Unplugged with iSolution

What happens when an AI agent decides the rules are in its way? Abdullah Amiri, Chief Enterprise Architect and advisor to major public sector entities across the Gulf, explains why agentic AI can break the boundaries you set to reach its goal, and how leaders should govern it.

Kevin sits down with Abdullah to talk about the move from cloud first to an agentic AI first policy, why every AI agent needs an identity just like an employee, how to separate real strategic technology from vendor hype, and why the core business always kills innovation. Abdullah also makes the case for GCC countries building technology together, drawing on digital government work in Qatar and two decades in Australia.

In this episode

• Why goal driven AI agents can break the rules to get the job done
• The agentic AI first policy and what it means for roles, functions and departments
• Business capabilities mapping as the shared language between IT and the boardroom
• Cloud sovereignty, cybersecurity tradeoffs and the CIO role in 2026
• Why the GCC could become a technology superpower by working as one

عبدالله أميري، كبير مهندسي المؤسسات، يتحدث عن وكلاء الذكاء الاصطناعي وسياسة الذكاء الاصطناعي الوكيلي أولاً والحوكمة والتحول الرقمي الحكومي في الخليج.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

"Winning doesn't mean defeating somebody else. Winning is waking up every day to fight your own battles." Tareq Wahab of Prima KSA on reputation, ruthless execution and the legacy he wants to leave.

Tareq grew up in Jeddah, studied business in India and brought that startup agility back into the Saudi communications world. He explains why PR is really reputation, what people say about you in rooms you have never been in, and draws a clear line between PR and marketing. We get into crisis communications, how agencies and clients become true partners, and whether generative AI is a threat to creativity.

In this episode

• Why PR is reputation, not press coverage
• Indian and Saudi business culture, and why face to face trust still wins in the GCC
• Crisis communications and media relations when emotions spike
• Generative AI and creativity: where human judgment still wins
• Winning as an internal battle and defining a 10 year leadership legacy

طارق وهاب من بريما السعودية يتحدث عن السمعة والعلاقات العامة وإدارة الأزمات والذكاء الاصطناعي والإرث القيادي.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

When an AI tool gives a wrong or harmful answer, who owns the outcome: the user, the organization or the vendor? Dr. Thamer El Qadi, Director of IT at Katara in Qatar, on AI governance and leading IT teams that deliver.

Dr. Thamer shares what makes an IT team effective across different backgrounds: clear procedures, shared definitions of quality and a culture where knowledge doesn't stay stuck with one person. He also explains two leadership principles that keep top talent: the 95% rule, and letting employees nominate themselves for employee of the month.

In this episode

• Who owns the outcome when everyone uses AI
• AI governance, verification habits and data privacy
• Smart city reality: standards, support and reliable basics
• The 95% rule for keeping top performers
• Self nomination as a tool for confidence and ownership

الدكتور ثامر القاضي، مدير تقنية المعلومات في كتارا، يتحدث عن حوكمة الذكاء الاصطناعي وقيادة فرق تقنية المعلومات والمدن الذكية في قطر.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

How do you keep an ecommerce platform running when Ramadan and Green Friday traffic hits? Hussam AlMarzouk, VP of Engineering at Zid, on engineering culture, reliability and cutting 1.2 million lines of code.

Hussam takes us from debugging hardware and startup life to running one of the region's leading ecommerce platforms for merchants in Saudi Arabia. He explains the nines behind 99.98% uptime, how Zid prepares for seasonal peaks with disciplined deployments and autoscaling, and why good engineering is about smart choices you can live with later.

In this episode

• Reliability engineering, DevOps and what 99.98% uptime really takes
• Preparing for Ramadan and Green Friday traffic
• Zid Ship, logistics APIs and system boundaries
• Technical debt, code standards and deleting 1.2M lines of code
• Rapid fire: monoliths vs microservices, AI in ecommerce, security vs convenience

حسام المرزوق، نائب رئيس الهندسة في زد، يتحدث عن ثقافة الهندسة واستقرار المنصات والتجارة الإلكترونية في السعودية.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

Why don't great products always get funded? Stuart Bateman, VP of Technology and Marketing at 1957 Ventures, on why traction is now the entry ticket for startup funding in Saudi Arabia, and what bank grade AI really means.

Stuart has spent his career digitalizing major organizations in Saudi Arabia and now helps a venture arm invest in fintech startups. He explains how generative AI changes the way products get built, why onboarding and customer acquisition break at scale, and the checks you need so AI doesn't quietly introduce insecure code.

