Dana Shatila

Most UAE businesses fail cloud audits for the same hidden reasons misconfigured access, missing security baselines, weak monitoring, and unclear governance. Pinnacle helps identify these gaps early by aligning Azure and hybrid environments with strict cloud architecture and compliance standards. Stay audit-ready before the auditors arrive.

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🚨 For customers moving out of AWS UAE, consider using InCountry to fully isolate your data within the UAE while running your app in another region.

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++ KPMG Middle East Reinforces Google Cloud Alliance to Deliver Practical Digital Transformation ++ KPMG Middle East announced the regional expansion of its Google Cloud adoption, reinforcing its commitment to accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies across the Gulf. The expanded collaboration between KPMG Middle East and Google Cloud highlights KPMG’s commitment to turning enterprise AI, secure cloud adoption, and digital innovation into practical outcomes. The collaboration will support organizations in sectors such as financial services, energy, government, and retail, helping them integrate responsible AI into business processes, migrate critical workloads to scalable cloud environments, and design customer experiences powered by real-time data and personalization. “Enterprises across the Gulf are moving from pilot projects to scaled deployment of AI and cloud. Our role is to guide them through that shift with frameworks that ensure responsible use of technology, measurable value creation, and alignment with regulatory priorities. Choosing Google Cloud allows us to combine advanced platforms with sector-specific insights, giving organizations a foundation for sustainable growth in the digital economy. We are seeing organizations place customer experience at the heart of their digital strategy, and this alliance helps them build seamless, data-driven journeys that respond to evolving customer expectations.” –Robert PTASZYNSKI, Partner and Head of Technology, KPMG Middle East “Clients in the Middle East are prioritizing secure data management, modernization of core systems, and customer experience at scale. By working with KPMG, we bring these priorities together in a practical way: combining their deep management consultancy capabilities and trusted advisory with the latest AI and cloud capabilities. This enables enterprises to move beyond efficiency gains and deliver richer, more personalized experiences that strengthen competitiveness and long-term loyalty.” – İbrahim Çınar, Google Cloud’s Head of Channels and Alliances Middle East, North Africa & Turkey (MENAT) 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dyKRHaWw #TechAfricaNews #KPMGMiddleEast #GoogleCloud #AI #DigitalInnovation #EnterpriseTech #GulfTech #ResponsibleAI #DataAnalytics

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𝘼𝙄 + 𝘾𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙 = 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝘿𝙪𝙤 𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙀𝘼 IDC’s latest report reveals how enterprises in the Middle East & Africa are merging AI and cloud strategies to innovate, scale, and stay compliant. 📌 Key trends: - Local AI-enabled cloud services rising in UAE & KSA - Compliance drives provider choices - Cloud is the platform, AI is the value “AI and cloud are evolving together — co-innovation is the new edge.” — Nitesh Rathi, IDC 🔗 Get the report: https://ow.ly/T3ma50Wkcbg #AIonCloud #DigitalTransformation #CloudComputing #AI #MEAtech

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The acceleration of digital transformation across the Middle East has increased the demand for platforms that combine flexibility, scalability, and powerful

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The Middle East is winning the future. But its Enterprise Architecture is still stuck in 2005. And nobody owns the whole Enterprise model anymore. -Dubai is attracting the world’s best talent. -RTA is a global benchmark. -Abu Dhabi Airport is already a world leader in experience and operations. Customs, mobility, energy, digital banking—transformed. So why is the architecture of execution still being handed down by global firms selling 20-year-old frameworks? 📉 Why is your EA team still talking about cloud APIs and microservices?? 📉 While your CEO is asking: "Why can't we execute across departments?" You don't have ONE architecture. You have 100 mini-rameworks in 100 PROJECTS resulting in CONFLICTS than coherency. And nobody owns the WHOLE ENTERPRISE anymore. What we’re seeing is NOT an IT problem. -It’s a misalignment between vision and structure. -It’s an enterprise trying to fly with a broken nervous system. That’s why Abu Dhabi Think Tank 2025 is not another framework showcase. It’s a correction. 1.We’re moving from EA-IT → to Enterprise Execution Architecture 2. From layered models → to One Enterprise, One Anatomy 3. From Governance → to Decision Clarity 4. From talking Tech → to Realigning 15 Departments structurally -->This room is not for theory. It’s for leaders tired of watching strategy die in slide decks. 📅 30–31 July | Abu Dhabi Think Tank 2025 👇 PDF overview below. If you know you should be in this room—get in now. #EnterpriseAnatomy #ExecutionArchitecture #AbuDhabiThinkTank #ICMG #StrategyExecution #DigitalTransformation #MiddleEastLeadership

