Speakers

With over two decades of strategic marketing leadership experience, Hussein is a seasoned commercial executive who has shaped brand narratives across diverse sectors in the Middle East and Europe.

Following his education at Dublin Business School, Hussein established his foundation in advertising technology and digital marketing in Ireland before relocating to Qatar in 2004 to join Qatar Airways as Marketing Manager. His career trajectory continued as he spearheaded marketing and communications divisions for prominent financial institutions including Rayan and Barwa Bank.

An entrepreneurial vision led Hussein to establish multiple successful ventures in Doha, specialising in advertising, film production, and talent services. In 2018, he joined the leadership team as founding CEO at Katara Studios.

Ahmad Fahad Al-Shagra, a graduate of the University of Sunderland, currently serves as the Chief Platform Officer, specializing in product growth and innovation . A recognized figure in the Middle East tech arena, Ahmad is not only a mentor to emerging startups but also a startup enthusiast himself, having successfully achieved an exit previously. His visionary leadership and relentless pursuit of excellence continually set new industry standards.

Alessandro is currently the Chief Strategy Officer at STARZPLAY, in charge of data analytics, business planning, M&A, fundraise and special projects. Alessandro joined the company in 2021 to lead the transformational fundraise where e& Group and ADQ took the majority of STARZPLAY and injected $100m of primary capital to support its growth. After that, Alessandro was key to conceptualise and execute the Sport and Advertising strategy that fuelled STARZPLAY growth in the last 2 years. Before that, Alessandro was a principal investor at Delta Partners Capital, a $200m growth capital fund investing in technology companies across several markets. In his role Alessandro invested in more than 20 companies with several exits including Ciphercloud (acquired by Lookout), Knowlarity (Gupshup), Aricent (Altran) and Virgin Mobile Poland (Play)”

Mohamed Elgohary is the Head of Business Development at Yango Play, a cutting-edge AI-powered entertainment streaming Super App. He oversees the B2B distribution strategy, forging partnerships with leading telecom operators, eCommerce platforms, voucher distributors, and big screen providers across the MENA region.

With a rich background in sales management, partnerships, and commercial operations, Mohamed has successfully led initiatives across the OTT, broadcasting, e-commerce, telecommunications, and retail sectors. He has been instrumental in driving revenue growth for global brands by negotiating and managing key relationships with telecom operators and OEMs in the region. His expertise lies in building strategic alliances, navigating complex commercial deals, and expanding market presence for digital and entertainment platforms

coming soon

Freddy is a seasoned sports and media executive with over a decade of experience driving commercial growth across the MENA region. Currently serving as the Senior Commercial Manager at Dentsu Sports International, he leads strategic partnerships and rights commercialization across key sports properties and brands.

With a track record of delivering innovative sponsorship solutions Freddy has worked with rights holders, broadcasters, brands, tech platforms, and government entities to activate impactful campaigns and drive ROI through sport. Prior to joining Dentsu, he held senior roles at VUZ and before that Opta (Stats Perform), where he pioneered immersive content initiatives with leading sports leagues and events across football, combat sports, and esports.

As Channel Director for MBC 2, MBC 4, MBC Max and Shahid AVOD content, Lina Matta steers the
creative and strategic vision of the channels as well as works on achieving the ratings and financial
milestones. On AVOD she does a balancing act between TV & AVOD while shepherding new initiatives
like launching FAST channels and integrating podcasters and YouTubers to enrich the platform’s offering.
Matta also sits on the Content Coordination Unit (CCU) that assesses all pitches submitted to MBC, and
on the Content Board that makes the case for getting the selected projects greenlit.
Before joining MBC GROUP, Matta was a media consultant at Dubai Media Incorporated, where she
masterminded the transformation of Dubai One, overseeing everything from content acquisition to
production.
As the co-founder of the New York based Brown Hats Productions, Lina Matta co-produced two award-
winning documentaries Running for Bogota, and Prison Lullabies, and a digital talk show about books,
Titlepage.tv . Since 2012, Matta has curated ANA an annual film series at BAM in Brooklyn that
celebrates the best of Contemporary Arab Cinema.
Matta sits on the Advisory Board of the Mohamed Bin Rashed School of Communication (MBRSC) at
AUD and is a voting member of BAFTA.
A native of Lebanon, Lina Matta has an undergraduate degree in Mass Communication from LAU and a
Master’s degree in Film Production from Boston University.
She divides her time between Riyadh, NY, Dubai, and Lebanon

Scott heads B2B distribution and partnerships for the Shahid VOD service at MBC GROUP, focused on enhancing Shahid’s network of partnerships with telecom operators, connected device manufacturers, payment services, and a variety of consumer finance, retail, travel and digital service companies.  