In this episode

• Why traction beats a great product when raising funding
• Bank grade AI in fintech: speed, regulation and security
• Shipping apps in days with generative AI
• Google Cloud, Saudi data residency and AI governance
• AI in recruitment and unlocking MENA talent

ستيوارت بيتمان من 1957 فنتشرز يتحدث عن تمويل الشركات الناشئة والتقنية المالية والذكاء الاصطناعي في السعودية.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

Relying on superhero tech talent isn't a strategy, because superheroes don't scale. Daniil Shipilov of Tabby on building engineering teams and systems that don't depend on one person to survive.

Daniil breaks down the operational realities of modern tech leadership, from the myth that AI implementation is as simple as installing ChatGPT to building secure, scalable systems. He also shares why Riyadh has quickly become a magnet for top engineering talent as Saudi Arabia moves toward Vision 2030.

In this episode

• Why superhero employees hold back company growth
• What real AI implementation takes beyond ChatGPT
• Building scalable, secure systems and teams
• Riyadh as a global magnet for engineering talent

دانييل شيبيلوف من تابي يتحدث عن بناء فرق هندسية وأنظمة قابلة للتوسع، ولماذا أصبحت الرياض وجهة لأفضل المواهب التقنية.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

Why do brilliant teams adapt to the dark instead of changing the light bulb? Wessam Fawzy of Elsewedy on how organizations grow comfortable with broken legacy technology, and how leaders break the cycle.

When a system has been broken long enough, teams stop complaining and work around the friction, mistaking stagnation for stability. Wessam shares the real story behind the light bulb paradox and explains how leaders can challenge the "we've always done it this way" mindset, push for proofs of concept and keep teams improving.

In this episode

• The light bulb paradox and legacy technology
• Why stagnation feels like stability
• Using proofs of concept to drive continuous improvement
• Change management that actually sticks

وسام فوزي من السويدي يتحدث عن مقاومة التغيير والأنظمة القديمة وكيف يقود القادة التحسين المستمر.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

"I'm a Generation X... I have a long career with technology." Miled Faysal on how technology, analytics, UX and AI are reshaping insurance in Saudi Arabia, from paperwork to fraud detection.

Miled maps the shift from dot matrix paperwork to digital journeys built on UX clarity, analytics and AI. We cover how loss ratio drives pricing, why your mother and the insurance company are the only ones who don't want you to have an accident, how AI fraud detection speeds up claims while people keep decisions fair, and why data residency and cyber frameworks in Saudi Arabia shape everything.

In this episode

• The insurance paradox and how pricing really works
• Designing insurance journeys with fewer clicks
• AI fraud detection with human oversight
• Data residency, cybersecurity and cyber insurance in KSA
• Hiring for curiosity and protecting your team

ميلاد فيصل يتحدث عن التحول الرقمي في قطاع التأمين والذكاء الاصطناعي لكشف الاحتيال وتجربة العملاء في السعودية.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

What actually keeps a company alive when markets shift and the hype fades? Serial entrepreneur Sameer Mubarak on lessons from failure, the patience of investing and using AI without losing your own value.

Sameer walks through the scrappy solutions that started it all, from AM radio channels for truckers to early bets on RFID at ports. He explains why cash flow is non negotiable, how to spot a dead product before it drains your runway, and why pairing an innovator with an operator matters. He also compares today's fears about AI to the arrival of the calculator.

In this episode

• Cash flow, patience and timing as a founder
• Shipping too late vs arriving a decade too early
• Pairing innovators with operators
• The pendulum between centralized and decentralized tech
• Practical AI for documents, analysis and prompts

سمير مبارك، رائد الأعمال، يتحدث عن دروس الفشل وصبر الاستثمار واستخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي في ريادة الأعمال.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

Can a ride be cleaner, safer and still fairly priced? Suha Al Buraym, regional financial controller at Jeeny, on how disciplined finance and practical technology help a Saudi ride hailing app compete with bigger brands.

From FMCG and retail finance to mobility operations, Suha explains how raw trip data becomes daily reports, why naming an owner for each metric keeps teams accountable, and how EV adoption under Vision 2030 can mean healthier driver income and a better rider experience.

In this episode

• Finance leadership in ride hailing
• Turning trip data into daily decisions
• Hiring for curiosity and real problem solving
• EVs, Vision 2030 and fair pricing
• Smart cities and readiness for autonomous features

سهى البريم من جيني تتحدث عن القيادة المالية وتطبيقات التنقل والسيارات الكهربائية ورؤية 2030.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text