Afzal Nakheeb
From the stage to the real world

Afzal Hussain Mohammed Nakheeb

Founder, Chairman & Head of Strategy, T57.ai

Chairman, AMK Holding · Founder & Chairman, Al Mukarramah

  • AI
  • Global Trade
  • Food Security
  • Financial Infrastructure
Afzal Hussain Mohammed Nakheeb speaking on stage at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh
LEAP 2026 · Riyadh
  • 70+government partnerships
  • 150MoUs and LoIs signed at Gulfood 2026
  • 6markets: KSA, Qatar, UAE, Malaysia, India, Türkiye
  • 11keynotes and panels since 2023

About

Nearly three decades building businesses in finance, food and trade across the Gulf and Asia.

Afzal Hussain Mohammed Nakheeb is the Founder, Chairman and Head of Strategy of T57.ai, an AI-native food trade ecosystem. T57 puts farmers, cooperatives, buyers, logistics providers, financiers, governments and regulators on one platform, and operates across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Malaysia, India and Türkiye.

His work sits where AI, global trade, food security and financial infrastructure meet. He focuses on the practical parts: fair prices for farmers, shorter supply chains, trade finance that settles in days instead of weeks, and Sharia-compliant capital that reaches agri-SMEs.

He has built partnerships with more than 70 governments on food security, policy and sustainable agriculture. At Gulfood 2026 alone, T57 signed 150 MoUs and letters of intent.

He is also Founder and Chairman of Al Mukarramah and Chairman of AMK Holding, The Royal Private Office, a multi-family office in Riyadh. Over nearly three decades he has built ventures across the Gulf, including the Madina Made initiative in Saudi Arabia, which created more than 50,000 SMEs and 3,000 jobs, and Ajwati, a halal food brand built on Madinah's Ajwa date.

Speaks on

Keynotes, panels and fireside conversations for policy, finance, food and technology audiences.

AI in food systems

How AI, data and automation change what the world grows, trades and eats.

Food security corridors

Sovereign supply routes between producing and importing nations.

Trade finance for agriculture

Escrow, smart contracts and digital payments that settle in days.

Islamic finance and food

Sharia-compliant capital for farmers and agri-SMEs.

Trust in financial AI

Machines advise; people decide and stay accountable.

Smart cities to wise regions

Pairing urban technology with human judgement.

Speaking

Selected keynotes and panels, newest first.

2026

PanelSep 2026

Money20/20 Middle East 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“Can I Trust You with My Money? The Psychology of Financial AI”

Made the case that AI should inform financial decisions while people keep the final call and the accountability. The remarks were quoted across the event's closing coverage, and he was interviewed by Entrepreneur Middle East.

With Yana Prikhodchenko (Cointelegraph, moderator), Ilya Kravtsov (PILLAR), Yasar Ahmad (OVD Lab)

Afzal on the Money20/20 Middle East panel stage in Riyadh
Panel, Smart Cities StageSep 2026

LEAP 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“From Smart Cities to Wise Regions: Human Intelligence as the Next Frontier of Urban Tech”

Discussed how cities and regions can pair urban technology with human judgement, and what that means for food, logistics and public services at regional scale.

With Dr. Francesca Arici (Aseer Development Authority), Steve Suarez (HorizonX)

Afzal on the LEAP 2026 Smart Cities Stage panel
Panel26 Jan 2026

Gulfood 2026, World Economy Summit

Dubai, UAE

“Break-Through Technologies and AI-Powered Automations: Strategic Value Creators for an Intelligent Food System”

Argued that AI in food must be inclusive, data-driven and human-centred, with trust, governance and real-time intelligence as its pillars. T57 signed 150 MoUs and letters of intent during the show.

With Shail Khiyara (Swarm), Marc Oshima (Oshima Good Food), Dr. Grace S. Thomson (CAIDP), Sepehr Achard (iGrow News)

Afzal on the Gulfood 2026 World Economy Summit panel

2025

Keynote and panel18 Nov 2025

13th Saudi Trade Finance Summit

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“Building Financial Systems That Empower Growth”

Showed how an AI-native, blockchain-enabled trade corridor can help governments cut post-harvest losses, target subsidies with real-time data and extend finance to farmers and agri-SMEs at scale.

