CAAS Research unveiled key findings from its Middle East IT Industry Foresight 2025 at a readout event held at the DIFC Academy. The report, based on insights from over 450 tech leaders across various industry verticals in the region, highlights the strategic trends shaping the IT industry, including cybersecurity, AI, digital transformation, cloud computing, and IoT.
The event began with a keynote address by Charbel Zreiby from Dell Technologies, who emphasized the growing importance of AI in the IT industry. He predicted that AI will surpass cloud computing and digital transformation as the top priority for CIOs and IT executives in the coming years.
The event unfolded through a series of insightful panel discussions:
Panel 1: CIOs Shaping the IT Industry
Moderated by Kenneth Lindegaard (CIO, Space42), this session explored how CIOs are balancing innovation with operational demands. Topics included legacy system modernization and the rising importance of cloud-native architectures. The discussion also emphasized that true AI integration requires a solid foundation in digital transformation.
Panel 2: Cybersecurity Horizon 2025
Cybersecurity took center stage as experts examined strategies to counter evolving threats. Moderated by Faisal Khan (Dubai World Trade Center), the discussion highlighted the dual challenge of defending against AI-powered attacks while ensuring compliance with stringent regional regulations. Panelists advocated for proactive security measures, including zero-trust frameworks and AI-driven threat detection, to safeguard critical infrastructure and data.
Panel 3: AI in Action
The final panel, led by Aditya Kaushik (CIO, Zakher Marine), explored AI’s transformative potential across industries. Discussions focused on ethical considerations in AI deployment, the democratization of generative AI tools, and the importance of building robust data pipelines to drive innovation. Case studies from healthcare, logistics, and finance showcased how AI is improving efficiency and reshaping competitive landscapes.
Unveiling the CaaS Middle East IT Industry Foresight 2025
The highlight of the evening was the release of the CaaS Middle East IT Industry Report 2025, a comprehensive analysis derived from firsthand insights provided by CIOs.
Shoeb Mohammad Choudhari, Lead Research Analyst at CaaS, detailed the report’s methodology, emphasizing its foundation in firsthand industry expertise. J
Jayakumar Mohanachandran, Chief Research Officer at CAAS, who presented key findings from the report, stated: “We are discussing a very strong primary research effort, which is quite rare to see in most other organizations conducting similar studies. Amidst the constant noise of information overload, CAAS prioritizes direct access to primary data research—cutting through the clutter of secondary sources—while ensuring high-quality paraphrasing to deliver accurate, clear, and impactful insights. The key distinction here is that the findings emerging from this research are co-created, leveraging years of expertise and experience from industry leaders. This collective knowledge is then brought to market, highlighting the true power of this research.”
The key findings of the report include:
- 73% of Middle East enterprises prioritize AI and generative AI adoption by 2025, with investments focused on infrastructure, governance, and talent development.
- Cybersecurity budgets are expected to surge by 40%, as organizations prepare for sophisticated ransomware attacks and state-sponsored cyber threats.
- Public cloud migration will accelerate, with 60% of IT workloads expected to transition by mid-2025, driven by scalability and cost-efficiency needs.
Venkatesh Mahadevan, founding board member of IamCaaS, highlighted the significance of the report: “This is the only regional research report curated and produced by the region’s leading CIOs in collaboration with our CaaS Research team. This exclusive report serves as a strategic guide, offering actionable insights to help enterprises, governments, and SMEs navigate the complexities of the Middle East’s IT landscape and achieve sustainable, technology-driven growth.”
