Gamechangers: IBM's Mostafa Zafer

As IBM’s Vice President for Automation in the Middle East and Africa, Mostafa Zafer leads the global tech giant’s strategy, sales, revenue, and client advocacy for its automation and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in the region. In this role, Zafer helps leading companies across the region solve their unique challenges with IBM’s AI solutions, which is one of the cornerstones of his organization’s growth strategy.

“Our AI innovations focus on solving the region’s unique challenges like skills shortage, high cost of doing business, complexity, and siloes,” Zafer shares, while noting that IBM has made AI adoption part of its core strategy for the past 10 years. “AI has the potential to address numerous challenges our region is seeing. I am excited about the opportunities it will bring to our region, including lower cost of doing business by optimizing spend across numerous categories, opening new revenue streams for businesses made possible through AI innovation, individual growth, and employment opportunities for MENA’s population— made primarily of young people—to benefit from career opportunities in the new economy.”

Looking forward, Zafer believes that the region is on track to become a forerunner in the industry. “I believe the region has great potential to become a creator and not just a consumer of AI tech in the next 10 years,” he says. “With ambitious visions of big players like Saudi, the UAE, and Qatar, and the strong human capital in countries like Jordan, Egypt, and North Africa, the region has a solid potential to evolve into a creator of the next set of AI tools and platforms built locally and consumed regionally and globally.”

Pictured in the lead image is Vice President for Automation in the Middle East and Africa, IBM, Mostafa Zafer. Courtesy of IBM.

Mostafa Zafer 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.