Keynote Speakers

Keynote Speaker 1

Dr. Musab Alrawi

Biography:
 Dr. Musab Alrawi is a distinguished academic and researcher specializing in computer engineering and information technology. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Mosul University in 2004, followed by a Master of Science in Information Technology from University Utara Malaysia in 2009. His deep-seated passion for research culminated in a Ph.D. in Image Processing from Universiti Teknologi MARA in 2015.
Currently, Dr. Alrawi holds the position of Director of the ICESCO Research Chair for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics at the University of Technology and Applied Science, Sultanate of Oman (January 2024 - Present). Previously, he served as a Senior Lecturer in the IT Department at the same institution (March 2022 - January 2024). His prior academic appointments include Associate Professor in Computer Engineering at Halic University in Istanbul, Turkey (November 2020 - March 2022), and Assistant Professor in Computer Science & Engineering at Management and Science University in Shah Alam, Malaysia (May 2013 – May 2020). Additionally, Dr. Alrawi has been contributing as a Visiting Professor in the Computer and Cybersecurity Department at the International Information Technology University in Almaty, Kazakhstan (September 2022 - Present).
Dr. Alrawi's research interests encompass Robotics Technology Development and Design, Iris Recognition Systems, Computer Hardware, Artificial Intelligence, Image Processing, Embedded Systems, Wireless Sensors, and Biomedical Applications. His commitment to advancing knowledge in these domains underscores his invaluable contributions to the academic and research communities.

Keynote Speaker 2

Prof. Dhiya Al-Jumeily OBE

The advantages and drawbacks of artificial intelligence in our lives today

 Industry 4.0 has transformed our lives through advancements in technology, ranging from simple to complex tasks. A key element of Industry 4.0 is artificial intelligence (AI), which allows machines to perform intelligent tasks without human intervention. Though AI gained popularity in the 1990s, its roots date back to the 8th century, where Muhammad ibn Mousa Al-Khawarizmi developed algorithms that laid the foundation for modern mathematics and computer science.
AI is now widely used in sectors such as healthcare, transport, and personalized applications like music recommendations and smartphone security. Its accuracy and efficiency have been enhanced by the data-driven world we live in, characterized by technologies like the Cloud, the Internet of Things, and Blockchain. These advancements necessitate autonomous decision-making with minimal errors and have made AI indispensable in many fields.
However, AI's implementation comes with challenges. High costs, maintenance, and the need for skilled personnel pose barriers. Additionally, improper AI use can lead to inefficiencies, and there are concerns about ethics, security, and job displacement. To mitigate risks, global regulation and collaboration are needed to ensure AI's benefits while addressing its potential drawbacks.

 

Biography:
 Professor Dhiya Al-Jumeily OBE (DA) is an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) with over 30 years of experience, currently working at Liverpool John Moores University. His research focuses on using AI to address global challenges related to healthcare, the environment, safety, security, and education, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). DA has published over 500 works, including peer-reviewed articles, books, and technical reports, significantly contributing to scientific knowledge and fostering collaboration between scientists, practitioners, and regulatory bodies.
He founded and presides over the eSystem Engineering Society (eSES), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing technology for human benefit. Since 2007, eSES has hosted the IEEE International Conference on Developments in eSystems Engineering (DeSE), attracting attendees from over 25 countries. DA has mentored 25+ PhD students and 20+ academics, many of whom have pursued successful careers in academia, industry, and regulatory bodies. His research includes practical AI applications, such as environmental sensors monitoring air and water quality, and intelligent healthcare systems used in Europe and the Middle East for diagnosis and patient management.
His work has attracted over £7.5 million in funding and earned recognition in the UK and internationally. In 2020, DA was appointed as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to scientific research. In 2022, he was recognized as one of the top 30 most influential Arabs in technology and AI, and in 2023, he was acknowledged as one of the 200 influential individuals at Liverpool John Moores University.
DA continues to build on his achievements, focusing on the ethical and equitable application of AI to ensure it benefits everyone globally. He views success as an ongoing journey, with his future work dedicated to advancing AI and improving the world.

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Keynote Speaker 3

Dr. Musaab Zarog

Weighing harms and benefits in Sharia: An arithmetic approach

Religious scholars and jurists consider the benefits and evils when announcing judgments or when they are applying jurisprudential rules in dealing with benefits and evils. In Islamic law “Sharia” and almost in every case where there is no clear rule or statement that identify whether the act is harm or benefit, or if it is legal or not, decisions are normally based on evaluating the benefits and evils within the case. There are some general rules for what can be considered as benefit or evil. Sometimes it very tedious to arrive to a decision if the actions contain many benefits and many evils. The article aims to call for considering the arithmetic criteria in evaluating the benefits and harms, accompanied by the controls for considering the benefits that were approved by the jurists and Islamic law “Shraia”. Up to my knowledge, there is no similar work which has been carried out in this area within of decision making in accordance with Islamic law.

