Chairman of the Iraqi Private Banks League (IPBL)
Wadee Al Handal is the Chairman of the Iraqi Private Banks League (IPBL) and a leading figure in Iraq’s banking sector. He also chairs Al Handal International Group and Ashur International Bank for Investment.
With decades of experience in finance, Mr. Al Handal has been a driving force in modernizing Iraq’s banking industry, championing institutional capacity building, SME financing, and closer alignment with international banking standards.
In his keynote address, “The Banking Role in Institutional and Societal Development,” Mr. Al Handal will examine how financial institutions can foster both economic growth and community well-being. He will highlight IPBL initiatives to strengthen specialist banking skills, support small and medium-sized enterprises through training, funding, and guarantees, and attract substantial international investment for development projects.
On the societal front, he will showcase the success of the Tamkeen Fund, which has delivered training and support to displaced and marginalized groups, along with flagship urban initiatives such as “Pulse of Baghdad” and the revitalization of Al-Rashid Street—projects that have created jobs and generated lasting social impact.
Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
Professor Dhiya Al-Jumeily OBE is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Liverpool John Moores University with over 30 years of experience in AI and its applications toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).
His research focuses on harnessing AI and emerging technologies to address global challenges in healthcare, the environment, safety and security, and education. Although based in the UK, Prof. Al-Jumeily collaborates with researchers from more than 20 countries, with a particular emphasis on improving conditions in developing regions, especially across the MENA region.
He has published over 500 works—including peer-reviewed journal articles, books and book chapters, conference proceedings, and technical reports—and is recognized for his significant contributions to AI and machine learning.
Since 2007, he has served as the founder and president of the Electronic Systems Engineering Society (eSES). Over the course of his career, he has supervised more than 25 PhD students and mentored over 20 academics.
In 2023, he was named one of 200 influential figures at Liverpool John Moores University who have shaped and advanced the institution.
In his role as AI advisor to the prime minister of Iraq, Prof. Al-Jumeily will discuss the national strategy for artificial intelligence in Iraq.
Professor of Visual Computing | Unit of Assessment Coordinator for Computer Science for REF2021 and REF2029
Professor Rami Qahwaji is a Professor of Visual Computing with internationally recognized expertise in artificial intelligence, computer vision, medical imaging, and data visualization.
He has led high-impact research in collaboration with partners such as NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).
Among his notable achievements, he developed an AI-based space weather prediction system that is now integrated into NASA’s Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC). This work was highlighted as a top-rated impact case study in the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.
Professor Qahwaji has secured multi-million-pound research funding from sources including UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Horizon 2020, and his work has generated significant commercial impact.
This includes the launch of the startup CustomLensAI Ltd and innovations in AI-assisted medical diagnostics through advanced 3D corneal modelling.
He also serves as Unit of Assessment Coordinator for Computer Science for REF2021 and REF2029 and chairs the University’s Computing Industry Advisory Board, reflecting his strong record of academic leadership and engagement with industry.
Professor | Consultant in Computing and Intelligent Systems Engineering
Professor Majid Al-Taee, an IEEE Senior Member and MCAA Fellow, is an expert and consultant in Computing and Intelligent Systems Engineering.
His research and consultancy focus on telemedicine, IoT and smart sensor technologies, and AI-driven healthcare and diagnostic systems.
Holding a PhD from the University of Liverpool, Professor Al-Taee brings extensive international experience across both industry and academia in Iraq, Jordan and the UK.
His leadership record includes establishing new engineering programmes, serving as Head of Computer Engineering Department and Vice Dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Jordan, and founding and leading the IEEE Joint Chapter for the Computer and Computational Intelligence Societies in Jordan.
Professor Al-Taee has secured over $2.5 million in competitive research funding for high-impact projects, including automated prescription in neonatal ICUs, AI-driven disease diagnosis and the introduction of robotic assistants for Paediatric diabetes care.
His pioneering contributions have earned 12 scientific awards, including the prestigious Marie Curie Award from the European Commission. A prolific researcher, he has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and supervised 22 postgraduate theses to successful completion.
Professor | Member of AIFED
Professor Dr. Ahmad Jammal is a distinguished academic leader in higher education, with extensive expertise in quality assurance, accreditation, and strategic planning.
He currently serves as a member of AIFED and its Quality Assurance and Accreditation Committee. Dr. Jammal holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in human development from Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, France.
