Ali Fouad KwikaCTO · Dubai
العربية Book a call
About

About Ali Fouad Kwika

Fractional CTO and AI transformation leader based in Dubai. For 15+ years I’ve turned technology into business results — as an engineer, a transformation leader and a founder.

Work with me Connect on LinkedIn
Based in
Dubai, UAE
Experience
15+ years
Languages
Arabic · English
Education
DBA in AI · EMBA · MIT CTO
Ali Fouad Kwika, Fractional CTO and AI transformation leader in Dubai
My story

From engineer to CTO

I started in 2011 as a full-stack web and mobile engineer at Mohamed Hilal Group in Dubai, then built enterprise platforms, omnichannel and loyalty technology and ERP/CRM/POS integrations at Apparel Group and Kanoo Group across the UAE and Bahrain.

From 2020 I moved into transformation leadership — modernising CRM and digital operations at Driven Properties, then leading enterprise technology transformation at Ellington Properties, a premium Dubai developer.

In 2022 I co-founded The Digital Hotelier, a hospitality SaaS I led as CTO through growth and founder exit. Today I’m Co-Founder & CTO of Tickify and VOYA, CTO of Start Tech Agency and SkyLara, and I advise founders and leadership teams across the GCC on AI, platforms and engineering.

Principles

How I work

Business outcomes first

Technology earns its place by moving revenue, efficiency or customer value. Every roadmap starts there.

Ship to production

Strategy only counts when it runs in production, so I stay close to architecture and delivery.

Teams over heroes

Durable results come from accountable teams, clear standards and good hiring — not from one person.

Security by design

Security, governance and compliance are built in from day one, not bolted on later.

Experience

15 years, from engineer to CTO

Hands-on engineering roots, enterprise transformation, then founding and scaling technology companies.

  1. 2026 — Now

    Chief Technology Officer

    SkyLara

    Built and launched a multi-tenant skydiving operations platform with full web and mobile parity.

  2. 2025 — Now

    Co-Founder & CTO

    Tickify · Sydney

    End-to-end ticketing platform: payments, secure transfers, resale marketplace, real-time data and Web3 infrastructure.

  3. 2025 — Now

    Co-Founder & CTO

    VOYA · Dubai

    AI travel technology: conversational AI, agent orchestration and privacy-by-design cloud architecture on AWS.

  4. 2025 — Now

    Chief Technology Officer

    Start Tech Agency · Dubai

    AI and cloud programmes for GCC clients — 30–45% efficiency gains, 99.9% availability, teams of 15–30.

  5. 2022 — 2025

    Co-Founder & CTO

    The Digital Hotelier · Dubai

    Led technology through growth and founder exit — 35% faster delivery, 15% lower technology cost.

  6. 2021 — 2022

    Senior Manager, Technology Transformation

    Ellington Properties · Dubai

    Enterprise transformation for a premium developer: CRM/ERP modernisation and digital channels.

  7. 2020 — 2021

    Technology Business Development Manager

    Driven Properties · Dubai

    CRM modernisation that cut lead response time by 35%+ and lifted qualified conversion by 20%.

  8. 2011 — 2020

    Senior Full Stack & Mobile Engineer

    Kanoo Group · Apparel Group · Mohamed Hilal Group

    Enterprise web and mobile platforms, omnichannel and loyalty technology, ERP/CRM/POS integrations.

Education

Education & credentials

DBA — Artificial IntelligenceESC Clermont Business School, France2023 – 2026
Executive MBAHult International Business School, Dubai2024 – 2026
Chief Technology Officer ProgramMIT Professional Education, Boston2024 – 2025
Leveraging Fintech InnovationHarvard University, Boston2021 – 2022
BEng, Information & Communication EngineeringEbla Private University2010 – 2015

Professional development & advisory

Scrum Master I (Scrum.org)UC Berkeley — Digital TransformationHarvard Business School programmes: entrepreneurship, negotiation, digital platforms, disruptive strategyMIT Professional Education — AI/ML and GenAIHSA Representative, Hult International Business SchoolVolunteer technology advisor to early-stage startups
Testimonials

What colleagues say

His eagerness to learn and positivity towards work is infectious. I had the pleasure of working with Ali for 6 years at Mohamed Hilal Group.
Leo JacintoArt Director, Anfasic
I have worked with Ali on several integration projects at Apparel. He has excellent technical know-how and completed the projects as per agreed scope, on time.
Dexter EnecioNetwork Engineer, Apparel Group
Ali understands what the customer needs and builds apps that are very easy to use — and makes the extra effort to ensure the project completes on time.
Anjali LukoseBusiness Manager, Apparel Group
It was a pleasure working with Ali — he always has an answer and quick fixes to our technical challenges.
Ahmed MetwalyOperations Manager, Apparel Group

Have a product to build or a team to scale?

Tell me where you are and where you want to be. Let’s find the shortest path to get there.

Book a strategy call WhatsApp me Connect on LinkedIn