keynote speakers

Prof.Mona Hmoud Al-Sheikh

Topics: The Transformative Potential of Integrating AI in Healthcare Within the Framework of Smart Cities

Day: February 9, 2025 – Sunday

Time: 10:25 – 10:40 AM

Location : College Theater 

Mona Hmoud Al-Sheikh is an Associate Professor of Neurophysiology, and currently serves as the Vice-president of Saudi Society of Medical
Education (SSME). She is also the Head of the Research and Innovation Unit at the
College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), and an Academic
Quality Consultant at Imam Mohammad Bin Saud Islamic University (IMISIU). Since
2012, she has been a certified accreditation reviewer for the National Education and
Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) and is a member of the Central Assessment
Committee. Previously, she chaired the Department of Medical Education and
headed the Examination Center at the College of Medicine, IAU.
Dr. Mona Al-Sheikh has been instrumental in establishing the Medical Education
Department, the Faculty Development Program, the Interprofessional ESHPE
course, and the Examination Center at IAU’s College of Medicine. Academically, she
achieved the first position in the Kingdom (KSA) in high school, earned her MBBS
with distinction, and holds a Ph.D. in neurophysiology. Additionally, she completed a
Master’s in Health Professions Education (MHPE), an Advanced Assessment
Certificate from the University of Dundee, and a Postgraduate Degree in Assessment
and Accreditation from Keele University.
Dr. Mona has participated in three higher education quality tours with the Quality
Assurance Agency (QAA) and the National Commission for Academic Accreditation &
Assessment (NCAAA) of UK universities. She is also a 2019 Philadelphia FAIMER
Fellow, holds an Item Bank Administrator certificate from CUHK, and has earned a
Diploma in Artificial Intelligence and Python programming (Plymouth University).
Mona has published over 100 articles in reputable journals and conferences, is a reviewer
in many educational and medical journals and conferences and has achieved Prince
Mohammad bin Fahd Award for scientific research. Her main research interests are Early
onset dementia, Smoking and cognition, Learning theories and cognition, Assessment, and
competency -based education. Mona has just joined the ASU MENA Fri faculty in 2020.

Dr.Samer Yamak

Topics:Measuring What Matters: Challenges in Smart City Indices and Their Impact on Urban Well-Being

Day: February 9, 2025 – Sunday

Time: 10:40 – 10:55AM

Location : College Theater 

brings 24+ years of digital transformation leadership with a peculiar focus on smart cities and mega projects. Samer worked in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and United States and has great pleasure to have worked at Microsoft, Cisco, Orange, Honeywell and PwC; supporting public and private organization to maximize value creation, technology adoption and citizen engagement. Samer has won 11 global awards including 2 x President Club Awards as was lately featured in the Passion Vista magazine as “One of the top 50 Men Leaders to look up to in 2023”. Samer has chaired over the past few years in 12 several workshops as panelists and SME including Big 5 Saudi, WOW Hospitality and sharing insights, opportunities, and challenges on the technology outlook for the real estate and urban development in the Kingdom. Samer was also part of the Judging panel of the Big 5 Global Impact Awards held in November 2024. Samer holds a master’s in computer engineering from Lebanon, a dual MBA degree from United Kingdom and is currently a DBA candidate with Heriot-Watt University developing a smart city benchmarking tool for Saudi smart cities.

Dr. Abdullah AlSuaybi

Topics:From Connectivity to Intelligence 5G Open RAN and AI for Smarter Cities

Day: February 10, 2025 – Monday

Time: 12:00 – 12:15PM

Location : College Theater 

Accomplished Senior Telecommunications Professional | Digital Transformation Program Manager | Certified Technology Leader

Abdullah AlSuaybi is the Founder and CEO of International Enabling Training and Consulting, Past-Chair, IEEE Communications Society Saudi Chapter, Committee Member, IEEE CESoc International Affairs Co-Founder, Board Chair of Innovation and Technology Association, Co-Founder IoT in KSA Association.

