Gamechangers: CEQUENS' Karim Khorshed

As the co-founder and CEO of Dubai-headquartered omnichannel communication solutions provider CEQUENS, Karim Khorshed has delivered artificial intelligence (AI)-powered customer engagement solutions to over 150 markets, serving more than 2,000 clients—including Microsoft, Google, Careem, Telegram, HSBC, SAP, IKEA, Talabat, and Amazon—and connecting seven billion mobile subscribers to the business world.

To understand CEQUENS’ value, it helps to look at the broader ecosystem. “Across the GCC, companies have a twin imperative: to accelerate customer engagement at scale, and to do so in increasingly digital and multilingual markets,” Khorshed points out. “The old communications stack—disjointed, reactive, and people-based—hasn’t kept pace with an economy moving toward automation, personalization, and real-time responsiveness. CEQUENS’ conversational AI addresses this directly by combining generative and predictive AI in its CPaaS and SaaS offerings. Our platform enables businesses to send hyper-personalized, automated conversations across channels like WhatsApp, voice, SMS, and social messaging—at scale and in Arabic, English, and other local languages.”

Fundamentally, CEQUENS addresses three key needs. First, it reduces response latency by over 60 percent, improving satisfaction and lowering operational costs. Second, it bridges gaps in language and localization through its proprietary GCC Arabic natural language processing engine. Third, it supports scalability through low-code interfaces and integration-ready application program interfaces, enabling organizations to deploy smart customer journeys within days. Together, these capabilities don’t just solve business challenges—Khorshed notes that they also position CEQUENS as a key enabler of the region’s digital transformation. “As GCC governments and businesses drive digital and AI transformation under Vision 2030 and other national initiatives, CEQUENS’ innovation is not just a technological success—it’s a driver of regional modernization,” Khorshed concludes.

Pictured in the lead image is the co-founder and CEO of CEQUENS Karim khorshed. Image courtesy CEQUENS.

Karim khorshed was one of the artificial intelligence (AI) innovators celebrated in Gamechangers, a special feature built for Inc. Arabia's April/May 2025 issue. For the full list of Gamechangers, please click here.