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Ahmed Khairat is a seasoned technology leader and AI-driven enterprise architect, recognized for his ability to design and scale intelligent platforms that power digital transformation across industries. With a strong track record in executive leadership roles, he most recently served as Executive Director of Architecture at SCAI | سكاي, where he led large-scale AI and enterprise architecture initiatives in Saudi Arabia. His expertise spans enterprise platforms, AI integration, and strategic technology leadership, enabling organizations to modernize infrastructure and unlock business value through advanced digital ecosystems. Prior to this, Ahmed Khairat held key leadership roles including Chief Technology Officer at The Family Office Company BSC (c) Company and Technology Architecture Delivery Senior Manager at Accenture. Across his career, he has consistently driven innovation through solution architecture, stakeholder alignment, and enterprise-wide transformation strategies. His earlier roles at THIQAH Business Services and solutions by stc Solutions further strengthened his foundation in application and enterprise architecture. With deep expertise in AI platforms, governance, and scalable systems, Ahmed continues to influence the future of enterprise technology as a trusted advisor, CTO, and board-level strategist. #AhmedKhairat #AILeadership #EnterpriseArchitecture #AIMena

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A decisive signal from #UAE leadership today highlights the unwavering commitment to investment in key sectors. With a focus on AI enablement, energy, and critical infrastructure, the $1.4 trillion UAE–U.S. investment commitment is set to accelerate capital deployment. This reaffirmation reflects the defining characteristics of UAE regional leadership: resilience, long-term orientation, and determination. Full article below. #AI #DataCenters #Energy #Infrastructure #UAE #USA #Resilience

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🚨 17 Days Without Control: When Cloud Infrastructure Turns Against You For the past 17 days, we’ve been dealing with a critical issue on AWS in the UAE region — one that has gone far beyond a technical inconvenience. Every attempt to stop instances or adjust configurations is met with the same blocking message: “Request limit exceeded… throttled due to an operational issue in availability zone mec1-az1” This message has effectively become the center of the problem — a barrier between us and our own infrastructure. 📉 What does this mean in reality? No ability to stop or scale down servers No control over operational schedules No flexibility in managing resources Servers that were designed to run only during working hours are now running 24/7, with zero control. 💸 The financial impact is immediate and severe: Operational costs have significantly increased Resources are being consumed unnecessarily Budgets are under unexpected pressure ⚠️ And here’s the most challenging part: After contacting AWS support, the recommendation was clear: 👉 Migrate your infrastructure to another region But this raises a critical concern: Who is responsible for the cost of this migration? Because the reality is: We are already paying for servers running 24/7 instead of business hours We are expected to cover the cost of migrating infrastructure We must absorb the effort of reconfiguration, testing, and risk In short, businesses are being forced to carry both the cost of the issue and the cost of the workaround. 💡 Key lessons learned: Multi-region architecture is no longer optional Relying on a single availability zone is a risk True cloud resilience requires control — even during outages Cost risk must be part of infrastructure design decisions 🤝 To the tech community: Have you faced a situation where you lost control over your cloud infrastructure? How did you manage the operational and financial impact? In cloud computing, resilience is not just about uptime… it’s about maintaining control when things go wrong. #AWS #CloudComputing #DevOps #Infrastructure #TechLeadership #BusinessContinuity #CloudChallenges

