I lead technology, policy, and advocacy initiatives in Internet access, infrastructure, and trust domains. I represent the Internet Society at ITU-T international standardization organization, particularly SG11, SG13 and SG17, and as an invited member of the Canadian ITU-T National Study Groups NSG11, NSG13 and NSG17. My special focus in standardization work is on topics related to the evolution of the Internet, like NewIP and related proposals.
I am a member of the North American Network Operators Group (NANOG) Education Committee, and the Canadian Forum for Digital Infrastructure Resilience (CFDIR), established by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). I am also a co-author of the final report of the Canadian Multi-stakeholder Initiative on IoT Security: “Enhancing IoT Security: Final Outcomes and Recommendations”.
I have been a member of the Steering Committee of the Arab IGF since its inception in 2010, overseeing the program content for the annual event, and was the chair of the Program Committee of the Canadian IGF 2020. I am also a member of the Policy Committee of the Canada Chapter of the Internet Society (ISCC).
I am an internationally recognized C-level expert with broad experience in and national digitization initiatives: telecommunications networks technologies, applied machine learning, telecom regulatory framework, Internet governance, technology policy, IoT and Cybersecurity, IP protection and commercialization, and ICT for Development.
I am an invited expert advisor at UN ESCWA (United Nations Education and Social Commission for Western Asia) in the Arab Roadmap for Internet Governance project, an initiative co-sponsored by the League of Arab States (LAS). I was a member of Steering Committee of the Dynamic Coalition on the Internet of Things (IoT), of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and was a member of the founding board of directors of the the Internet Society Egypt Chapter, as well as of the Fiber to the Home Council Middle East and North Africa (FTTH-MENA).
During my career spanning over 25 years, I spent fourteen years with Cisco Systems, achieving first distinguished systems architect in emerging markets and CTO for the MENA region, reporting to the office of the CTO in San Jose. I was senior consulting engineer with FORE Systems (now Ericsson) in Dubai, and systems engineer with Nortel Networks in Canada, as well as at Siemens AG in Munich, Germany, and at Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications (ENST) in Paris, France.
I spent four years as director, special projects and innovation, at Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), a member of Qatar Foundation, in Doha, Qatar, where I led projects dealing with machine learning and data-driven optimization in different IoT and national socioeconomic initiatives, including smart transportation, e-health, aviation, and cybersecurity.
I achieved the highest awards in the Cisco Sales organization, received the Chairman’s Club Award for technical excellence, new technology adoption, and sales impact as well as multi-vertical and regional collaboration.
I hold a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University in Canada, an M.Sc. in Telecommunications from Cairo University in Egypt, and a B.Sc. (Highest Honors) in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Cairo University.
