IIC MENA Chapter meeting – Egypt’s Personal Data Protection Law: Compliance in Practice – What you need to know

Ayman Nour is a Partner, heading the Corporate Structuring department in the Egypt office. He is also a member of the Education, Healthcare, Sports & Event Management and Hotel & Leisure sector groups.

Ayman specialises in corporate structuring, restructuring, governance, compliance, as well as FDI. He is also well experienced in general corporate, labor and civil matters alongside TMT and employment. He represents local and multinational corporations and institutions, many of which are entities listed on NYSE or the Egyptian Exchange and/or on the Global 100 List.  Ayman has been recognized by Legal 500 as a leading individual in Employment for 2019 and 2020.

Prior to becoming a Partner in the Firm, Ayman was a partner associated with a British law firm, from 2003 to 2010. Between 1995 and 2003 Ayman worked for two intermittent periods with Baker & McKenzie in Cairo for five years. Between such periods, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney with the Egyptian Public Prosecutor Office from 1997 to 2000.

Aziz Mohamed was appointed Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy at Cisco in May 2016. In this capacity, he leads Cisco’s government affairs initiatives across the Middle East and Turkey shaping and advancing the company’s technology and communications policy agenda. Aziz is instrumental in fostering strategic relationships with government stakeholders and driving key policy discussions on broadband, Internet governance, IP-enabled services, trade, energy, and emerging technology issues.

With more than 30 years of experience in the ICT sector, Aziz’s expertise spans government relations, policy development, marketing, and communications. Prior to joining Cisco, he held senior roles at HP Canada for 17 years, as well as at Compaq and MTS Allstream Canada, where he developed a deep understanding of industry trends and regulatory environments.

Aziz holds a Bachelor of Communications from Cairo University (1992) and is recognized for his leadership in navigating complex policy landscapes to support digital innovation and economic growth in the region.

David Yates leads the regional Digital & Data practice at Al Tamimi & Company.

Suzanne El Akabaoui is currently the Advisor to the ICT Minister for Data Governance, a role that showcases her expertise and influence in data protection policies and privacy regulations. As an Advisor to the ICT Minister for Data Governance, Suzanne is mandated with taking part in building the regulatory framework for personal data protection, privacy and personal data security in line with Egypt 2030 Vision and digital transformation projects on a national scale.

Suzanne is a leading expert in her field. A highly accomplished attorney with a diverse background in the legal, business, and data privacy fields, and extensive experience in commercial, corporate, technology, and data privacy laws.

Suzanne’s journey in the legal world evolved with attaining her Law Degree from the esteemed Sorbonne Paris University. She showcased her dedication to the field by completing the undergraduate law program, and pursued a Master’s in Business Law which solidified her foundation in this crucial aspect within the legal domain.

In parallel to her legal studies, she ventured into the realm of economics and received her Bachelor’s degree from the prestigious Faculty of Economics and Political Science from the Cairo University in Egypt with both a Major in Economics, and a minor in Statistics.

Eager to expand her knowledge in the economics field, Suzanne pursued yet another Certificate in Economics from the International Institute for Political and Economic Studies (Georgetown University). This additional qualification further enriched her ability to offer valuable insights within her legal practice, bridging the gap between law and business.

Recognizing the growing importance of data privacy in the modern world, Suzanne obtained a Certificate in Data: Law, Policy, and Regulations from the prestigious London School of Economics. This certification further highlights her commitment to staying at the forefront of data law, policy, and regulations.

In her professional career, Suzanne has advised many multinational clients on crucial aspects of personal data protection rights, including Data Sharing Agreements, Data Processing Agreements, GDPR compliance, and the requirements of Egyptian Personal Data Protection Law and Cyber-Security Laws.

With her extensive expertise, and her recent appointment as the Personal Data Protection Center Chief Executive Officer, Suzanne keen to make significant contributions to the field of personal data protection and privacy compliance. Her dedication to advancing personal data governance and her unwavering commitment to legal and business excellence make her a leading figure in her field, driving progress and innovation in an ever-evolving digital world.

