Esteemed Speakers
Dr. Abdulla Majed Al Ali
Director General of the UAE National Library And Archives
United Arab Emirates
His Excellency Dr Abdulla Majid Al Ali has served as the Director General of the National Library and Archives since August 2022, having previously served as its Executive Director from December 2020.
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Prof. Ahmed Abdullah Zayed
Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Egypt
Prof. A. Zayed graduated from the Faculty of Arts at Cairo University in 1972. Since graduating, he took on different faculty positions, from Lecturer to Professor of Political Sociology. He earned his PhD in 1981 from Cairo University, after spending two years at the University of East Anglia in England collecting research material.
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Prof. Ahmed Elmahdy
Dean of the School of Information Technology and Computer Science (ITCS) at Nile University
Egypt
Prof Ahmed El-Mahdy is the dean of the ITCS School, Nile University. He joined NU in February 2023. He got his BSc and MSc from Alexandria University and his PhD from Manchester University, UK. Coming from a computing systems background, Prof El-Mahdy is now exploring making quantum computing usable in practice. His group is exploring Quantum-AI, dealing with quantum noise, developing ‘self-healing’ quantum memories, and doing practical quantum communications.
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Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Aly
Department of Information Studies - Faculty of Arts, Minia University
Egypt
Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ali Abdelmokhtar is an Assistant Professor of Information Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Minia University. He received his PhD in Information Science with First-Class Honors in 2021 for his research on the use of the Internet of Things in academic libraries. In 2019, he received the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information (AFLI) Award for the Best Master’s Thesis at the Arab World level.
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Dr. Alberto Manguel
Canadian writer, translator, editor, critic and Former Director of the National Library of Argentina
Canada
Dr. Alberto Manguel is a Canadian writer, translator, editor and critic, born in Buenos Aires in 1948. He has published several novels, and non-fiction, including Packing My Library, Curiosity, With Borges, A History of Reading, The Library at Night, Fabulous Monsters and (together with Gianni Guadalupi) The Dictionary of Imaginary Places.
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Dr. Ashraf Sheta
CEO of Ahmed Sheta (AS) for Consultancy and Training
Egypt
Dr. Ashraf Sheta is a pioneer of knowledge management in Egypt and the region and earned the first doctorate in knowledge management from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASMT). His doctoral research examined how learning organization and knowledge management practices drive private-sector performance, and it was later published as a book.
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Ms. Dina Youssef
Head of the Library Sector, Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Egypt
Ms. Dina Youssef is the Head of the Library Sector at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. She also acts as Director of the IFLA Center for Arabic Speaking Libraries and Information Institutions, hosted at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, and is an accredited trainer and leadership development facilitator for the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).
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Prof. Emad Eissa
President of the Arab Federation of Libraries and Information (AFLI)
Egypt
Prof. Dr Emad Eissa Saleh Mohamed, is the President of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information (AFLI); Professor and Head of the Department of Information Science at Capital University (formerly Helwan University), Egypt; PhD in Digital Libraries; Educational Coordinator of the International Network of Emerging Library Innovators – Middle East and North Africa (INELI-MENA); Technical Expert at the Academy of the Arabic Language in Egypt;
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Mr. Ertuğrul Çimen
Chair Regional Council and Governing Board Member, IFLA
Turkey
Ertuğrul Çimen holds a Bachelor's degree in Library Science from Hacettepe University (Ankara) and a Master's degree in Finance and Banking from Kadir Has University (Istanbul). He currently serves as Library Director at MEF University. His professional interests include academic library management, library consortia, licensing of electronic resources, resource sharing, document delivery, lifelong learning, library advocacy, and professional development programs for librarians.
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Dr. Essraa Nawar
Assistant Dean for Library Engagement and Program Initiatives, Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Committee at Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University
Egypt
Dr. Essraa Nawar, MBA, MA, MLIS, is the Assistant Dean for Library Engagement & Program Initiatives and Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Committee at Leatherby Libraries, Chapman University, where she has served for 16 years. Holder of three master's degrees, she is completing her Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership from Marywood University in collaboration with the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport.
