Gulf Business Machines (GBM), IBM and IDC brought together senior technology leaders in Dubai to examine how UAE organisations can move from artificial intelligence (AI) pilots to secure, governed and scalable agentic AI systems.
The executive conference, titled “The Agentic Enterprise: Closing the Gap Between AI Ambition and AI Operations,” was held at Jumeirah Mina Al Salam. The discussions focused on the operational, infrastructure, governance and security challenges businesses face as AI becomes increasingly embedded in core operations. IDC forecasts that AI spending in the UAE will reach $5.78 billion by 2029.
From AI pilots to enterprise-scale deployment
The summit focused on the growing gap between experimenting with AI and deploying it at enterprise scale.
Speakers and technology leaders explored what organisations need to build AI systems that can operate securely and autonomously across business functions, with discussions spanning AI-ready infrastructure, automation and agentic AI.
The event programme included sessions on scaling AI responsibly, integration and cost control, digital sovereignty, and the requirements for UAE enterprises to deliver AI at scale.
Four pillars shape enterprise AI discussions
The conference examined the practical requirements for enterprise-scale AI across several areas.
Discussions contrasted infrastructure designed for AI workloads with legacy systems, while also examining how intelligent automation can reduce deployment friction.
Another key focus was the transition of agentic AI from pilot projects into production environments, where organisations must address governance, security, visibility and operational requirements.
IDC's keynote also examined the state of enterprise AI adoption in the UAE and the gap between AI experimentation and production deployment.
Digital sovereignty becomes increasingly important
As companies move towards AI systems capable of executing complex workflows, the conference highlighted the importance of secure and sovereign infrastructure.
The discussions centred on how enterprises can maintain greater control over their data, systems and AI operations while meeting regulatory and business requirements.
Attendees also viewed a demonstration of advanced IBM systems recently acquired by GBM, highlighting the company's focus on developing a resilient and compliant regional AI infrastructure ecosystem.
Industry leaders share AI perspectives
The conference featured senior speakers from the three organising organisations, including Dr Feras Al Jabi, General Manager, Technology at GBM; Shukri Eid, Vice-President and General Manager – Gulf, Levant and Pakistan at IBM Gulf; and Melih Murat, Associate Research Director, Artificial Intelligence (META) at IDC.
The programme also included a panel discussion on what UAE enterprises need to deliver AI at scale, covering technology, talent, governance and organisational readiness.
GBM highlights need for secure AI infrastructure
Dr Feras Al Jabi said organisations in the region need more than computing capacity to innovate with AI, pointing to the importance of secure and localised infrastructure that reflects regional compliance requirements and business environments.
He described the agentic enterprise as a model in which AI moves beyond supporting decision-making to becoming an active driver of organisational growth within a secure and seamless environment.
GBM and IBM have also continued to collaborate on enterprise AI, with GBM identifying the right infrastructure, governance and execution capabilities as critical to helping organisations move from AI experimentation towards measurable business value.
UAE AI investment expected to accelerate
The summit comes as AI adoption in the UAE moves towards wider enterprise deployment. IDC's forecast of $5.78 billion in AI spending by 2029 points to the scale of investment expected as organisations expand AI across infrastructure, automation and business operations.
The conference therefore placed emphasis on the foundations required to ensure that growing AI investment translates into secure, governed and commercially sustainable deployments rather than isolated pilot projects.
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