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What does it take to lead AI at the enterprise scale? This November the Executive Program for Chief AI Officers (CAIO) at Abu Dhabi School of Management (ADSM) brings together ten intensive modules designed to prepare leaders to become the Maestros of AI — mastering strategy, governance, infrastructure, and innovation. Over two weeks, participants will explore: ◾️The Strategic Role of the CAIO — connecting AI to measurable growth ◾️AI Fundamentals & Systems Design — from LLMs to architecture ◾️Responsible AI, Cybersecurity & Ethics — embedding trust by design ◾️AI Infrastructure & Sovereign AI — building readiness for the future ◾️Leadership & Strategy Labs — crafting winning AI roadmaps You’ll learn directly from experts at NVIDIA, HCLTech, Core42, Mubadala, and others shaping AI adoption across industries and government. 👇 We’d love to hear your thoughts: Which capability do you think defines a successful CAIO today? 📅 Applications close soon — secure your seat: https://lnkd.in/gmCirtak Abu Dhabi School of Management (ADSM) #ChiefAIOfficer #AILeadership #ExecutiveEducation #MENA #PolynomeAI #ADSM #AITransformation

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UAE SMBs: Key AWS updates to know today​ IBM will make its enterprise software and watsonx AI portfolio available as SaaS on AWS Cloud Regions in the UAE and KSA, helping organizations meet data residency and compliance requirements while accelerating modernization and AI adoption.​ The UAE Cybersecurity Council, with AWS, launched a multi‑year Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator to support 500+ startups with mentorship, funding access, and advanced security tech—timely for founders scaling on AWS in the region.​ Following this week’s major AWS outage, experts and regional commentary underscore the need for resilience patterns like multi‑AZ design, DNS hardening, and well‑tested runbooks; local regions (including UAE) help reduce latency and support continuity planning for critical workloads.​ For UAE startups and SMBs, the IBM–AWS move simplifies access to enterprise‑grade AI and data tools within local regions, while the new accelerator can speed go‑to‑market for cybersecurity innovators building on AWS.​ Actionable next steps: evaluate fit for IBM SaaS on AWS UAE for governed AI use cases, revisit resilience architecture in light of outage lessons, and consider applying to the cybersecurity accelerator to leverage AWS expertise and ecosystem support.​ #AWSUAE​ #CloudForStartups​ #Cybersecurity​ #AIinBusiness​ #Resilience​ #DubaiTech

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🚀 UAE Leads the World in AI Accessibility: ❤️Free ChatGPT Plus for All Residents In a pioneering move, the United Arab Emirates has become the first country globally to offer free access to ChatGPT Plus for every resident and citizen. This unprecedented initiative is part of a strategic partnership with OpenAI under the ambitious "Stargate UAE" ℹ️Implications: This bold step underscores the UAE's commitment to integrating advanced AI technologies into daily life, enhancing accessibility, and positioning the nation at the forefront of global AI innovation. #UAE #AI #ChatGPTPlus #Innovation #TechnologyLeadership

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Technology Innovation Institute and AI71 Collaborate with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Web Services to Scale AI Innovations in the UAE and Beyond Read : https://lnkd.in/dzVZi8WJ

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CIO as strategic architect. In the latest issue of The Titans magazine, Dr. Majeda Al Marzooqi, Director – IT Service Delivery & Operations at EDGE Group, shares how the CIO role is evolving from technology leader to strategic architect in 2026. Don’t miss this insightful conversation. Plus, more exclusive interviews with industry leaders shaping the future of technology. Flip to Page 6 to read the full interview. Link in the comments below 👇 Rehisha PE | Arun Shankar | Jeevan Thankappan | ajay arya | Anushree Dixit | Jennefer Lorraine Mendoza | Ningil Talaman Destacamento #TitansMagazine #CIOLeadership #StrategicArchitect #DigitalLeadership #TechLeaders #FutureOfCIO #EnterpriseTechnology #ITLeadership

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