The CIO's New Mandate – Empowering People, Driving Value, Leading with Resilience
In a world of relentless technological disruption, agility defines success. For CIOs, the challenge lies in cutting through the AI noise to identify what truly transforms their organizations. The UAE edition of CIO Xchange, taking place at Ras Al Khaimah, on June 17, brings together visionary leaders who are mastering this shift – by driving the AI Pivot to Scale.
IDC Research show that over 51% of organizations worldwide are currently in the “AI Pivot” stage of maturity, working to scale AI initiatives responsibly. In UAE, the AI landscape is advancing progressively, backed by visionary government investments and a high level of digital maturity across enterprises. CIOs in the country are emerging as the architects of AI-driven transformation – enabling business units to scale AI, ensuring measurable ROI, and collaborating with CHROs to build an AI-ready workforce.
With 58% of UAE organizations still deploying AI in silos, CIOs will play a critical role in driving cohesive, enterprise-wide adoption that strengthens readiness and deliver greater strategic impact. This indeed is their opportunity to step forward as orchestrators of transformation.
UAE CIO Xchange 2026 will explore key strategic imperatives around leadership, culture, collaboration and much more to help CIOs direct adaptable tech agendas. Through interactive sessions and peer-driven discussions, Xchange will uncover how leaders are enabling high-impact use cases while embracing governance, trust, and responsibility in AI adoption. Join us at Xchange 2026 where we build a community rather than just a network. Because in an AI-driven world, the real differentiator is not technology itself, but the mindset that powers it.
Why Attend?
The IDC CIO Xchange 2026 is the premier gathering for UAE’s CIOs and IT leaders, designed to address the rapidly evolving landscape of digital business strategy, technology leadership, and enterprise transformation. This event will bring together CIOs, digital innovation leaders, and industry experts for immersive dialogue, peer benchmarking, and hands-on workshops, focusing on aligning technology investments with business goals, navigating regulatory complexity, and driving sustainable growth in a dynamic digital era.
Building adaptive, resilient technology foundations that empower organizational agility and sustained growth.
Leveraging AI and agentic AI to drive intelligent automation, elevate productivity, and enable data-driven decision-making.
Addressing the complexities of legacy modernization, technical debt, and fragmented IT environments.
Embedding trust, security, and compliance as core principles in every technology and business decision.
Leading with vision by aligning digital investments to strategic business outcomes and delivering measurable stakeholder value.