Through 25 years’ experience in the ICT sector, Scott has conducted business in over 50 countries on six continents.  Following his passion for leading expansion in international growth markets, he relocated to Dubai in 2009, and has since helped open distribution and operations across the Middle East, African and Asia. Prior to Shahid, Scott has worked with Mondia Group, Docomo (Buongiorno!) and Motorola, and holds an MBA from the University of Miami Herbert Business School

Kalpesh Barot, Vice President of Product at StarzPlay, brings over 15 years of leadership in the OTT and digital media space. A pioneer in shaping scalable streaming experiences across MENA, Kalpesh has led transformative product strategies at Shahid and now at StarzPlay—delivering innovations in SVOD, AVOD, sports interactivity, and cross-platform UX. His approach is rooted in data-driven design, AI-powered personalization, and innovative monetization strategies that elevate user engagement and business growth

Rana Jerdak is an accomplished Acquisition & Planning Supervisor at Al Mashhad,
where she leverage her extensive experience in content acquisition and strategic
programming. With a strong background in the media industry since 2014, Rana
Jerdak previously held key roles serving as a Senior Programming Executive and
later as an Acquisition Executive.
She improved her skills in identifying and securing high-quality content, developing
programming strategies, and fostering relationships with content providers. Her
expertise in market trends and audience preferences has consistently contributed to
successful programming initiatives and audience growth.
Passionate about delivering compelling content, Rana Jerdak is dedicated to
enhancing the viewer experience and driving the success of Al Mashhad’s
programming lineup.

Darine El Khatib is the Vice President – Film Productions, Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment. With over 20 years of experience in regional and international broadcasting and media industry, she is a senior media executive and storyteller who strongly believes in women empowerment and providing a platform for upcoming and passionate talent. Darine’s widespread knowledge in high quality production, content and brand development best position her to reflect the regional audiences’ demands and expectations.

In her current role, Darine is responsible for building capabilities to source, review scripts, validate the development and production budgets, and oversee the different stages of film production from pre-production to release. Prior to joining Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, Darine was the Senior Vice President – Original Productions & Arabic Services at OSN, where she oversaw the new content umbrella dedicated to the production of regional content such as OSN+ Originals.

Previously she was the Senior Director at Warner Media where she oversaw the Creative/Content Strategy & Brand Development and have successfully strengthened the brand’s presence and competitiveness in MENA, Turkey, Greece & Cyprus.  Prior to joining Warner Media, she spent a decade at Discovery Networks as Channel director, to launch and oversee multiple Channels in the region.

Darine played a key role in launching the Middle East’s first dedicated 24-hour food network ‘Fatafeat’ and securing the first deal of having a local media brand acquired by Global Media Company – Discovery.

She has helped develop and commission numerous successful original programming formats and content across the region. Pursuing her passion, Darine directed the mid-length film Barriers of Time, screened at the Monaco Film Festival. Notably, she was the lead actress in the feature film ‘Love’s Improvisations’ screened at the Dubai International Film Festival and shortlisted for ‘Best Actress’ at the Madrid International Film Festival & St. Tropez International Film Festival in 2013. She also has a Travelogue show “My World to You” among other TV shows. Darine is the UNFAO Goodwill Ambassador for Zero Hunger in the Middle East & North Africa. She holds a Masters in Fine Arts degree (MFA) in Film Directing from California Institute of the Arts, CalArts

coming soon

Visionary Tech Executive with over 15 years of experience in driving innovation and leading digital transformation. Specializing in digital strategic management, product development, and technology leadership, Basel has successfully spearheaded numerous high-impact digital initiatives across various industries, including VR/AR, Media, Sports, Telecom, and FinTech.

Currently serving as the CINO of VUZ, the leading VR Streaming Platform in the MENA region, Basel is renowned for his proven ability to integrate cutting-edge technologies with business strategies, resulting in scalable and efficient solutions. His deep passion for technology and knack for solving complex challenges have made him a significant influencer in the tech community.

In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Basel holds an MBA in Digital Strategic Management. He is committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, driving forward-thinking initiatives that shape the future of technology.