Gamechangers: Ones To Watch
These visionary business leaders are redefining how artificial intelligence is applied across sectors in the Middle East—driving smarter, faster, and more inclusive innovation.
Given the sheer number of submissions we received for Inc. Arabia's Gamechangers, narrowing down the list was no easy task— which is why we created this additional spotlight on business leaders who are also contributing meaningfully to the Middle East’s AI scene. Keep an eye out for the following names—their trajectories are only going up.
Ryan Adams, founder and CEO, Professional.me
Ryan Adams, founder and CEO, Professional.me. Courtesy of Professional.me.
“Recruitment across the GCC—and the world, for that matter—is inefficient by design. Almost all systems still rely on static résumés and vague job descriptions—unstructured, outdated formats that don’t scale, don’t translate across industries, and don’t support informed decision-making… I built Professional.me to solve this problem at the data level. We developed a proprietary AI infrastructure that structures, enriches, and standardizes career data from both sides of the hiring equation.”
Ahmed Seif Elnasr, founder and CEO, RQMII
Ahmed Seif Elnasr, founder and CEO, RQMII. Courtesy of RQMII.
“With Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, booming tourism, and smart city initiatives, delivering average experiences is no longer an option. Customers expect real-time, humanlike interactions every time. Our solution thus offers AI-powered digital human employees, lifelike virtual agents that will transform customer engagement.”
Eugene Pribytkov, founder and CEO, Voicee AI
Eugene Pribytkov, founder and CEO, Voicee AI. Courtesy of Voicee AI.
“There’s a significant gap in AI literacy and hands on upskilling for three key groups in the UAE and wider GCC. Secondary students lack structured exposure to AI concepts, ethics, and practical applications, leaving them unprepared for tomorrow’s digital workforce. Educators often have limited training in AI pedagogy, slowing the integration of AI across curriculum and diminishing classroom impact. Working professionals across sectors (finance, healthcare, logistics, energy) face steep learning curves when adopting AI tools, hindering productivity and innovation. Voicee AI Academy addresses these gaps through research backed, project based programs.”
Jonathan Dotan, founder, EQTY Lab
Jonathan Dotan, founder, EQTY Lab. Courtesy of EQTY Lab.
“At EQTY Lab, we see AI becoming deeply embedded in the GCC’s decision-making infrastructure across finance, healthcare, and government. What excites us most is the shift from reactive to predictive systems — where AI doesn’t just automate tasks but anticipates needs and adapts in real time.”
Hina Salim, Country Manager, Red Hat
Hina Salim, Country Manager, Red Hat. Courtesy of Red Hat.
“The GCC is undergoing rapid digital transformation, with ambitious national visions like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, UAE’s AI Strategy 2031, etc. A major challenge in this transformation is how to deploy and scale AI solutions efficiently, securely, and in compliance with local data sovereignty laws, while avoiding vendor lock-in. Red Hat offers open-source, enterprise-grade tools that solve these challenges.
Rabih Chehade, founder and CEO, Slangit Technology
Rabih Chehade, founder and CEO, Slangit Technology. Courtesy of Slangit Technology.
“At Slangit, we are democratizing data so that it becomes useful information for decision-making, or, as a minimum, it is accessible to read and engage with in different languages and dialects. This helps create inclusion for all, irrespective of the format or source of this data, while being kept within boundaries.”
Owais Shaikh, founder and CEO, Workwise
Owais Shaikh, founder and CEO, Workwise. Courtesy of Workwise.
“We have built something very unique by creating one of the most elaborate enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, allowing us to call ourselves a ‘business operating system,’ yet being at a fraction of the cost of others. We are going to change the way people are going to do business. This solution was a dream eight years ago, but today, it stands as a reality with customers onboard, and a number of others in waiting.”
Syed Umar Jamal, Customer Success Manager (Data and AI), Qatar Datamation Systems
Syed Umar Jamal, Customer Success Manager (Data and AI), Qatar Datamation Systems. Courtesy of Qatar Datamation Systems.
"At Qatar Datamation Systems, we prioritize responsible AI practices, ensuring that our solutions are developed and deployed ethically, with a focus on transparency, fairness, and accountability. This commitment to responsible AI is crucial in building public trust and ensuring that the benefits of AI are widely shared and accessible.”
Umair Khalid, founder and CEO, Kitchenara
Umair Khalid, founder and CEO, Kitchenara. Courtesy of Kitchenara.
“Kitchenara addresses two major challenges in the GCC food ecosystem: high restaurant marketing costs, and lack of transparency in influencer-driven sales. Our AI innovation powers a video-first food discovery experience, where users watch engaging short videos of dishes and order directly—transforming traditional menus into content-driven commerce.”
These are 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.