Afzal delivering the keynote at the Saudi Trade Finance Summit
KeynoteNov 2025

MAIB Forum Russia 2025

Saransk, Republic of Mordovia, Russia

Spoke at the forum of the International Assembly of Islamic Business on how Islamic finance and banking can build sturdier financial systems for food. The visit led to an MoU between T57 and MAIB on a digital agri-finance alliance.

Afzal at the MAIB plenary forum in Saransk
Keynote29 Aug 2025

7th China–Arab States Expo: Agricultural Trade and Economic Cooperation

Yinchuan, Ningxia, China

“Food Security Corridors: China · GCC · OIC · ASEAN”

Keynote to government delegations and agriculture leaders at the Modern Agriculture Matchmaking and Exchange Event. He set out the paradox of trillion in annual food waste alongside widespread hunger, and proposed secure food corridors linking China, the GCC, OIC nations and ASEAN. Interviewed by Chinese broadcast media.

Afzal delivering the Food Security Corridors keynote at the China–Arab States Expo
KeynoteAug 2025

7th China–Arab States Expo: Digital Silk Road

Yinchuan, Ningxia, China

“Built for Tomorrow, Today!”

Keynote at the Silk Road E-Commerce Matchmaking Meeting on the Digital Silk Road: how e-commerce, AI and digital trade infrastructure can connect Chinese and Arab markets.

Afzal delivering 'Built for Tomorrow, Today!' at the Silk Road E-Commerce Matchmaking Meeting
PanelMay 2025

Russia–Islamic World: KazanForum 2025

Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia

Spoke on food security and presented the Food Security Eco-System model: Model Support Centres, intra-OIC trade, access to finance and markets, and capacity building for farmers.

With Yerlan Baidaulet, Sultan Asalayev

Afzal speaking on a KazanForum 2025 panel in front of the Food Security Eco-System slide

2024

Panel and investor presentation27–28 Jul 2024

International Islamic Business Forum (IIBF 2024)

Ulyanovsk, Russia

“Trade57: Marking a New Era in Trade and Food Security”

Presented Trade57, the platform that became T57, and spoke on Sharia-compliant trade, logistics inefficiencies and food security gaps in OIC trade. Signed an agreement on stage.

Afzal presenting Trade57 on the IIBF 2024 panel

2023

Address, panel and launchOct 2023

2nd IOFS Food Security Forum

Doha, Qatar

Unveiled the IOFS food security ecosystem developed by Al Mukarramah and pre-launched T57 at the Islamic Organization for Food Security's high-level forum.

Afzal presenting the Food Security Eco-System at the 2nd IOFS High-Level Forum on Food Security in Doha
Keynote31 Aug 2023

Food Security Conference 2023

Cape Town, South Africa

Set out a framework for change in global food security and introduced T57 as the platform built to deliver it.

Afzal speaking at the International Food Security Conference in Cape Town
AI should advise us and provide the right information, but humans should use that information to make wiser decisions. There must be human involvement in evaluating the information, making the final decision and maintaining accountability.
Money20/20 Middle East 2026, Riyadh

On the ground

The talks lead to signed agreements.

Afzal in a working session with his team
Working session with his team
30 Jan 2026Development Bank of Maldives
MoU signed with T57
Jan 2026Kazakhstan delegation, Dubai
Cooperation agreement signed, 26–30 Jan 2026
Jan 2026Gulfood 2026, Dubai
150 MoUs and letters of intent
Nov 2025International Assembly of Islamic Business (MAIB)
MoU on a digital agri-finance alliance
Sep 2025China business delegation
Led AMK Holding's delegation with CCIIP and Hampton Group to Hailiang, Huaxin and Tengda; agreement signed
Jul 2024IIBF 2024, Ulyanovsk
Agreement signed on stage at the International Islamic Business Forum
22 Jun 2023Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and IOFS, Astana
Joint workshop on sukuk for investments in agriculture
Jun 2023Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS)
MoU with Al Mukarramah, signed with Director General Yerlan Baidaulet
May 2023IsDB Group Annual Meetings, Jeddah
Agreement signed by Al Mukarramah, 10–13 May 2023
Speaking, media and partnerships

Invite Afzal

For keynotes, panels, interviews and partnership enquiries, write to Afzal directly or to T57 Corporate Communications.

Afzal Hussain Mohammed Nakheeb, studio portrait
EmailAfzal@t57.ai
Corporate commsHabeeba@t57.ai
Instagram@afzal5555