"Curious by Design": Advisory Board Member Ahmed Al Zarouni on the Mindset Behind His Career in Technology

20+ years of experience, 70+ certifications, 4 books, 15+ mobile apps with millions of users, among a plethora of other achievements. When asked what sits at the root of all of it, Ahmed Al Zarouni's answer is straightforward: his curiosity.

A name that needs no introduction in the world of technology — Mr. Ahmed Al Zarouni is a cybersecurity expert, AI strategist, digital transformation leader, and proud member of Plekhanov University in Dubai's Advisory Board. Mr. Ahmed recently sat down with The Perspective for a conversation covering UAE cybersecurity, digital threats, and his journey building TECHFIRM.

He traced his career back not to a degree or a job title, but to a childhood habit of taking things apart. Televisions, cassette players, telephone lines, satellite receivers — nothing was off limits. If he didn't understand how something worked, he opened it, questioned it, and did not accept face-value answers.
“We are curious creatures, we need to be curious. Without it, innovation stops,” he shared.

During the interview, Mr. Ahmed offered a clear-eyed perspective on AI that is worth paying attention to, particularly as AI becomes a fixture of both industry and education. In his view, AI is a tool, not a substitute for human judgment. He also spoke to the role AI plays in cybersecurity, where the volume of data and logs generated by large organizations makes human monitoring alone impossible. In this aspect, AI serves its best purpose: filtering the critical from the noise, so that analysts can focus their judgment where it matters most.

As we enter Plekhanov Innovation Week 2026, we carry forward with the mindset: “Curious by Design.” Just like Mr. Ahmed, we see curiosity as the engine of innovation. Next week, we celebrate the questions our students and faculty refused to stop asking, and the discoveries, projects, and achievements that were born from looking beyond the surface.

Click here to register for Plekhanov Innovation Week 2026.