Davos, Switzerland | January 2026
SCC Chair and President, @Mr. Corey Gray, has used his SCC Delegation Welcome Reception to announce the appointment of @Shaik Hamdan to lead SCC's fastest growing geographic region, @Smart Cities Council Middle East.
An influential figure in the region, Shaik brings deep connections in the GCC region, strong business and governance acumen and has strong experience across public sector, private sector, academia, charity and philanthropy.
"Shaik was introduced to me SCC by our SCC Global Advisory Board Member, @Junaid Islam, and we met soon after in Abu Dhabi at the @AIM Congress in April 2025. We immediately aligned on values, vision and mission and Shaik joined us in San Francisco in May for Smart Cities Summit North America" explained Corey Gray, SCC Chair & President.
"We have maintained regular contact in my many recent visits to Dubai and Shaik has provided great connectivity and service to SCC. His support of local initiatives and our global network in their regional activities, with programs such as @Smart Cities Academy's launch of AI Compliance modules and SCC Advisory's upcoming launch of AI Compliance Workshops through our partnership with @SmartAIConnect."
"It has been a great pleasure to enter the Smart Cities Council global network, working with exceptional people all over the world, and taking a step forward to lead SCC in the Middle East is extremely exciting for me" added Shaik.
"Being here in Davos for the launch of SCC's 2026 Strategic Plan with our global delegation has been informative, motivational and invaluable in terms of positioning for the dramatic expansion of our local member and partner network and activities in 2026."
SCC Middle East, led by Shaik, will host a reception at our SCC Global Pavilion at the @AIM Congress in Dubai 13 - 15 April 2026 for our regional members and partners, and visiting members of its global network.
Media interested in attending or scheduling interviews should contact:
Karen Norden karen.norden@smartcitiescouncil.com
About Smart Cities Council
Smart Cities Council is a global network of cities, governments, technology leaders, investors, and solution providers dedicated to enabling city and community transformation through governance, finance, technology, and partnerships that deliver measurable outcomes.
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