I struck a deal with my family: a 7-day escape from Germany’s cold weather to sunny Dubai, with one day reserved just for me to dive into tech.
Deal made! Everyone happy! 🙂
I joined Experts Live Emirates, an event focused on AI and Cloud, covering various Microsoft products with a strong emphasis on AI.
So, I walked into a room with Microsoft MVPs, solopreneurs building empires, and enterprise leaders reshaping industries with AI.
I was also curious to experience the tech conference scene in the UAE, as I plan to speak at events in the Middle East next year (hold me accountable if you don’t see me as a speaker in the region next year!).
Here’s everything that happened when tech minds from across the Middle East gathered to talk about what’s really next.
Registration
The ticket price was 399 AED, with a 20% discount bringing it down to 319 AED (around 75 EUR). That was quite reasonable.
Once you register, you can generate a badge and assign it to your Credly profile to share on social media. I’ve never used Credly for this purpose before, only for certificates, so this was something new for me.
Furthermore, they created a nice promotional banner that you can preload with your information, and it will automatically generate the .jpg file you can share on LinkedIn. Here’s how it looks on my LinkedIn.
Location
The conference took place at the Dubai Knowledge Park Conference Center. The venue was modern, well-equipped for technical conferences, and impressively clean.
Sessions
The conference had 5 tracks and 34 sessions, including 2 keynote sessions. At any given time, you could choose between 7 different sessions.
The tracks were:
- Data & Security
- Business Talks (Main Stage)
- Microsoft Cloud (Infrastructure & Apps)
- AI & Copilot
- Endpoint Management
The conference kicked off Christiaan Brinkhoff, Principal AI Product Manager for Windows Cloud at Microsoft. He discussed AI adoption, Windows 365, Copilot, Intune, RDP Multipath, and Windows 365 Reserve, and also introduced the Windows 365 Link mini PC.
Christian, I really liked the way you presented and spoke on stage.
You can find the full agenda here Agenda & Sessions – Experts Live Emirates.
My pick-up sessions
I joined a few different sessions, but there are 4 that really stood out for me. I missed some sessions initially due to scheduling challenges, but fortunately, these were later resolved.
Here are the four sessions I picked.
Let me tell you a joke – Azure Monitor, Copilot, and KQL Start Working Together…
This session caught my attention because of its title; it focused on monitoring, and I wanted to learn more from an Azure perspective. It was delivered by Eric Berg, a Microsoft MVP in Azure and Cloud & Datacenter Management.
Eric gave a quick explanation of Azure Monitor and how it works, explored the backend of Copilot, and showcased some practical examples using KQL queries.
Key Takeaways:
- Limitations: Copilot results vary by portal context; large queries need Fabric/workspace setup.
- KQL Basics: Case-sensitive, uses pipes (
|) to filter → summarize → visualize. Filter early for faster queries. - Commands:
where(filter),summarize(aggregate),join(combine tables),render(visualize). - Copilot: Helps with queries, monitoring, and troubleshooting. Works on the control plane, not the data plane. Context matters in portal.
AI for Solopreneurs
This was one of my pick sessions because it focused on shifting mindsets; encouraging people to rethink their work, personal projects, and how they can leverage AI to increase productivity, manage tasks, and create more effectively.
The session was delivered by Ahmed Fath, a solopreneur with broad experience in both tech and business. He has contributed to building startups such as QbDVision, RewaaTech, Fivos Health, Yassir, and Almdrasa.
Key takeaways:
- Shift from consuming to creating: Most people stay in the “consumer line,” chasing promotions and dopamine hits. Real freedom comes from the “builder line”; creating value and owning what you build.
- Job security is an illusion: Getting laid off showed how fragile a 9-to-5 can be. You must treat yourself as a business, not just an employee.
- Multiple income streams: Don’t rely on one job. Build vertical growth in your career and horizontal growth through side projects, consulting, and digital products.
- Leverage AI and automation: Use AI tools to save time, automate routine work, and turn your ideas into scalable products.
- Invest in personal branding: Market yourself like a company. Build visibility and credibility online, it brings new opportunities.
- Continuous learning: Balance hard skills (tech, AI, product management) and soft skills (communication, time management). Both are critical to long-term success.
