FEATURE

As 2026 begins, CIOs across the Middle East and Africa are sharpening their playbooks to navigate a year defined by accelerating digital ambition and mounting risk. From embedding advanced digital tools that can scale across diverse markets, to elevating cybersecurity as a board-level priority and tackling a widening technology talent gap, MEA technology leaders are redefining their mandates. In this feature, we explore the strategic imperatives shaping CIO agendas in Q1 2026 and how the region’ s IT leaders are balancing innovation, resilience and capability-building to deliver sustainable growth in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

Embedding digital tools

CIOs across the Middle East and Africa are increasingly focused on embedding advanced digital tools at the core of their organisations. Ambitious national digital agendas, smart city initiatives and financial inclusion programs are driving widespread adoption of cloud platforms, AI, data analytics and automation across both public and private sectors. At the same time, CIOs must navigate fragmented markets, legacy infrastructure and varying levels of digital maturity across the region. For MEA CIOs, embedding these tools is not only about www. intelligentcio. com

INTELLIGENT CIO AFRICA

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