National Readiness: The Key to Unlocking AI’s Full Potential
AI is no longer an emerging trend—it’s an operational necessity. Nations that invest in AI skilling, cybersecurity, and digital transformation are positioning themselves for economic growth, governance efficiency, and workforce resilience. But AI adoption isn’t just about technology—it requires a skilled workforce, a strong security foundation, and a strategic approach to integration.TeKnowledge has been a key player in digital skilling and workforce transformation. Now, with a renewed focus, it is helping governments and enterprises move beyond AI adoption to full-scale AI integration—backed by cybersecurity, managed services, and AI-driven customer experience.In Qatar, Teknowledge is a partner with Microsoft and the Ministry of Communications and IT, running Qatar’s Digital Center of Excellence (DCE)—a strategic initiative to deliver national AI adoption at scale.At Web Summit 2025, TeKnowledge will lead discussions on AI readiness, cybersecurity resilience, and the evolving role of AI in governance and business strategy. The focus will be on how national AI adoption can accelerate responsibly, ensuring security and workforce preparedness remain at the core.To explore these topics, we spoke with Ayman Majzoub, Vice President for Sales at TeKnowledge, about the role of national readiness, cybersecurity, and workforce transformation in shaping the digital future.Q: Many organizations are investing in digital transformation, but what determines success?A: It’s not just about investment—it’s about readiness. Technology alone doesn’t transform organizations. The difference between success and failure is a clear roadmap, skilled people, and a security-first approach.We’ve seen organizations deploy AI with great expectations, but without a trained workforce, structured data, and robust cybersecurity, adoption stalls. Those that succeed start with education and governance, ensuring AI is embedded into decision-making from day one.This is especially evident in strategic sectors; take healthcare where AI is reducing administrative burdens and enabling predictive analytics, and aviation, where it’s optimizing air traffic management. I always like to reference our work with Omantel where digital skilling in AI and Data science is foundational to transformation and innovation of new business models. AI’s impact isn’t just about where you use it—it’s about how well it’s integrated into operations, security frameworks, and long-term strategies.Q: AI adoption is accelerating, but cybersecurity threats are evolving just as fast. How should organizations respond?A: AI without security is a risk, not an asset. Every advancement in AI has to be matched with an equally strong cybersecurity strategy. The reality is that traditional security models weren’t built for AI-driven environments, which means organizations need to rethink their approach—starting with data governance, real-time threat detection, and zero-trust security models.One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing is AI-powered cybersecurity, where behavioural analytics can predict, detect, and neutralize threats before they escalate. This moves cybersecurity from a reactive to a proactive approach.Q: Many AI projects start strong but fail to scale. What needs to change?A: AI isn’t something you test and forget. Enterprises who are seeing real impact are the ones treating AI as a long-term strategy, not a short-term experiment.Scaling AI requires clear objectives, strong governance, and a workforce that’s ready to use it. We’ve seen government agencies start small—automating workflows or streamlining administrative tasks—and then scale to AI-powered decision-making that shapes policy and governance.In financial services, AI isn’t just improving customer interactions—it’s reducing fraud and strengthening risk management. In both cases, success comes from moving beyond pilots and embedding AI into core operations.Q: Digital transformation is also about enhancing customer experience. How is AI contributing to this evolution?A: Customer expectations have changed—they expect faster, more personalized, and more seamless experiences. AI is key to delivering that, but it’s not just about automation—it’s about anticipating needs and making every interaction smarter and more intuitive.We bring more than 100 years of collective experience in customer experience (CX), and we’ve seen AI redefine customer engagement. In banking, AI-driven financial advisors are personalizing services. In public services, AI-powered chatbots are making government interactions more efficient. Agentic AI models brought by Microsoft present concepts that bring CX transformation visions closer to reality then ever imagined. That’s a key focus for us at the Web Summit, we’ll explore how governments and enterprises can create seamless, intelligent, and predictive customer journeys using AI.Q: Professional and managed services play a key role in AI adoption. Why do organizations need ongoing support?A: AI adoption doesn’t end when a system goes live. AI models need continuous training, cybersecurity threats evolve, and cloud environments require ongoing management. Experience shows that when you don’t invest in AI optimization and managed security risk, you fall behind.That’s why Professional and Managed Services are essential. We work with governments and enterprises to monitor, refine, and scale AI solutions while ensuring security and compliance. AI isn’t just a one-time deployment—it’s an ongoing evolution that requires strategy, oversight, and adaptation.Q: Qatar has been actively investing in AI and digital transformation. How do you see the country's progress in building a future-ready ecosystem?A: Qatar is taking the right steps—not just in adopting AI but in embedding it into the nation’s long-term vision for economic growth, governance, and digital excellence. The country has built a strong foundation with investments in digital skilling, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and AI-driven innovation, ensuring that transformation is not just happening, but happening responsibly and at scale.We see this through initiatives like the Digital Center of Excellence (DCE), which is creating an AI-ready workforce, and through government-led programs integrating AI into public services, finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. Qatar isn’t just preparing for the AI-driven future—it is actively shaping it.Final ThoughtsAI isn’t the future—it’s the present. The real question isn’t whether organizations will adopt AI, but how well they do it. Success depends on national readiness, workforce skilling, cybersecurity maturity, and a clear AI strategy.At TeKnowledge, we are confident in the strength of the ecosystem in Qatar and the direction it’s heading. We see the country leading in responsible AI adoption and remain committed to building capacity, securing digital transformation, and ensuring AI delivers real impact. At Web Summit 2025, we look forward to driving conversations on how to accelerate AI adoption responsibly, secure digital transformation, and build AI-first economies.