He is a highly accomplished senior telecommunications professional with over 15 years of expertise in driving innovative digital transformation projects across Radio Access Networks (RAN), and Backhaul Networks. Abdullah has spearheaded numerous cutting-edge projects, particularly in the evolution of RAN and the deployment of advanced network performance solutions, such as Cloud RAN, O-RAN RIC, 5G SA Network Analytics Platform, and mMIMO technologies. His strategic leadership has influenced top-tier telecom operators, including stc, to adopt pioneering solutions like Geosynthesis, Tutella, Auto Cell and Site Planning, Carrier Aggregation, and Active Beamforming, significantly reducing drive tests and enhancing network efficiency.

Abdullah’s notable achievements include leading the first Geosynthesis network digital twin and overseeing O-RAN Radio Intelligence Controller (RIC) proof-of-concept deployments on live networks in the MENA region, delivering outstanding network performance. Abdullah’s technical leadership extends to pre-selling and delivering other projects in LTE, LTE+, and 5G technologies. He has played a critical role in designing, digitizing, and automating network planning, including spectrum refarming, cross-spectrum technology design, and 5G network slicing for IoT and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).

Abdullah is also a well-recognized Trainer and Consultant in emerging wireless networks and technologies, who has conducted extensive training needs assessments (TNA) and designed over 80 enablement programs for telecom operators and government entities, including STC, Mobily, CST, MCIT, and the Nokia Academy. His contributions include creating the first specialized audit course for 5G network elements, delivering to Mobily’s executive leadership, and crafting innovative training solutions in 5G Advanced, LTE-M, and IoT use cases.

Certifications & Recognitions

Abdullah’s commitment to professional excellence is demonstrated by an impressive array of certifications and accolades:

• Published more than 20 journal articles and conference papers
• Bell Labs 5G Expert (Virtuoso) – Recognized as the first globally qualified Bell Labs 5G expert
• Nokia Technology Certifications – Expert and professional levels in MN Radio, 5G SA Sales, Radio Evolution, Network Planning, and Automation Solutions
• Leadership & Management – Certified PMP, PRINCE2, MSP, CSM, and APTD
• Advanced Technical Certifications – NCSS Network Design, NCSS Network Optimization, Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (NDAC), IoT Security Architecture, Cellular IoT, and End-to-End 5G and IoT Solutions from Bell Labs and Nokia

Contact Information

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://ietc.training/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/abdullah-alsuaybi-phd-mba-pmp®-prince2®-msp®-csm®-9b848b33

Dr. Hilal Houssain

Topics:Establishing Trust in Smart Cities: Advancing Security and Privacy in IoT, AI,

              and Distributed Energy Systems through Cryptographic Innovations.

Day: February 10, 2025 – Monday

Time: 12:15 – 12:30 PM

Location : College Theater 

Dr. Hilal Houssain Associate Manager, Knowledge Solutions Team, Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI)
Dr. Hilal Houssain serves as the Associate Manager for the Knowledge Solutions Team at the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI), where he leads the design and development of platform-level innovations. His work focuses on leveraging cutting-edge technologies, including Blockchain and AI/ML, to address financial and economic development challenges, transforming theoretical concepts into impactful, real-world solutions.
With over two decades of expertise in information security and cryptography, Dr. Houssain has made significant contributions to securing critical systems for financial institutions. His experience spans cryptographically secured transactions for chip-based payment cards, authentication and authorization mechanisms, and the development of countermeasures against sophisticated attacks targeting cryptographic algorithms and implementations.
Dr. Houssain holds a PhD in Computer Science with a specialization in Cryptography from the University Blaise Pascal, France. He is an accomplished innovator with five patents in cryptography and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), alongside numerous publications in leading international journals and conferences. His groundbreaking work bridges advanced cryptographic research with emerging technologies to address challenges in secure and privacy-centric ecosystems.