By the end of 2027, will AI leave your company with more people, or fewer?

In the third episode of this series, our GCC markets advisor Nick Edwards poses that question to Todd Wilcox, chief executive officer and deputy chairman, HSBC Egypt; Omar Khashaba, managing partner, Algebra Ventures; and Khalil El Bawab, chief executive officer, local and regional markets, Beltone Holding. 

Their answers might not be what you expect. But before answering, they look at how AI is already changing their teams. 

Wilcox shares what happened when HSBC pointed to an in-house AI model at five years of call center data. Khashaba argues that AI should capture the “why” behind an organization’s decisions, not just the “what.” And El Bawab says they’re “treating it as a new hire that we need to train.”

The takeaway? AI won’t take decisions off anyone’s plate. If anything, it makes good judgment matter more.

Forum Playback is a signature series where we capture conversations hosted as part of our invite-only gatherings, including the annual business forum.

A big thank you to our sponsors: Beltone, Orange, Mashreq, HSBC, eFinance Investment Group, Post for Investment, MNT-Halan, and Klivver.

For additional coverage from the forum, visit to our website. 

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