 

Biography:
Dr. Musaab Zarog is Assistant professor at the department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University since 2015. Dr. Musaab has 18 years of experience of working at universities in Sudan as well as in Oman. He obtained his PhD. From Newcastle University in UK 2006. His research interests include ; Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), vibrations-based energy harvesting, and Mechatronics. Dr. Musaab also developed interest in two other areas namely: Engineering Research Impact, and Applications of Decision Making. Dr. Musaab is a member of International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration and he is a senior member of IEEE (SMIEEE) since Feb.2014.
Dr. Musaab is a persistent, passionate, and ambitious professional educator and researcher who has contributed to engineering profession and education since 2006. He also contributed to Engineering management as Director of External Relations at Sudan University of Science and Technology for three years (2012-2015).

 

 

Keynote Speaker 4

Dr. Mohammed Alwaely

 

Biography:
Dr. Alwaely is a reviewer and proofreader of the Qur'an at the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and an Associate Professor at the Institute of Readings, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Kingdom of Bahrain. He received his PhD from the Department of Islamic Sharia, Faculty of Dar Al Uloom, Cairo University, in 2017. He was apointed as a member of the Bahrain Qur'an Review Committee – Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. He has many peer reviewed research papers.

 

 

Keynote Speaker 5

Eng. Belal Al-Hafnawi

Introducing a New Era of Islamic Education

This talk delves into the transformative role of technology in Islamic education, highlighting how advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping educational practices. By leveraging AI, educators can offer personalized learning experiences, enhance accessibility, and support diverse learning styles—paving the way for a new era of engaging and effective Islamic education accessible to all.
Key takeaways include:
- Personalized Learning: Uncover how AI tailors content to individual needs, fostering greater comprehension and student engagement.
- Enhanced Accessibility: Learn how technology removes barriers, making Islamic education available to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
- Support for Diverse Learning Styles: Discover how adaptive technologies cater to varied learning preferences, ensuring inclusivity and enrichment for all learners.

 

Biography:
Eng. Belal Al-Hafnawi is currently a Commissioner and Full-Time Board Member at the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC-Jordan), where he oversees the regulation and supervision of the telecommunications, information technology, and postal services in Jordan.
With over 22 years of experience in the ICT sector, he has a proven track record of managing complex projects, leading performance enhancements, and solving network problems for leading telecom operators (STC, Mobily, Zain) and worldwide vendors (Motorola, Huawei, Nokia, Samsung)
As a RegTech and Digital Transformation leader, he is passionate about fostering the growth and innovation of the ICT ecosystem and enhancing the social and economic development of the country.
He holds an executive certification in Management and Leadership of Technology from MIT Sloan School of Management, where he focused on Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Digital Transformation.
He has also published a book chapter and multiple publications on digital transformation and regulatory issues. He is a frequent speaker and contributor at international conferences and events, where he shares his insights and expertise on leveraging technology to empower the ICT sector with effective and innovative solutions.

 

 

Keynote Speaker 6

Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Tengku Mohd Tengku Sembok

Information Retrieval, Natural Language Processing and AI: A Journey of Imitation Game

Librarians once meticulously catalogued manuscripts and documents by hand, building comprehensive reference indexes to preserve knowledge. With the rise of information retrieval systems, keyword-based inverted indexing transformed access to digital collections, enabling rapid searches within vast corpora. However, as keyword-based retrieval showed its limitations, Natural Language Processing (NLP) emerged, striving to mirror human language processing for more meaningful storage, retrieval, and generation of responses. NLP developed through morphological, syntactical, and semantic frameworks, forming the backbone of language-based AI capabilities. In the context of religious texts, experiments in information retrieval for the Al-Qur’an have tested and measured retrieval effectiveness, exploring how computational approaches can be applied to the sacred texts. Today, Large Language Models (LLMs) have taken these capabilities even further, leveraging statistical methods of word proximity and frequency across extensive corpora, structured within artificial neural networks inspired by models of human cognition. As the imitation game evolves, we now speculate on AI’s trajectory toward Artificial General Intelligence, Superintelligence, or even a Cosmic or God-like AI. But does humanity truly believe in the realization of this vision?

 

Biography:
Tengku Mohd Tengku Sembok brings over fifty years of experience across diverse fields in ICT. Currently, he is a Professor of Computer Science at the Kulliyyah of ICT, International Islamic University Malaysia. He earned his BSc (Hons) in Computer Science from Brighton Polytechnic in 1977, an MS from the University of Iowa in 1981, and a PhD from the University of Glasgow in 1989. His career includes roles in prominent organisations such as IBM, the Rubber Research Institute Malaysia, Daresbury Nuclear Physics Laboratory (UK), the Prime Minister’s Department of Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), National Defence University Malaysia (NDUM), and Permodalan Nasional Berhad. He served as Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic and Internationalisation at NDUM for nine years, concluding in 2021. His administrative roles have included Head of the Department of Computer Science (UKM), Founder and Dean of the Faculty of Information Science and Technology (UKM), Dean of the Kulliyyah of ICT (IIUM), and Founder and Director of the Cybersecurity Centre (UPNM). He is a Fellow of British Computer Society, Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Academy of Professors Malaysia, and Society of Information Retrieval and Knowledge Management. He was a Commonwealth Research Fellow at University of Sheffield. His research interests focus on Information Retrieval, Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, and Courseware Development.