Abu Dhabi, UAE — Machines Can Think Summit 2026 today announced Ahmad Ali Alwan, Chief Executive Officer of Hub71, as a confirmed speaker for the upcoming global AI summit, taking place January 26–27, 2026, in Abu Dhabi.
As CEO of Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, Ahmad Ali Alwan leads the strategy and scale of one of the region’s most influential startup platforms—connecting founders with investors, national champions, global enterprises, and government stakeholders to help technology companies grow internationally from the UAE capital.
A Leader Shaping the Future of Innovation Ecosystems
Before becoming CEO, Alwan served as Deputy CEO of Hub71, where he played a central role in guiding the ecosystem’s expansion across strategy, operations, finance, and investor engagement. His leadership has helped position Hub71 as a key launchpad for high-growth startups across AI, DeepTech, fintech, and emerging technologies.
Alwan brings extensive experience from his prior roles at Mubadala, as well as advisory positions across the regional and global innovation ecosystem, giving him a unique perspective on how capital, policy, and platforms intersect to drive long-term value creation.
Reframing AI Investment at Machines Can Think 2026
At Machines Can Think 2026, Ahmad Ali Alwan will participate in a featured panel discussion titled:
“Why Unicorn Logic Breaks in AI — and What Investors Should Do Instead.”
The session will explore how AI’s capital-intensive and infrastructure-dependent nature is challenging traditional venture capital models built for fast-scaling software. Panelists will examine why valuation-driven “unicorn logic” often fails in AI—and how ecosystem-level strategies, patient capital, and coordinated investment approaches are becoming essential for sustainable success.
Alwan’s contribution will draw on his experience building and operating one of the region’s most connected innovation ecosystems.
A Strategic Addition to the MCT 2026 Program
Ahmad Ali Alwan’s participation reinforces Machines Can Think’s focus on moving beyond AI hype toward real-world execution, long-term investment strategy, and ecosystem-driven innovation.
The summit convenes global leaders across AI research, enterprise, policy, infrastructure, and investment to address how intelligent systems are built, governed, and scaled responsibly.
Event Details
📍 Machines Can Think Summit 2026
📅 January 26–27, 2026
📍 Abu Dhabi, UAE
🔗 Learn more:
https://lnkd.in/e2FFD5Ts
About Hub71
Hub71 is Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, supporting startups to build, scale, and thrive. By connecting founders with leading corporations, investors, and government entities, Hub71 enables high-growth technology companies to scale globally across AI, fintech, health tech, and frontier industries.
About Machines Can Think
Machines Can Think is a global AI summit focused on real-world deployment, infrastructure, governance, and long-term value creation. The summit brings together leaders across research, enterprise, policy, investment, and startups to shape the future of intelligent systems at scale.
