SymphonyAI, EI-Technologies MENA, Perpetuuiti, and ICD InfoSec bag the CIO CHOICE 2026 MEA Trust Seal

Marking its strategic global expansion, CIO CHOICE launched the Middle East & Africa (MEA) edition, bringing CIO-endorsed ICT brand recognition to a rapidly evolving digital region.

The ICT landscape is shaped by AI-led transformation, cloud-first strategies, cyber resilience, and sustainability-driven innovation, as enterprises move into 2026. Amid growing choice and complexity, CIOs value ICT partners that deliver secure, scalable, and future-ready platforms with measurable business impact. This leadership and trust is what CIO CHOICE recognises and celebrates.

CIO CHOICE is ‘THE’ prestigious annual recognition platform curated by CORE Media, celebrating ICT brands that enable enterprises through innovation and excellence. Backed by a legacy of over 14 years, CIO CHOICE continues to be the trusted barometer of ICT brand excellence, validated solely by enterprise CIOs and technology leaders.

CIO CHOICE MEA 2026 Winners

The ‘Gold Seal of Trust’, CIO CHOICE is unique in that winning brands are chosen directly by the CIOs and IT Decision Makers who engage with these technologies on a day-to-day basis. The selection process is driven by a voting platform, where CIOs and Digital Leaders nominate the ICT brands based on firsthand experience, performance consistency, and top-of-mind recall.

The recognition was presented at the CIO CHOICE MEA 2026 Red Carpet Night, produced by CORE Media, marketed by CXO Capital.

In its debut year, CIO CHOICE MEA honoured 7 distinguished ICT brands across 7 diverse categories, recognizing their commitment to innovation, excellence, and service leadership. Among the celebrated names were industry leaders such as SymphonyAI, Karnival, IceWarp, and ICD InfoSec.

The entire process was guided by an eminent advisory panel of senior technology leaders which consisted of 10 distinguished CIOs and Digital Technology leaders:

• Abdalla Ahmed Mohamed Al Ali, Director of Information Technology, DMCC

• Feroz Khan, Head of IT Security, Compliance and Projects, TotalEnergies

• Filip Nekvinda, Chief Information & Digital Officer, Abdul Latif Jameel Enterprises

• Kevin Neogy, Group Head of Digital Transformation, AI & Robotics, The Kanoo Group

• Mayank Bhargava, Group CIO, Arada

• Naushad Mohammed, Director – IT,  VAMED

• Ramandeep Singh Virdi, CIO/CDO MENA, Americana Restaurants

• Sreedhar Suragouni, Chief Operations and Technology Officer, Sukoon Insurance

• Subodh Dubey, Group CIO, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group

• Veneeth Purushotaman, ex-Group CIO, Aster DM Healthcare

“CIO CHOICE  MEA is designed to reflect the voice and priorities of CIOs across the Middle East & Africa. It recognizes trusted ICT brands on the back of stated preferences of CIOs and Digital Leaders enabling collaboration, building trust, and supporting the region’s rapid digital and economic transformation,” said Anoop Mathur, Founder, CORE Media.

CXO Capital Events LLC, Dubai has the franchise to market and conduct the CIO CHOICE platform in the MEA region.