Five Speakers To Look Out For At Dubai’s 2nd UNLOCK Blockchain Forum In Mid Jan

The second edition of the UNLOCK Blockchain Forum is taking place between January 15^thand 16^that the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, DIFC. UNLOCK announced the participation of over 56 global and regional speakers that include prominent blockchain names such as Nick Spanos, CEO and founder of Blocktech, Wesam Lootah, CEO of Smart Dubai Government, Nour Hineidi Kirk, deputy registrar of the DIFC Courts, Osman Sultan, CEO of Du Telecom, and Mohsen Alzahrani, from Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority.

Nick Spanos // Blocktech

They call him the blockchain evangelist, with around 10 years of experience in the field. Being featured in the Netflix documentary Banking on Bitcoin, Nick Spanos is an American computer programmer, inventor, and serial entrepreneur in the blockchain space. In 2013, Spanos was one of the founders behind the Bitcoin Center NYC. He later established Blockchain Technologies Corporation (Blocktech) and co-founded Zap.Org.

Wesam Lootah // Smart Dubai Government

With 18 years of experience in strategic leadership, Wesam Lootah has been leveraging IT to create smart government infrastructure, working in both public and private sectors. As Director of IT at Emaar Properties, he led the global rollout of sales automation and enterprise resource planning (ERP) across Emaar subsidiaries in Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. Now he’s the CEO of Smart Dubai Government (SDG), but before he occupies this post, Lootah worked at SDG as Head of Application Services from 2002 to 2007. During that time, he led the implementation of unified business process and ERP across Dubai Government entities.

Nour Hineidi Kirk // DIFC

Nour Hineidi Kirk has become Deputy Registrar of the DIFC Courts as of February 2018. Her main role is to work in tandem with the Registrar, helping to ensure seamless operation of the Courts. Her duties include maintaining the momentum of existing registry measures, which aim at ensuring increasing efficiency through the accomplishment of technology and human experience. She also focuses on professional development and supporting UAE nationals to pursue senior careers within the DIFC Courts. In addition, Kirk consults with the DIFC Courts judges to assist them in carrying out their duties.

Osman Sultan // Du Telecom

With over 35 years managing telecom companies in the region, since his appointment as the CEO of Du Telecom in 2006, Osman Sultan has driven the company to become a key player in the region. As an influential mentor in the telecom tech space, he is proud to have groomed close to 20 talented individuals who turned into some of the most powerful CEOs around the globe.

Mohsen Alzahrani // Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority

Mohsen Alzahrani is the Vice President of Strategy and Excellence at Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA). Full of passion for innovation and digitalization, with an MIT Fintech certificate, he leads all current SAMA blockchain initiatives. He also recently won the 'Visionary' award from Ripple's first ever “Blockchain Innovator Awards.”