Dubai, UAE, Nov 11: Pivotal discussions on the transformative power of artificial intelligence took center stage, as Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (PJSC), successfully concluded its 4th Annual Digital Transformation Summit under the theme ‘AI-Driven Sustainable Innovation’ at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira.

Organized in collaboration with the International Data Corporation (IDC), the summit brought together over 300 senior executives, CIOs, and government decision-makers from across the UAE and the wider Middle East. Among the distinguished guests were senior representatives from leading public and private institutions.

Mohammad Bin Sulaiman, CEO of Moro Hub, said in his opening remarks: “AI is no longer just a tool, it is a strategic driver of national competitiveness and sustainability. Through the Digital Transformation Summit, Moro Hub is strengthening dialogue around responsible innovation and building ecosystems that will shape the UAE’s digital economy for decades to come.”

The event also marked three major announcements by Moro Hub, unveiling its GPU-as-a-Service and Inferencing-as-a-Service offerings, the Moro Hub Smart Office, and the IPSP AI Video Analytics Platform, all designed to advance AI-powered digital transformation in the region.

According to IDC, spending on digital transformation across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) is projected to exceed USD 59 billion in 2025, with AI investment expanding by over 30% year-on-year.

The UAE alone is expected to generate nearly 14% of its GDP from AI-driven activities by 2030, equivalent to USD 96 billion, underscoring its position as the region’s leading AI economy. This outlook framed much of the conversation at the summit, which explored how Agentic AI, a new phase where artificial intelligence evolves from a support tool to an autonomous collaborator, is redefining operations, cybersecurity, and sustainability frameworks across industries.

The summit opened with a keynote address by Ranjit Rajan, Vice President and Head of Research (META) at IDC, titled ‘CIO Playbook for the Agentic AI Era’.  Rajan outlined the growing responsibility of technology leaders to ensure that AI adoption aligns with national strategies for innovation, governance, and security.

Throughout the day, Moro Hub executives led in-depth sessions addressing the foundations of a sustainable AI ecosystem. Sujit Nair, Director of Data Center, Cloud and Digital Products at Moro Hub, presented on ‘Beyond Cloud: AI Infrastructure as a Service for the Intelligent Era’, highlighting the rise of sovereign cloud and the need for regionally governed digital infrastructure.

Khulood Alawadhi, Director of Advanced Technology Services at Moro Hub, and AbdulRahman Mahgoub, Regional Sales Director at SER Group, explored ‘Smart Office: Reimagining the Workspace for a Smarter Future’, emphasizing how AI and IoT are driving intelligent collaboration in hybrid environments.

The topic of digital trust took center stage in a presentation by Rashid Yousuf, Senior Manager of Security Engineering at Moro Hub, who discussed ‘AI at the Crossroads: Balancing Innovation and Security’. Meanwhile, Abhigyan Chatterjee, Director of Smart Cities and IoT, explored how urban intelligence solutions can make cities both safer and more energy-efficient in “Building Smart and Safe Cities.”

In addition to Moro Hub’s leadership, the summit featured insights from global technology experts. Ahmad Chehime, Cyber Security Specialist at Cisco, discussed ‘The Future of AI Observability and AI Defense’, while Karim Haddara, Technology Solutions Manager – UAE Presales at Dell Technologies, unveiled innovations supporting AI-integrated enterprises.

A high-level panel discussion, ‘From Concept to ROI — Unlocking the Potential of AI’, brought together speakers from Digital Dubai Authority (DDA), Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police  to debate how organizations can translate AI investments into tangible business value. Topics such as AI regulation, data ethics, generative AI governance, and cloud resilience dominated the exchanges.

The day concluded with a closing note from Aisha Al Nuaimi, Key Account Manager at Moro Hub, who underscored the summit’s role in advancing collaboration among technology partners and enterprise leaders.

The success of the summit demonstrates the growing demand for digital transformation solutions in the UAE and beyond. Delegates represented critical sectors such as government, utilities, finance, and manufacturing, with discussions focusing on practical pathways to scale AI responsibly.

This year’s summit was supported by an impressive lineup of global partners, reflecting the collaborative nature of the UAE’s digital economy. Platinum partners included Dell Technologies, Red Hat, and SER Group; Gold partners were Cisco, Mindware & NVIDIA, and Gama; and Silver partners included Johnson Controls and Ingram Micro.

“The event closed with renewed momentum toward building a resilient and inclusive digital economy. Moro Hub reaffirmed its mandate to support the UAE’s transition to a knowledge-based society powered by AI, clean data centers, sovereign cloud solutions, and cybersecurity excellence. The success of the 2025 edition once again positions the summit as one of the region’s most influential platforms for driving dialogue, partnerships, and innovation around digital sustainability,” concluded Bin Sulaiman.