increasing pace of innovation in Qatar and examine the country’s evolving technology landscape.

On September 27, 2022, IDC will host its IDC Qatar CIO Summit 2022 to bring together regional and global technology experts, who will discuss the hottest ICT issues inside the Al Silia grand ballroom of Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas, a 5-star luxury resort located just 6 minutes away from the Lagoona Mall and 4 km from The Pearl-Qatar island.

Here are some of the topics, discussions, panel sessions, and keynote presentations that will be on the agenda during the IDC Qatar CIO Summit 2022:

IDC Keynote: Innovating in a Digital-First World (Ranjit Rajan, Vice President of Research at IDC)
Single, Hybrid, or Multicloud? How to Craft Your Cloud Transformation with Confidence (Sriram Narasimhan, Associate Vice President of Solutions at Cloud4C)
Powering the Digital Economy with Data-First Modernization (Mohammad Al-Jallad, Chief Technology Officer & Director at Hewlett Packard Enterprise)
Panel Discussion: Talent Development & The Demand For New Skills: How Do You Structure Your Team Optimally (Alexandra Tarazi, Executive Director of Health Information and Communication Technology at Public Health Care Corporation)
How to Recover from a Ransomware Attack: Cyber Recovery Services (Hakan Dincel, Regional Manager at GlassHouse)
Combining NetOps with SecOps to Break Down Cyber Security Silos (Sammy Elyan, Business Development Manager at Fortinet)

End users can attend the event free of charge, and registrations are already open. Besides the opportunity to hear what some of the brightest and most talented people in the ICT sector have to say, attendees will also have the chance to win exclusive prizes, take home personalized caricatures, and watch entertainment events.

The IDC Qatar CIO Summit 2022 will take place ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to happen in Qatar from November 20th to December 18th, 2022. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is expected to attract many international visitors who have no previous experience with the plethora of new digital products and services introduced in recent years by Qatari organizations.

According to 2022 IDC research, CIOs in Qatar have rapidly digitalized operations and enabled new digital business models and ecosystem partnerships for the tournament and beyond, with 70 percent of them successfully increasing cost efficiencies as a result.

The technology implementations carried out by CIOs in Qatar include process automation, cloud migration, and the development of agile infrastructure, just to give three examples. Together, they help drive the country’s digital economy and expand its ICT ecosystem by creating a sustained demand for competitive IT services and solutions.

IDC was founded in 1964 by American businessman Patrick Joseph McGovern. Since then, its worldwide network of analysts, who offer global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries, has exceeded 1,300. You can learn more about IDC and the IDC Qatar CIO Summit on its official website.

News

AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs

Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.

Published

1 week ago

November 1, 2025

Nour Nasir

AltoVolo

AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.

The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.

“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.

The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.

To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.

Also Read: Snapchat Opens Qatar Office To Deepen Gulf Presence

Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.

Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.