For almost 20 years, Ebtehal Basiouny has been working in the field of public policy, government engagement and international development. She worked with Government, International Organizations and Corporates in Egypt and the region on policy design and implementation, stakeholders’ engagement, development cooperation, public sector reform, e-government and innovation. Her focus has been to create alliances and partnerships, influence policies, instill change, achieve impact and contribute positively to reform and sustainable development. Ebtehal is currently the Director of Government Affairs at Microsoft Egypt, shaping the company’s local technology and sustainability policy agenda to address regulatory, policy and business priorities, especially on AI. She is also the co-chair of the Legal Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. Ebtehal is a PhD candidate of Public Policy and Practice at the University of Bath in the UK, holds a Master of Public Administration from Dubai School of Government in cooperation with Harvard Kennedy School and a graduate of Political Science from Cairo University.

Eslam Aboudonia is a seasoned professional with demonstrated history of 16 years working in the international relations, government engagement and public policy fields. He has worked across government, consultancy, international organizations, and corporates, excelling in designing and implementing robust public policies, developing engagement strategies, leading policy advocacy campaigns, and building sustainable partnerships in Egypt and the broader region. Currently leading regulatory affairs and policy advocacy at Ericsson Egypt, Eslam focuses on advancing transformational connectivity and enabling inclusive green growth. Eslam hold a bachelor’s degree in political science from Cairo University and an MA in International Social Policy from the University of Nottingham, UK.

Ms. Ibrahim brings 25 years’ experience in different facets of conflict resolution, covering litigation, arbitration, mediation, restorative justice and advocacy with experience in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

She was a former senior advisor to the the Egyptian Personal Data Protection Center (privacy) and currently advises private sector clients towards compliance with the Egyptian privacy framework and cross-border data transfer.

She is a senior advisor with the World Bank Group (investment climate; commercial justice; digital transformation); and the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (commercial mediation).

She is an approved tutor and assessor with the CIARB, with law degrees (Sorbonne with conversion from Cairo University); an MBA (ESLSCA); and LLM in in International & Comparative Law (American University in Cairo). She is an accredited mediator and mediator trainer through the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR – London) and trained in Restorative Practice (Restorative Now – London).

Lynn Robinson became Director General of the International Institute of Communications (IIC), in March 2020.

Lynn is an experienced senior director and trustee / non exec-director, having held key senior leadership positions in the technology, built environment, regulation, accreditation and dental industries. She has extensive experience of professional membership bodies working within the full spectrum including, Regulatory bodies, Industry associations and Chambers of Commerce. Lynn is a well-known and established ambassador in these areas having led on many strategic programmes to aid engagement, growth, retention, change management, stakeholder and political engagement.

Mariam El Samny is the Head of Consumer Banking at FABMISR, bringing over 25 years of extensive experience in banking, business transformation, and large-scale market expansion across regional and international markets.

Since joining FABMISR in 2018, Mariam has led a comprehensive transformation of the consumer banking business, driving innovation, enhancing customer experience, and strengthening the bank’s retail offering in Egypt.

Prior to FABMISR, she served as Chief Consumer & Delivery Channels Officer at Bank Audi in Egypt (2017-2018), where she oversaw the retail segment and a network of more than 43 branches. During her tenure, she spearheaded a major digital and operational transformation, introducing advanced technology platforms and embedding a customer-centric approach across all channels.

Earlier in her career, Mariam was part of the founding management team at Dunia Finance in Dubai, where she spent over a decade leading key strategic initiatives, including regional market expansions and large-scale business transformation programs across multiple geographies, including  China, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Mexico, and Russia. She also led Dunia’s BPO/KPO operations and managed complex international consulting engagements.

Mariam began her career at Citibank, working across Egypt, the UAE, and Russia, where she played a key role in launching and scaling new business lines. She started her professional journey in marketing with Procter & Gamble in Egypt.

With a proven track record of leading transformation at scale, Mariam is known for combining strategic foresight with operational excellence. Her leadership continues to redefine consumer banking in Egypt, positioning FABMISR at the forefront of innovation, customer experience, and sustainable growth.

Bio coming soon.