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Mr. Firass A. Darabah
Director General of the Department of the National Library of Jordan
Jordan
Mr. Firass Attallah Al-Darabah serves as Director General of the National Library of Jordan, bringing over twenty-nine years of professional experience in library science, information management, and technical systems across the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
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Prof. Gilles Pécout
President of bibliothèque nationale de france (BNF)
France
Brief introduction: (To be posted)
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Ms. Hannah Sommers
Associate Librarian for Researcher and Collections Services at Library of Congress (LoC)
United States
Hannah Sommers is the Associate Librarian for Researcher & Collections Services at the Library of Congress, in Washington D.C., leading over 550 employees responsible for the Library’s researcher, reference, and public service work, as well as collection development. Her work brings together collection stewardship with data strategy to improve the accessibility of library collections and the experience of researchers using them.
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Dr. Heba Saleh
Director of Information Technology Institute
Egypt
Dr. Heba Saleh serves as the Head of the Information Technology Institute, one of the pillars of the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) for developing the IT industry by preparing specialized Egyptian cadres in cutting-edge technologies with rapid demand in the local, regional, and global markets.
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Prof. Khaled Elhalaby
Professor of Library and Information Science, Cairo University Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Institution Knowledge Management Foundation
Egypt
Prof. Dr Khaled Mohamed Emam El-Halaby is a Professor of Library and Information Science at the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Institution of Knowledge Management (AIKM); and Editor-in-Chief of the International Arab Journal of Information Technology and Data.
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Ms. Marie Grégoire
Présidente-Directrice Générale of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
Canada
Marie Grégoire is an experienced executive and communicator with an unconventional career path. A lifelong learner, she has made her mark in the many fields in which she has worked. After working in the family business and founding her own company, she went on to hold several executive positions with economic and social enterprises. A founding partner of TACT Intelligence-conseil, she also helped relaunch the business magazine Premières en affaires.
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Mr. Mohamed Elhawary
Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Fanar Media (UK), Arab States Representative on the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance Global Board
Egypt
Mohamed El-Hawary is Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Fanar Media (UK), Arab States Representative on the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance Global Board, and a Board Member of the Arab Science and Technology Foundation. His background spans print, digital and television journalism, newsroom management and media training.
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Dr. Mohamed Elzalabany
Library Systems Consultant, Founder of Egyptian Prime Vision
Egypt
Dr. Mohamed Elzalabany is a Library Systems Consultant, Founder of Egyptian Prime Vision (EgyPrimeVision), and Data Implementation Consultant specializing in FOLIO at EBSCO Information Services.
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Prof. Ossama Talaat
Chairman of the General Authority for the National Library and Archives
Egypt
Professor Osama Talaat currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of The Egyptian National Library and Archives, the authority that brings together Egypt’s national library and national archives. In this capacity, he oversees numerous tasks related to the preservation, conservation, and digitization of the cultural, intellectual, and documentary heritage, both manuscript and printed, held by the National Library and Archives.
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Prof. Rasha Sharaf
Secretary General of the Educational Development Fund
Egypt
Professor Rasha Sharaf serves as the Secretary-General of the Education Development Fund at the Egyptian Cabinet. She is also a member of the Governing Board of UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education in Geneva for a four-year term. She is a member of the Technical Secretariat of the National Council for Education, Research, and Innovation, comprising scientists and experts, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Training Academy affiliated with the Presidency.
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Ms. Samira El Malizi
Director of National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco
Morocco
Ms Samira El Malizi, Director General of the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco since 2025, is an accomplished administrative leader who has accumulated extensive professional experience in public management, cultural administration, and institutional governance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economic Sciences, specializing in International Economic Relations, followed by a Master’s degree in Management, Auditing, Quality, Industry, and Services.
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Ms. Tan Huism
Executive Director of Qatar National Library
Singapore
Tan Huism is the Executive Director of Qatar National Library (QNL), which supports reading, research and lifelong learning while preserving Qatar’s documentary heritage. Since joining QNL in September 2021, she has led key strategic initiatives, including the development of its artificial intelligence strategy, launch of its mobile application, establishment of Qatar’s National Digital Research Repository, and introduction of contemporary collecting initiatives and research fellowship programs.
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