The Road to Innovation: Insights from the Gulf Business Breakfast Briefing 2025

On April 23, 2025, the second Gulf Business Breakfast Briefing of the year captivated attendees with a deep dive into innovation and emerging technologies. This event gathered thought leaders from key industries including telecom, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and blockchain, all sectors that signify the future economic landscape of the region.

Agenda Highlights

Panel Discussion: Telecoms & Cloud – The Next Frontier

One of the standout sections focused on the transformative impacts of 5G and the transition to 6G technology. Experts discussed:

• The Impact of 5G Advanced and the Roadmap to 6G: 5G Advanced, or 5.5G, serves as an evolutionary step that seeks to enhance performance, energy efficiency, and functionalities.

• Telco to Techco Shift: The conversation underscored how telecommunications companies are evolving into full-fledged digital service providers, changing the traditional telco model.

• Sovereign Cloud and Data Security: The rise of sovereign cloud technologies was highlighted as a critical element in securing data while fostering telecommunications innovations.

Moderator: Neesha Salian, Editor, Gulf Business
Panellists:

• Iwan Stella, Head of Strategy, Ericsson
• Cherian Varghese, Senior VP, Oracle
• Samar Mittal, VP, Nokia
• Sameer Jameel, Chief Technology Architect, Huawei

Keynote Address by Mazen Nahawi

Mazen Nahawi, the founder and Group CEO of Carma, provided a compelling keynote stressing the importance of leveraging data correctly in today’s digital ecosystem.

Panel Discussion: Artificial Intelligence – A Regional Powerhouse

This segment focused on the burgeoning role of the UAE as a key player in AI innovation. Topics included:

• AI-Driven Transformation: Discussions on how sectors like finance, healthcare, and logistics are utilizing AI technologies for profound transformations.

Moderator: Gareth van Zyl, Group Editor, Gulf Business
Panellists:

• Vasudha Khandeparkar, Grant Thornton UAE
• Andreas Hassellof, Ombori
• Mark Dymock, SC Ventures
• Mazen Nahawi, Carma

Panel Discussion: Blockchain Evolution – From Pilots to Pioneers

The talk revolved around the UAE’s favorable regulations in blockchain and their role in attracting innovative solutions.

Moderator: Kokila Alagh, Karm Legal
Panellists:

• Rifad Mahasneh, OKX MENA
• Alice Liu, CoinMarketCap
• Faisal Zaidi, Exscape
• Akos Erzse, BitOasis
• Srinu Chowhan, MultiBank.io

5G Legacy: A Catalyst for Experience Monetisation

5G-Advanced represents a pivotal step that not only enhances mobile network capabilities but also shifts how telecom companies monetize their services. Sameer Jameel illustrated this point by emphasizing the shift from merely monetizing traffic to focusing on "experience monetization."

In practical terms, this means that during events like concerts, service providers are working tirelessly to ensure that consumers enjoy seamless streaming experiences through proper bandwidth allocation.

Trust and Reputation: Navigating the AI Age

As technology companies increasingly rely on big data to shape public opinion, questions arise regarding data integrity and the systems in place to verify it. Mazen Nahawi highlighted a troubling aspect of current AI practices, particularly concerning the use of synthetic data. This has emerged as a growing concern for the accuracy and security of market research.

Identifying Flaws in AI

The absence of rigorous data validation mechanisms in AI systems poses significant risks. Nahawi noted how readily available inputs into large language models (LLMs) are leading to questionable quality outputs. He cited the ongoing legal battles, such as The New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI, as symptomatic of a deeper need for data integrity.

Addressing Data Gaps: The Call for Inclusivity

A critical concern in AI development is its skewed representation of global demographics. Most training data fails to capture the rich diversity of languages, narratives, and cultures from emerging markets. This presents a challenge for the ethical deployment of AI systems that are meant to serve a global audience.

Data Wars in the AI Landscape

Another intriguing point raised was the prevalence of corporate entities manipulating data to discredit competitors. As Nahawi explained, the lack of robust oversight allows businesses to exploit AI technologies to reinforce biases, leading to a perpetuation of inaccuracies.

The Future of Crypto Innovation

Alice Liu outlined the UAE’s position at the forefront of cryptocurrency innovations, spotlighting three promising avenues: tokenized real estate, tokenized gold, and stablecoins. With anticipated growth rates in Dubai’s tokenized real estate sector projected at 7.8% annually, the region is establishing itself as a global leader in these financial innovations.

The Breakfast Briefing served as a platform for essential discussions regarding the technological advancements that are shaping not just the Gulf region but also global trends across multiple sectors.