INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS
Snowflake appoints Ali Al-Ismail as Country Manager for Saudi Arabia
Snowflake , the AI Data Cloud company , announced the appointment of Ali Al-Ismail as Country Manager for Saudi Arabia , further highlighting the company ’ s commitment to growing the local business , being closer to local customers to maximise their data investment and business value with Snowflake ’ s platform , and aligning to the Kingdom ’ s Vision 2030 to support industries with their digital economic growth .
The appointment of Ali follows the company ’ s recent establishment of its regional headquarters in Riyadh , as well as the local deployment on Google Cloud Dammam , Saudi Arabia to help customers meet data sovereignty and residency requirements within the Kingdom .
In his new role at Snowflake , Ali will be responsible for the growth of the company ’ s operations in Saudi Arabia , including developing relationships with customers and prospects , such as government entities and local businesses , expanding the local partner ecosystem , and growing the local Snowflake team .
Ali Al-Ismail , Country Manager for Snowflake KSA , said : “ Saudi Arabia is a dynamic growth market that is rapidly
Ali Al-Ismail
transitioning to a data-driven economy . Snowflake is really at the forefront of this technological shift and this was a key driver in my move to Snowflake .”
Ali brings nearly 20 years of experience in sales leadership and business development having held senior roles at technology companies , including Oracle , Microsoft , Cisco , and Alcatel , with a focus on the oil and gas industries , utilities , and mid-market growth companies .
Most recently , Ali served as senior sales provider for Oracle in Saudi Arabia , where he built high-performing SaaS sales and channel teams from the ground up and achieved double-digit growth for the company ’ s cloud solutions . Ali is a graduate with a computer engineering degree from the King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals .
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AMD CEO Dr Lisa Su appointed to MBZUAI Board of Trustees
Under the directives of His Highness
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi , His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan , Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council , AIATC , has issued a resolution to reconstitute the Board of Trustees of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence , MBZUAI , Chaired by His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak .
Members further comprise His Excellency Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi , His Excellency Saif Saeed Ghobash , Rima Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi , Professor Daniela Rus , Dr Lisa Su , Peng Xiao , Martin Edelman and Professor Eric Xing .
His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan said : “ We take immense pride in MBZUAI , this remarkable scientific institution that reinforces the UAE ’ s pioneering role in AI and reflects a visionary commitment to shaping an innovative , knowledge-driven future , in line with the vision of our wise leadership .
“ MBZUAI is recognised as one of the world ’ s top educational institutions in artificial intelligence . Focusing on embracing the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution , the university inspires the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators while supporting the UAE ’ s vision and strategy for AI .
“ Through groundbreaking research , MBZUAI addresses critical challenges across key sectors – locally and globally – covering healthcare , transportation and logistics , environmental sustainability , energy , smart cities , manufacturing , fintech and more . Since its establishment in January 2024 , AIATC has been regulating , implementing and developing policies and strategies related to AI and advanced technologies in
Abu Dhabi . The AIATC is vital in fostering research , investments and collaborations with local and international partners , positioning Abu Dhabi as a global provider in AI and advanced technology .”
Dr Lisa Su
58 www . intelligenttechchannels . com