AI readiness takes center stage at Dubai CIO summit

School counselors aren’t sure what to tell students to pursue anymore, as the pace of change in the employment landscape is changing so fast. And executives are feeling the heat too.

The rapid adoption of AI technologies in the Middle East is creating urgent demands for new IT skillsets and capabilities. At the 18th IDC Middle East CIO Summit in Dubai, leading technology executives gathered to address the critical challenge of building AI-ready IT teams.

The core challenge: Organizations face a fundamental mismatch between the pace of AI advancement and their teams’ ability to adapt and implement these technologies effectively.

• IT leaders highlight the struggle to operate at the increased speed demanded by AI implementations
• The rapid evolution of technology often outpaces traditional training programs, with course content becoming outdated before completion
• Many organizations and employees still underestimate the transformative impact of AI on work processes

Expert perspectives: Regional technology leaders emphasize the urgency of addressing the AI skills gap while highlighting specific areas requiring immediate attention.

• Adam Lalani, CTO at Alliad (UAE), points to the challenge of accelerated decision-making and the constant evolution of technical requirements
• Ahmed Al Zarouni, First VP Head of IT at a UAE Government Entity, warns that organizations slow to adapt risk being overtaken by more agile competitors
• Dion Thorpe, Vice President Digital at Bahri (KSA), emphasizes the importance of enhanced business collaboration and understanding user needs

Strategic priorities: The summit identified key focus areas for developing AI-ready IT teams.

• Organizations must prioritize skill assessment and gap analysis to identify critical training needs
• Data architecture, security, and governance emerge as crucial technical competencies
• Cross-functional collaboration and change management skills are deemed essential for successful AI implementation

Educational investment: Summit participants stressed the importance of comprehensive training and development programs.

• Companies are urged to invest in upskilling their existing workforce rather than solely relying on external hiring
• Khaled Salem, CIO of BSF-JB (KSA), advocates for partnerships between companies, academies, and universities to develop AI talent
• Training programs should focus on practical applications of AI technologies in business contexts

Looking ahead: Regional implications: The Middle East’s ambitious AI adoption goals will require a synchronized effort between educational institutions, businesses, and government entities to develop and maintain competitive IT talent pools, with success largely dependent on the region’s ability to rapidly close the existing skills gap.