Brings together institutional and publishing perspectives to consider what a regional knowledge ecosystem requires in practice. The session focuses on the capacity, public purpose and forms of cooperation needed for Arab and Gulf institutions to preserve, produce and circulate knowledge rather than simply consume systems and standards developed elsewhere.
Ian Fairservice
Ian Fairservice is the founder and managing partner of Motivate Media Group, one of the Middle East’s leading media and content companies.
A management graduate, Ian moved to Dubai in January 1978 as deputy general manager of the city’s second five-star hotel. Recognising the UAE’s emerging media landscape, he founded Motivate Publishing in 1979, launching the UAE’s first English-language magazines.
Motivate has evolved into a diversified media company spanning magazines, books, digital media, events, cinema advertising, influencer marketing and content creation.
MMG has published more than 400 books, including many by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and other well known authors such as Sir Wilfred Thesiger, Ronald Codrai OBE, Noor Ali Rashid, Ramesh Shukla and British royal photographer Lord (Patrick) Litchfield.
As representative of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity since 2000, founder of the Dubai Lynx Festival of Creativity and chairman of Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, Ian plays a pivotal role in advancing creative excellence.
He has been Chairman of the UAE chapter of the culinary association La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs for 40 years and serves on its World Board in Paris.
Alongside his business interests, Ian is vice chairman of the board of governors of the Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs, a position he has held for 30 years.
Prof. Saeed Khalfan Al Dhaheri
Professor Saeed Khalfan Al Dhaheri is an Emirati thought leader and expert with more than thirty years of experience in shaping technology adoption, AI governance, innovation, digital transformation and foresight across the public and private sectors. A pioneer in artificial intelligence, with work on neural networks dating back to 1990 at George Washington University, he combines deep academic grounding, senior government leadership and an influential international presence, and stands today among the leading global voices on the ethical, strategic and geopolitical governance of the future of intelligent technologies.
His contributions to the UAE’s digital and institutional infrastructure include senior leadership roles as Director General of the Emirates Identity Authority, member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the UAE Space Agency, adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on information technology, Chairman of Smart World LLC and Professor at the United Arab Emirates University, a career that helped build the country’s technology ecosystem.
He holds a distinguished portfolio of concurrent academic and research positions across three continents: Chair Professor at the School of Management of the Harbin Institute of Technology in China, Director of the Centre for Future Studies at the University of Dubai, Visiting Professor in AI at the University of Oxford, adjunct lecturer at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, and instructor on the executive programme for chief AI officers at the Abu Dhabi School of Management. In global policy, he is UNESCO Co-Chair in Anticipatory Systems, Chair of the AI Working Group of the Citiverse initiative (ITU, the UN International Computing Centre and Digital Dubai), President of the Emirates Robotics and Automation Society, and a former member of the Global Commission on AI in the military domain.
His expertise centres on four interlinked areas at the frontier between policy, technology and national competitiveness: ethical and responsible AI and AI governance; innovation and digital transformation; foresight; and the geopolitics of technology.
He has been invited to lecture at leading global and academic platforms, including the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, OPEC and universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and University College London. Through his work with UNESCO, the ITU and multilateral committees he has contributed to global frameworks on responsible AI, military AI governance, anticipatory governance and data ethics, strengthening the UAE’s intellectual presence on the world stage.
He is the author of “Digital Nation: How the UAE is Building a Future Based on Tech Innovation”, and has published in Harvard Business Review Arabia, MIT Technology Review Arabia, Times Higher Education, Human Futures (World Futures Studies Federation) and the Dubai Policy Review, and has been featured in Fast Company Middle East and MIT Sloan Management Review Middle East. He was named among the top 20 global influencers in AI governance for 2025 by the AI Governance Network (AIGN), is a LinkedIn Top Voice, and is a certified Data Ethics Facilitator of the Open Data Institute (UK). He has delivered hundreds of lectures, seminars and workshops, and dozens of advanced courses on generative AI for UAE government entities and international organisations.
He holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the United Arab Emirates University (1978), an MSc in Biomedical Engineering from George Washington University (1990) and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University, Philadelphia (1994).
Mohammed Hanif Al Qassim
Mohammad Hanif Al Qassim is Vice President of UAE Sales at Core42, where he leads commercial engagement across the UAE market, supporting the adoption of sovereign cloud, artificial intelligence and advanced digital infrastructure across government and enterprise sectors.
He brings extensive experience spanning public policy, national economic development, corporate strategy and digital transformation. Prior to joining Core42, he served as Assistant Undersecretary for Policies and Economic Studies at the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, contributing to strategic policy initiatives and national economic priorities.
His previous leadership positions include Chief Strategy Officer at Majra – National CSR Fund and Chief Operating Officer for Digital Transformation at CSR UAE Fund. Across these roles, he worked at the intersection of institutional strategy, innovation, sustainability and cross-sector collaboration.
Alongside his executive career, Mohammad is Managing Partner of The Manor Hotel by JA in Dubai and a member of the Global Advisory Council of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP). These roles complement his experience in private-sector operations, commercial development and international industry engagement.
Mohammad holds academic qualifications from Zayed University and Middlesex University Dubai and is a graduate of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. His professional interests include sovereign AI, digital competitiveness, economic diversification and the development of resilient, future-ready institutions.