News

IDC Saudi Arabia CIO Summit 2022 Will Explore KSA’s Digital Transformation

The two-day event will explore the Kingdom’s accelerated pace of innovation, its evolving technology landscape, and present-day strategies.

Published

4 years ago

September 2, 2022

David Morelo

idc saudi arabia cio summit 2022 will explore ksa's digital transformation

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a remarkable digital transformation guided by its Saudi Vision 2030 strategic framework, whose overarching goal is to lessen the country’s dependence on oil by diversifying its economy and enhancing innovation. The IDC Saudi Arabia CIO Summit 2022 edition will explore the Kingdom’s digital transformation over the course of two days filled with discussions, panel sessions, and keynote presentations from regional and global technology experts alike.

“This event will explore the Kingdom’s accelerated pace of innovation, its evolving technology landscape, and present-day strategies that the country’s organizations are implementing to transform into digitally resilient future enterprises,” states International Data Corporation (IDC) on its website.

The in-person event will be hosted on September 19 & 20, 2022 at the Fairmont Hotel Riyadh, a luxurious five-star hotel located in the Business Gate Complex, and those who would like to attend it can register free of charge to learn how the Kingdom’s CIOs and their international partners are building resilient digital infrastructures to make Saudi Arabia a leading ICT nation within the next decade.

Hamza Naqshbandi, Associate Vice President (Saudi Arabia & Bahrain) at IDC, will kick off the event with a welcome address, and his speech will be followed by a talk about tech strategies for a digital-first world given by Steven Frantzen, IDC’s Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director (EMEA).

The long list of confirmed speakers who will share their valuable experience with the attendees of the IDC Saudi Arabia CIO Summit 2022 edition includes experts in the field, respected practitioners, and leaders from the industry, including:

Jason Roos, CIO of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
Phil Andrews, Regional Vice President of Northern and Eastern Europe for Red Hat.
Stephane Monboisset, Business Development Manager at Fortinet.
Zaid Ghattas, Senior Commercial Lead at AMD.
Turki Aldahmash, Executive Director of Business Technology (CTO) at National Center for Performance Measurement (Adaa).
Neil Harbisson, the world’s first officially recognized human cyborg.

In addition to its main agenda, the IDC Saudi Arabia CIO Summit 2022 edition will also play host to the IDC Excellence Awards to recognize the efforts of the country’s leading technology executives across 3 categories (CISO of the Year, CIO of the Year, and Women in Technology & Business), with a winner and 10 finalists named in each. A live awards ceremony will be held on Day 2 and hosted on a virtual platform.

As a premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology sector, IDC is deeply familiar with the impact of technology on the world around us. Its worldwide network of 1,300 analysts spans 110 countries, helping public and private sector decision-makers alike make fact-based technology decisions to achieve their key business objectives.

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

4 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.