The Data Innovation Summit officially debuted its DISx MEAI format at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC in Saudi Arabia. This high-level exchange brought together a select group of 99 senior executives from manufacturing, energy, and utilities, all focused on a singular mission: moving artificial intelligence out of the laboratory and into the heart of industrial operations. By prioritizing practical execution over theoretical experimentation, the summit provided a strategic roadmap for leaders looking to transform asset-heavy industries through data-driven intelligence.
“What stood out most was the shared theme across industries: innovation becomes scalable only when we move beyond pilots into repeatable operating models, supported by the right data foundation, governance, and culture”, posted the chairman of the event Sameer Joshi.
In his recent announcement on Linkedin, Goran Cvetanovski, Group CEO of Hyperight and founder of the Data Innovation Summit, has unveiled an expansive 2026 global strategy focused on accelerating AI transformation within heavy-asset industries, including manufacturing, energy and utilities. The announcement comes as the organization prepares for its 2026 world tour, highlighting the shift from AI experimentation to operational excellence and governed AI.
The 2026 roadmap centers on the “Industrial AI” pivot, helping organizations transition from legacy silos into data-first entities. Through the integration of real-time analytics and digital twins, the strategy aims to solve complex challenges in asset management and sustainability. A key component of this rollout is the DISx (Data Innovation Summit eXchange), a series of specialized events designed to foster data sovereignty and ethical AI adoption across different regional markets.
The global tour officially begins this month and spans four continents:
- February 5: DISx MEAI | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- March 12: Data Innovation Summit APAC | Singapore
- May 6–8: Data Innovation Summit 2026 (11th Edition) | Stockholm, Sweden
- May 20–21: Data Innovation Summit MEA | Dubai, UAE
- September 17: Data Innovation Summit ANZ | Sydney, Australia
The DISx event held in Riyadh yesterday signaled a successful introduction to the next event – tpo33 Chief Data Officer | Dubai 
“It was a high-impact experience connecting with forward-thinking leaders across manufacturing, energy, and asset-heavy industries, all aligned around one clear objective: turning AI and data into tangible business value”, wrote Ahmed T. Al-Awami, Project Manager + AI Solutions Director at Saudi Electricity Company, on LinkedIn.
The DIS 2026 (DIS2026x1) edition marks the most significant strategic shift, transforming the events into the definitive blueprint for the next decade of AI value creation by embracing the theme: “From Technology-First to Business-First Innovation”.
