Dr. Khulood Almani
Founder and CEO, HKB Tech®, Saudi Arabia
Dr. Khulood Almani is a globally recognized Saudi thought leader in AI, technology, and digital transformation, with over 20 years of experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. She has served as a professor at King Saud University and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and holds multiple patents in AI and IoT systems.
As the founder and CEO of HKB Tech, Dr. Almani leads the development of patented AI/IoT wearables and solutions across BioTech, ClimateTech, Smart Cities, FinTech, HealthTech, and EdTech. Under her leadership, HKB Tech has formed strategic partnerships with global technology giants including Google, NVIDIA, and Amazon, and actively participates in NVIDIA’s AI Inception Program. She also founded the Saudi AI Hub – Center of Excellence, the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, focusing on high-impact AI projects, knowledge exchange, and investment in AI infrastructure.
Dr. Almani is a champion for women in technology and entrepreneurship, serving as UN Ambassador for Women Empowerment, Peace, and Humanity, and holding leadership positions on multiple boards including the World Smart Cities Economic Development Commission, the Global Science, Technology & Innovation Committee under G20-WBAF, and as Country Chair for G100-WEF (Women Economic Forum) in Saudi Arabia. She is the founder of VTA, a UK-based virtual tech accelerator, and an active investor supporting digital entrepreneurs globally through Forward Angel Investment.
Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the Global Leadership Award for Women in Tech under the patronage of French President Macron, recognition as the world’s top thought leader in AI, robotics, and data science by Mobile World Congress 2023, the International Leadership Awards 2024 in AI and Tech, and the Global Technology Thought Leadership Medal. She has also been honored with the Excellence Award in AI and Emerging Tech by His Royal Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud Al Saud.
1. How can technology, such as vertical farming and AI-driven monitoring, help balance sustainability with affordability in agriculture?
Technology must serve both people and planet and that is the real test of innovation. The AIoT (AI-driven IoT) systems can dramatically improve efficiency, predict crop health and optimize energy and water use, lowering costs while meeting sustainability goals. At HKB Tech®, we are building in-house patented and proprietary innovations that merge intelligent analytics, sensor fusion and predictive irrigation models to make sustainable farming scalable and affordable. When technology learns to see, listen and respond to nature, agriculture becomes both resilient and inclusive in a data-intelligent ecosystem rather than a resource-intensive one.
2. How can the Middle East strengthen food security through innovation in desert farming, hydroponics, and controlled-environment agriculture?
Saudi Arabia is redefining what’s possible in arid-climate agriculture. By integrating AI-driven IoT systems, hydroponics and climate-adaptive analytics, the region is proving that sustainability can thrive even in extreme environments. Through HKB Tech®, we’re developing patented proprietary solutions that align with the Kingdom’s $135 billion national AI initiative, positioning Saudi startups and scale-ups as pillars of global innovation. Our ClimateTech frameworks enable data-driven farming where each drop of water and ray of light is optimized by intelligence.
3. How can regional governments and private sectors collaborate to make sustainable farming economically viable in arid climates?
The next era of sustainability will be co-created, not dictated. Governments and private innovators must design frameworks that make green technologies economically viable and socially impactful. HKB Tech®, positioned within Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 AI transformation, demonstrates how AIoT (AI-driven IoT) systems and proprietary climate monitoring platforms can accelerate adoption through public-private synergy. When policy, data and innovation align, sustainability becomes not an aspiration but a measurable growth engine, one that unites economic diversification with environmental stewardship.