- Start solving your own problems: The best businesses and tools come from personal needs. Build solutions for yourself first, then scale them for others.
AI Innovation in a Startup vs a Large Enterprise
This was a panel discussion featuring regional experts in AI. It was delivered by Hany Abdelwahab, Elyes El Air, Ahmed Gamal, Mahmoud A. Atallah and Adnan Kashwani.
They all bring extensive experience in AI across startups and enterprises, and shared their perspectives on several key AI topics.
Some of the topics covered:
- AI: Evolution or Revolution? The panel agreed AI is an evolution leading to a revolution, it builds on existing data and computing power but is transforming industries, economies, and daily life.
- Partnerships and Infrastructure:
- Collaboration between hyperscalers like Microsoft and regional enterprises accelerates AI adoption, providing scalability, faster innovation, and stronger foundations for transformation.
- Data as the Core:
- Unified and well-governed data platforms are essential for successful AI. Without data readiness, even the best AI models fail to deliver value.
- Adoption Matters:
- AI without adoption is meaningless. True value comes when users understand and use AI tools effectively — training, awareness, and change management are key.
- Startups vs. Enterprises:
- Startups move fast and experiment freely, while enterprises emphasize regulation, security, and governance. Both can learn from each other — agility meets stability.
- Skills and the Future Workforce:
- AI transformation depends on people. Continuous skilling, partnerships, and embracing young talent are vital to bridge capability gaps.
- Challenges Ahead:
- Adoption resistance, data sovereignty, and regulation remain top barriers — but with collaboration and clear strategy, they can be turned into opportunities.
Ask Me Anything: Real-World Insights from Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Intune Experts
This was also an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session featuring eleven IT professionals with over 120 years of combined experience. The experts included Ugur Koc, Keeran Mistry, Qaiss Aria, Marcel Meurer, Neil McLoughlin, Andrew Taylor, Dean Ellerby, Neil Spellings, Joery Van den Bosch, Christiaan Brinkhoff, and Jeff Jones.
Some of the topics discussed:
- AI as a Co-Builder: Traditional SaaS focused on development and deployment. Now, AI is embedded into the software itself, learning from behavior, optimizing performance, and making products self-improving over time.
- Bridging Technical and Business Worlds: Explaining complex solutions like Intune, AVD, or Windows 365 to leadership requires shifting the focus from features to value, simplicity, durability, productivity, and cost savings. Always tailor the story to your audience.
- AI Learning and Creativity: AI can already learn from its own outputs and user feedback (through fine-tuning or agent-to-agent communication). Creativity depends on how we instruct and train it, with the right guardrails, it can innovate responsibly.
- Security and Quantum Computing: Quantum computing will reshape encryption and cybersecurity. Quantum-resistant encryption will be essential as AI and quantum intersect to handle massive data and computational power.
- Evolving Development and Cost Models: AI speeds up development dramatically, reducing time, cost, and team size. Many argued this efficiency should reflect in pricing, as the customer ultimately benefits from faster, cheaper delivery.
- The Human Element: Expertise still matters. AI can assist, but humans remain responsible for decision-making, validation, and creativity. True value lies in combining human judgment with AI efficiency.
Constant Change and Cloud Cadence: Cloud-based delivery allows rapid feature releases and updates. IT professionals must focus on business relevance and security while continuously adapting to the faster innovation cycle.
Practical Mindset: See every technology through ROI — not just in money, but in time saved, complexity reduced, and people empowered. That’s how AI and SaaS deliver lasting value.
Sponsors
Like every conference, especially those community-driven, it wouldn’t have been possible without sponsors, passionate supporters who also aim to increase awareness of their products and drive conversions.
You can find sponsors here Sponsors – Experts Live Emirates.
Conclusion
Experts Live Emirates 2025 delivered exactly what I needed: a reality check on where AI and Cloud are heading, and a reminder that staying relevant means constant adaptation.
Kudos to the organizing team for pulling together a world-class event in Dubai. Bringing international speakers and creating a community-driven conference isn’t easy, but they made it look effortless. The quality of speakers, the venue, and the engagement level proved that the Middle East tech scene is serious about innovation.
Dubai is worth visiting, both for family vacations and for technology events. It’s a global tech hub and will become even more so in the coming years.
Dubai, you never disappoint.
