Connect | MENA // Debate: Building sovereign AI - Enabling innovation through scalable compute

As sovereign cloud strategies gain momentum across MENA, enterprises face a pivotal challenge: complying with national data mandates while securing scalable, high-performance compute for AI. With hyperscale infrastructure still maturing and regulations tightening, IT leaders must navigate a complex landscape of compliance, capacity, and commercial feasibility. This session examines whether the region can develop a sovereign-ready compute backbone that fosters local innovation without sacrificing agility or ROI. The discussion will tackle key questions around AI-scale workloads in sovereign cloud environments, the trade-offs between fully localized versus hybrid models, and how to balance regulatory compliance with the need for scalability.