EDITORS LETTER3 Who is governing your decisions? e make judgements about people before they have said a word. A face, a gesture, a familiar way of speak- ing: our minds draw on years of experience to fi ll in the gaps. The more often we see the world through one lens, the easier it becomes to mistake an assumption for a fact. AI learns from patterns, too. Its training is far more complex than a human fi rst impression, but the question it raises feels familiar: what happens when the information shaping a decision is incom- plete, biased or simply wrong? Left unchecked, our own instincts can lead us astray. Systems built by humans need scrutiny as well. That is why this governance issue matters to me. Across the Mid- dle East, governments are putting AI to work while asking harder questions about how it should be used, who is accountable and whether it actually makes life better. The promise is real. So is the responsibility that comes with it. On our cover, H.E. Wesam Lootah, Director General – GovDigital of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement, takes us inside the effort to build an AI-native government. Our conver- sation goes beyond the technology to the people, decisions and safeguards needed to make it work. Elsewhere in the issue, Emir- ates’ Keenan Hamza discusses how technology is helping the air- line respond to disruption in real time. Our annual Power Players list brings together 42 leaders across 10 sectors, from government and telecommunications to en- terprise technology. Their work shows just how many decisions shape the region’s digital future. As we enter the fi nal quarter of 2026, I keep coming back to a smaller, more personal question. Governance is not confi ned to policy papers or boardrooms. It also lives in the choices we make every day: what we trust, what we question and when we choose to think for ourselves. So, as you turn these pages, take a moment to ask: who is gov- erning your decisions? Pavneet Kaur Editor W Edge_Oct2026_03_Ed Letter_13986636.indd 3Edge_Oct2026_03_Ed Letter_13986636.indd 330/09/2026 20:4530/09/2026 20:45CONTENTS4 P. 20 Opinion Mohammed Aboul-Magd of SandboxAQ, on why AI agents need performance reviews to measure business impact P. 32 Power Players EDGE’s annual power list recognises 42 technology leaders across 7 sectors shaping the region’s future P. 22 Quote of the month Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cybersecurity Council, calls for collective action in his opening remarks at GISEC 2026 P. 48 Feature Emirates airlines' Keenan Hamza on how the airline tests and deploys technology amid disruption P. 52 QnA Etihad Salam Tech's Abdullah Mohammed Khormani discusses the telecom brand's B2B offerings transformation P. 56 Gadgets From Apple’s latest devices to clever everyday tech, explore the launches catching our eye this month P. 16 Stat of the Month 68% of UAE respondents are saying that current safeguards are suffi cient to make AI use safe, compared to 43% globally P. 18 Timeline Tracing digital solutions provider Elm's growth and milestones in powering the Kingdom's digital government journey As geopolitical disruption tested aviation, Emirates put new technologies to a real-time stress test. Edge_Oct2026_4-5_Contents_14003213.indd 4Edge_Oct2026_4-5_Contents_14003213.indd 401/10/2026 23:5001/10/2026 23:50CONTENTS5 Cover story Abu Dhabi government's H.E Wesam Lootah shares how the emirate is advancing its bold vision of an AI-native government P. 24 Edge_Oct2026_4-5_Contents_14003213.indd 5Edge_Oct2026_4-5_Contents_14003213.indd 501/10/2026 23:5001/10/2026 23:50FLANNEL6 PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Geneva, London, Mumbai & Riyadh ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Managing Director Martin Chambers Deputy Managing Director Holly Sands Head of Business and Technology Thomas Shambler EDITORIAL Group Editor Thomas Mackie Editor Pavneet Kaur +971 4 444 3152; pavneet.kaur@itp.com ART Head of Creative Oliver Hazelwood oliver.hazelwood@itp.com Art Director Amjad Ayche amjad.ayche@itp.com Art Editor Tofiq Memon tofiq.memon@itp.com Contributing Art Director Gihane Youssef ADVERTISING Group Publishing Director Natasha Pendleton +971 4 444 3248; natasha.pendleton@itp.com Commercial Manager Neha Ghosh +971 4 444 3257; neha.ghosh@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Group Video Editor Bharat Tahiliani Videographer Sumeet Katira MARKETING Head of Events Eleanor Ashton eleanor.ashton@itp.com Senior Events Manager Kate Galaktionova Events Manager Gavin Moeketsi Associate Events Manager Vrinali Nazareth Associate Events Manager Maria Trishina Events Sales Assistant Joyce Salonga Events Coordinator Bobbie Rosario PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Senior Production & Distribution Manager Balasubramanian P Production Manager Anand Sundaram Circulation Executive Rajesh Pillai Distribution Coordinator Avinash Pereira NOTICE: The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. 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Edge_Oct2026_06_Fannel_13987291.indd 6Edge_Oct2026_06_Fannel_13987291.indd 630/09/2026 20:5430/09/2026 20:548BIG PICTURE UAE Pavillion, Dubai Expo City Edge_Oct2026_08-09_Big Picture_13986632.indd 8Edge_Oct2026_08-09_Big Picture_13986632.indd 830/09/2026 20:5330/09/2026 20:539BIG PICTURE The UAE’s 32 specialised AI advisers mark a new chapter in government decision-making AI takes a seat at the cabinet table When the UAE Cabinet convened inside the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, its striking all-white setting captured global attention. More than an arresting back- drop, it refl ected a government deter- mined to place the future at the heart of national decision-making. That ambition has now taken shape through technology that may be invis- ible, but could prove deeply infl uential. In September 2026, the UAE Cabinet approved a system of 32 specialised AI advisers to work alongside ministers around the clock. Drawing on approved data and sources, they will analyse pol- icies and legislation, assess their eco- nomic, social and environmental impact, examine global best practices and sup- port the implementation of government decisions. The development signals a defi n- ing shift in digital governance. AI is no longer limited to making public ser- vices faster or easier; it is beginning to inform how governments think, anticipate and decide. Yet the prin- ciple remains clear: technology can strengthen judgement, but human lead- ership must ultimately guide it. Edge_Oct2026_08-09_Big Picture_13986632.indd 9Edge_Oct2026_08-09_Big Picture_13986632.indd 930/09/2026 20:5330/09/2026 20:53Next >