CIO Middle East is proud to unveil the expanded CIO50 Middle East Awards in 2023, recognizing the top 50 senior technology executives driving innovation, strengthening resiliency, and influencing rapid change across the Middle East.
The CIO50 Middle East Awards are aligned with Foundry’s global awards program and are viewed as a mark of excellence within the enterprise. In 2021, CIO Middle East launched the first edition of the CIO50 Awards in the region, honouring transformational, inspirational, and enduring CIOs at both in-country and regional levels across the Middle East.
Technology leadership in numbers and words
Leaders of the CIO50 Middle East award winners collectively hold responsibility for more than 40,000 IT employees across the Middle East, averaging more than 500 staff members per organization. The list covers a range of technology positions, spanning CIO, CISO, CTO, and CDO, in addition to transformation, business, and executive roles across five countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
More than 15 industry sectors were represented as well, including financial services, healthcare, insurance, banking, real estate, telecommunications, aviation, government, transport, utilities, and trade unions.
The CIO50 Middle East awardee list highlights technology executives focused on creation and development, building first-to-market projects capable of overcoming the pandemic and setting the business up for future growth.
Such work also cements CIO50 Middle East as the leading awards program for technology leaders in the region, forming part of a broader worldwide initiative alongside the CIO50 Australia, CIO50 New Zealand, CIO100 ASEAN and CIO100 India Awards. These are in addition to CIO100 Awards in the US and UK.
Mantrac Group’s Fady Sleiman takes top honors
The top-ranked technology leader in 2023 is Fady Sleiman, Group Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Officer at Matrac Group and his team are leading a digital-first agenda, enabling Mantrac Group’s digital transformation journey while supporting the efficient and profitable operation of the company. Fady has held a number of group global roles such as CIO, CDO, CTO and chief advisor roles within the region for more than 20 years. Executing the transformations required changing the operating model, culture and launching new product lines and businesses.
The top 10 CIO50 Middle East awardees:
- Fady Sleiman, Group Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Officer, Mantrac Group
- Dr. Mubaraka Ibrahim, Chief Information Officer, Emirates Health Services
- Veneeth Purushotaman, Group CIO, Aster DM Healthcare LLC
- Abdalla Al Ali, Director of Information Technology, DMCC
- Hoda A.Alkhzaimi, President, Emirates Digital Association for Women
- Dr. Ammar Alhusaini, Deputy Director General, Central Agency for Information Technology (Kuwait)
- Mario Foster, Group CIO, Al Ghurair Group
- Hassan Salem, Chief Data Officer, Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority
- Shumon A. Zaman, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Ali&Sons
- Heide Young, Manager Cyber Strategy & Engagement, NEOM (KSA).
The complete list of CIO50 Awards winners listed alphabetically
- Abeer Khedr, Head of Cybersecurity, National Bank of Egypt
- Ahmed Wattar, Group Information Technology Director, Alfa Medical Group (Egypt)
- Akshay Lamba, Chief Digitla Officer, Kalaam Telecom
- Amna Al-Balushi, CISO, Bank Nizwa
- Anthony Lynsdale, VP IT, Atlantis Dubai
- Aziz Alkayyoomi, Director of IT, Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi
- Damian O’Gara, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Kent
- Dr. Joseph George, CTO, Smart Salem
- Dr. Joseph George, Group Chief Digital and Information Officer, Doha Bank
- Dr. Mohamed Hamed, CTO/CIO, Platino Group (Egypt)
- Erol Kaya, CTO, Arab Regional Payment and Settlement Organization (UAE)
- Faisal Ali, Group CIO, Gargash Group
- George Akhras, CIO at AMSI
- Garmin Abouel Atta, CIO, The British University in Egypt
- Gigi Thomas, Group Director – IT&Digital Transformation, Ittihad International Investment LLC
- Hala ElGhawi, Regional Senior Information and Cybersecurity Risk Manager, Standard Chartered Bank
- Hisham Mohamed, CISO, Emirates NBD Egypt
- Humood Jassim Humood, Director of IT, Ministry of Finance and National Economy (Bahrain)
- Jacob Mathew, Head of IT, Government of Abu Dhabi
- Jason Roos, CIO, KAUST University
- Krishnan Gopi, Group Chief Disruption Officer, GEMS Education
- Lars Gerhmann, Group Chief Digital Officer, Qatar Insurance Group
- Mai Alowaish, Chief Data and Innovation Officer, Gulf Bank
- Manal Allam, Digital Data and IT Business Partner, Merck Group Middle East
- Mohamed Al-Doseri, Chief Information Security Officer, Tasheel Finance
- Mohamed Al Shobani, CIO, SAICO Insurance
- Muath Alhomoud, Director of Cybersecurity, D360 Bank
- Mubarik Hussain, Director of IT, Bloom Holding
- Murat Ozkan, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Anadolu Efes
- Mustansir Aziz, Head of IT, Automech Group
- Nani M. Butti, Director Information Systems, Ministry of Youth and Sport Affairs Bahrain
- Pankaj Bajaj, IT Director, Kings College Hospital London (Jeddah)
- Sheeba Hasnain, Senior Digital Transformation Specialist
- Sirin Aktas, CIO & Executive Committee Member, Edenred Turkey
- Thomas Cherian, CIO, Commercial Bank of Dubai
- Thuraya Al-Harthi, Acting Director – Government Digital Services Unified Portal, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (Oman)
- Umesh Moolchandani, CIO, Bin Dasmal Group
- Wissam Al ADany, CIO, ADES Holding
- Yahyah Pandor, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Fine Hygienic Holding
- Yousef Al Suhaibani, CIO, Mobily (KSA)
SPECIAL CATEGORIES
CIO OF THE YEAR
- Fady Sleiman, Group Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Officer, Mantrac Group
CISO OF THE YEAR
- Mohamed Al-Doseri, Chief Information Security Officer, Tasheel Finance
LEADERSHIP IN INNOVATION
- Dr. Ammar Alhusaini, Deputy Director General, Central Agency for Information Technology (Kuwait)
- Mario Foster, Group CIO, Al Ghurair Group
- Veneeth Purushotaman, Group CIO, Aster DM Healthcare LLC
LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE
- Hassan Salem, Chief Data Officer, Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority
- Heide Young, Manager Cyber Strategy & Engagement, Tonomus NEOM
- Mai Alowaish, Chief Data and Innovation Officer, Gulf Bank
VISIONARY OF THE YEAR
- Hoda A.Alkhzaimi, President, Emirates Digital Association for Women
ESPECIAL RECOGNITION TO
- Women in Cybersecurity Middle East
IT TEAM OF THE YEAR
IT TEAM LEADER IN SUSTAINABILITY
IT TEAM LEADER IN INNOVATION
IT TEAM LEADER IN CULTURE
IT TEAM LEADER IN CUSTOMER VALUE
IT TEAM LEADER IN TALENT
The CIO50 Middle East Awards criteria
CIO50 Middle East was judged on the core pillars of innovation, culture and diversity, workplace, data intelligence and cybersecurity, honoring transformational, inspiring, and enduring CIOs at both in-country and regional levels within the Middle East.
All entries were reviewed by a select and independent CIO50 Middle East judging panel, Debbie Botha, Women in AI Middle East, Arturo Garcia, ex-CIO and Founder&CEO at Portvision, Mario Moreno del Toro, Editorial Coordinator Computerworld and CSO Foundry Spain and Victoria Mendes, Research Manager at IDC MEA, who rated each section of the questionnaire to determine the final list. The most powerful nominations provided real-world examples of where technology and digital chiefs are successfully providing value to organizations, driving innovation and leading teams.
