Najwa Aaraj keynote speaker

Dr. Najwa Aaraj is a distinguished technology executive, researcher and cybersecurity expert who serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council. TII conducts advanced research across fields including artificial intelligence, autonomous robotics, cryptography, quantum technologies, secure systems, advanced materials, propulsion and space.

Appointed CEO in May 2024, Najwa previously served as Chief Researcher of both TII’s Cryptography Research Center and Autonomous Robotics Research Center. Her transition from scientist and research leader to CEO gives her a particularly valuable perspective on one of the biggest challenges facing organisations and governments today: how to turn frontier scientific research into technologies capable of delivering real-world impact.

A cybersecurity and cryptography specialist by training, Najwa earned her PhD with Highest Distinction in Applied Cryptography and Embedded Systems Security from Princeton University, where she also completed a master’s degree and a minor in physics. Her technical expertise encompasses applied cryptography, trusted platforms, embedded-system security, software exploit detection and prevention, biometrics and autonomous systems.

Her career spans more than 20 years across research, technology and consulting. Before joining TII, she was Senior Vice President of Products & Cryptography Development at DarkMatter. She previously worked with Booz & Company and held research positions at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Intel and NEC Laboratories. At Intel, her work included Trusted Platform Modules and contributions to an early prototype of TPM 2.0-based firmware.

Today, Najwa operates at the intersection of several technologies likely to shape the coming decades: AI, cybersecurity, autonomous robotics, cryptography and quantum computing. Under her leadership, TII is pursuing research designed not simply to advance scientific knowledge but to translate breakthroughs into technologies with practical applications. In 2026, for example, TII became a founding contributor to an open standard for verifiable, quantum-safe AI, contributing post-quantum cryptography designed to protect the integrity of AI systems.

Najwa is also an advocate for strengthening the participation of women in science and technology. She has written about women’s role in shaping AI and frontier science, noting that TII includes hundreds of women scientists and engineers working across AI, robotics, quantum technologies, cryptography and space science. She received Special Recognition at the Arab Woman Awards 2021 and the Wu Prize for Research Excellence from Princeton University.

Alongside her TII leadership, Najwa is an Adjunct Professor at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), an adviser within Paladin Capital Group’s Strategic Advisory Group and a board member of Abu Dhabi Ship Building. Her combination of scientific depth, executive leadership and experience building advanced technology ecosystems makes her a compelling speaker for audiences seeking to understand not only what comes next in technology, but how organisations and nations can prepare for it.