With over 35 years of academic experience in Lebanese and French universities, he has made significant contributions to engineering education, renewable energy research, and curriculum development. Internationally recognized for his work in quality assurance, he has collaborated with organizations such as ANQAHE, FIBAA, NCQAA, and UNESCO, participating in accreditation reviews and educational reforms across the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.
Dr. Jammal has also held key leadership roles, including Director General of Higher Education in Lebanon (2002–2019) and Director General of the Office of the Lebanese Prime Minister (2019–2022), where he played a major role in shaping national higher education policies and strategic initiatives. From 2023 to 2025, he served as Director of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Office at the University College of Bahrain (UCB).
He will speak on artificial intelligence (AI) in education and its transformative impact on teaching, learning, and administration.
Director General of Financial Operations and Debt Management at the Central Bank of Iraq
Dr. Mahmoud Mohammed Mahmoud Dagher holds a BSc (1978), MSc (1983), and PhD (1990) in Financial and Monetary Policies.
He served as Director General of Financial Operations and Debt Management at the Central Bank of Iraq and was a member of the Technical Committee of the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB).
He also served as Head of the Finance and Banking Department at the University of Baghdad from 2012 to 2015 and as an advisor at the Iraqi Investment Bank in 2020.
He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Bank of the South. Dr. Daghir’s lecture will cover early warning systems for identifying emergency situations using several indicators, including the Time Trigger Index (TTI), based on high-frequency measurements of market stresses; the Early Warning Index (EWI), derived from leading macroeconomic indicators; and the Dual-Layer Crisis Prediction Model (DLCPM).
He will discuss the importance of the DLCPM in helping central banks, regulatory bodies, and institutional investors anticipate and respond to crises.
Professor of Intelligent Systems | Director of the AI Research Center at Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq.
Professor Kasim Mousa Obaidi holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Control and Computer Engineering from the University of Technology, Iraq (1979 and 1982), and a Ph.D. in Real-Time Computing from the University of Liverpool, England (1990).
He is currently a Professor of Intelligent Systems and Director of the AI Research Center at Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq. From 1997 to 2025, he held several key leadership positions at Philadelphia University, Jordan, including Dean of Engineering and Technology, Dean of Information Technology, Dean of Scientific Research and Graduate Studies, and Dean of Quality Assurance and Accreditation.
His research expertise covers embedded systems, real-time computing, fuzzy logic, neural networks, and genetic algorithms, with applications in robotics, automation, and healthcare.
In recognition of his scientific contributions, he received the Best Researcher Award from Philadelphia University in 2000. Professor Obaidi serves as Editor-in-Chief of two international journals and is a member of the editorial boards of several others.
He has co-authored four books, contributed five book chapters, and published 123 research papers in indexed journals and international conferences.
Professor of Control Engineering
Professor Yousif Al-Mashhadany is a Professor of Control Engineering in the Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering.
He is a Senior Member of the IEEE. He received his B.Sc. (1995), M.Sc. (1999), and Ph.D. (2010) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Rashid School of Engineering and Science, University of Technology, Iraq.
In 2012, he completed his postdoctoral research in Electrical Engineering at the University of Malaya.
Since 2004, he has served as a lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Anbar.
Professor Al-Mashhadany has an extensive publication record, including four books, two book chapters, 96 journal articles (most indexed in Clarivate, Scopus, and other international databases), and 52 conference papers. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Anbar Journal of Engineering Science and serves on the editorial boards of the Al-Nahrain Engineering Journal and the Al-Kitab Journal for Pure Sciences.
Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at the University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
Dr. Waleed Al-Nuaimy is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at the University of Liverpool, where he also serves as Deputy Head of Department for Teaching.
He earned his B.Sc. in Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering from Saddam University, Iraq, in 1995, and completed his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Electronics at the University of Liverpool in 1999.
A member of the Signal Processing and Autonomous Systems research group, Dr. Al-Nuaimy’s main scholarly focus is on engineering education research. He is dedicated to enhancing the student learning experience through innovative teaching methods and technologies.
His research explores gamification and active pencasts to boost engagement, the creation of nano-learning materials using short-form content, and the integration of artificial intelligence into intelligent learning and assessment platforms. His work aims to improve comprehension and retention while reducing student workload.
Dr. Al-Nuaimy’s technical expertise in computer vision, augmented reality, and data analysis underpins his advancements in educational technology.
