Dr Murali Venkatraman

AI & Technology Expert at Independent

Speaker

Dr. Murali Venkatraman is a Senior Expert in AI and Renewable Utilities having more than 20 years of global experience spanning Data Science, R&D, Strategy, and AI . He is a results-oriented leader known for forging high-impact institutional partnerships at the intersection of energy, AI and education. His illustrious clientele include ADNOC, BOEING, GE, Abu Dhabi Municipality and Dept of Health Abu Dhabi. Dr. Venkatraman is also the Head of Data Analytics and AI on a Saudi GigaProject.

He champions a threefold mission—Partnerships, Products, and People—to build a robust innovation ecosystem, with a special focus on AI for renewable utilities (100+ use-cases). His work directly supports national goals by empowering local talent, advancing applied research, and developing transformative solutions for sustainable energy and water systems. Through Energy Cortex – a program with KAUST university he brings a dual lens—both immediate and long-term—to solving critical industry challenges, delivering flagship initiatives like the Weather Portal for renewable utilities and Smart Grid Tools.

In addition to his corporate leadership, Dr. Venkatraman serves as an Adjunct Professor at both KAUST (Thuwal) and FBSU (Tabuk), and has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications. His prior roles include Head of AI at SAAL.AI and various research positions at prestigious institutions such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA) and CSIRO (Australia). He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Carolina (USA), an M.S. in Statistics from UNSW (Australia), and a Certificate of Business Excellence from UC Berkeley (USA).