Shure’s Yassine Mannai on why audio is the backbone of AI-led collaboration
In the age of AI, the shift from product-led AV to intelligent audio ecosystems is transforming how organisations collaborate, analyse, and act
13 May, 2026
TT
16
The Middle East’s AV and professional audio market is undergoing a fundamental shift: one that goes far beyond incremental technology upgrades. As artificial intelligence (AI), unified communications, and hybrid work models converge, the role of audio is being redefined from a supporting function to a mission-critical layer of enterprise decision-making.
For Yassine Mannai, associate director – sales and marketing for MEA, Turkey and CIS at Shure, this transformation reflects a broader evolution in how organisations operate, collaborate, and scale across increasingly complex environments.
Having built his career across technical and commercial roles, Mannai has witnessed firsthand how the AV industry has moved from isolated systems to integrated ecosystems—an evolution now being accelerated by AI.
“My journey started in IT. I studied and worked across software development, websites, systems, and programming languages, so my foundation was always technical,” he says. “I first came to the UAE on vacation, but I was immediately drawn to the country’s energy, pace, and opportunity. What was meant to be a short stay slowly became a longer journey.”
That journey began in the life safety solutions industry, initially focused on CRM and systems development, before evolving into export and business development roles. “Over time, I moved into export and business development, and that was a turning point for me. I realised I enjoyed being close to the market, meeting people, understanding mega projects, and building business strategies across different regions,” he explains.
This transition ultimately led him into the AV industry, where he spent several years deepening both his technical expertise and market understanding. “That experience helped me deepen my technical knowledge and understand the importance of mastering what you sell. For me, trust starts with knowledge.
“You need to understand the solution deeply before you can speak about it with confidence and earn the customer’s trust.”
From product-led to solution-driven
One of the most defining shifts in the AV industry — and for Shure specifically — has been the move from product-led offerings to fully integrated solutions.
Mannai points to the period around 2016 as a key inflection point. “One of the most important milestones for Shure in this region has been the shift from being perceived as a product-led company to becoming a complete solutions provider,” he says. “Around 2016, when we began expanding with solutions like Microflex Advance, it marked a clear transition.”
This shift was not just about expanding product lines, but about fundamentally changing how value is delivered to customers. “We were no longer focused only on individual audio products, but on delivering integrated systems that support meeting spaces, collaboration, and enterprise environments,” he explains. The Covid-19 pandemic further accelerated this transformation. As organisations rapidly adopted hybrid work models, the need for seamless communication across physical and digital environments became critical. “While many industries experienced a slowdown, for Shure, it accelerated the need for reliable hybrid environments. Organisations needed solutions that could support both in-person and remote communication seamlessly, and that drove strong adoption across corporate and education sectors.”
This period also coincided with a broader wave of digital transformation, particularly in unified communications and collaboration technologies. “Expectations moved towards integrated solutions, seamless connectivity, and simplified deployment,” Mannai notes.
Today, the next phase of this evolution is being driven by AI. “The integration of AI, cloud, and intelligent tools is reshaping how workspaces and communication environments operate, moving beyond traditional IT managed environments into intelligent, adaptive, and user centric experiences.”
Audio as the foundation of AI-driven decisions
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in enterprise workflows — from automated meeting summaries to real-time insights — the quality of input data is becoming a critical determinant of output accuracy. In this context, audio is no longer just about clarity; it is about enabling reliable decision-making.
“High-quality audio has become essential as AI takes a more active role in how teams collaborate and make decisions,” Mannai says. “In most organisations today, important discussions happen in meetings, often through unified communications platforms like Microsoft Teams Rooms, and AI tools are increasingly used to summarise conversations, capture action items, and provide insights.” However, the effectiveness of these tools depends entirely on the quality of the data they receive. “For these tools to deliver value, they need accurate input from the very start. AI is only as effective as what it hears. When audio clarity is compromised, even something as simple as a misheard figure or statement can change the outcome of a discussion or decision.”
This has significant implications for businesses, particularly as AI becomes more integrated into operational and strategic processes. “As AI becomes more involved in meeting intelligence, the margin for error becomes much smaller,” he adds.
Beyond real-time communication, audio quality also plays a role in system deployment and optimisation. “AI also plays a growing role during the deployment of modern collaboration environments, helping optimise room performance and user experience from the outset,” Mannai explains. “Clear, intelligible audio allows these systems to be set up correctly, ensuring that AI driven features work reliably in day-to-day use.”
Over time, this consistency builds trust in AI-generated outputs. “This consistency is what builds confidence and trust in AI generated summaries, insights, and recommendations,” he says.
At a technical level, this requires controlling the quality of audio at the source. “At Shure, our priority is ensuring that people are not just heard but understood. By leveraging technologies such as AI denoiser, virtual acoustic boundary, and AI deverb, we control what the system captures and reduce unwanted noise and room effects at the source.”
A market driven by scale, investment, and maturity
The Middle East continues to offer one of the most dynamic growth environments for AV and professional audio solutions globally. Driven by large-scale infrastructure projects, global events, and sustained investment across sectors, demand remains strong and diversified. “The Middle East continues to be a very dynamic and opportunity-driven market,” Mannai says. “Across the region, we are seeing sustained investment in infrastructure, large-scale projects, and global events.”
Unlike more mature markets where growth may be concentrated in specific segments, the Middle East’s expansion is broad-based. “Growth is not concentrated in one area. It is happening across the board,” he explains. “The region has positioned itself as a destination for business, tourism, healthcare, education and innovation, and that creates a strong foundation for continued expansion.”
However, this growth is accompanied by increasing competition and market maturity. “The market is becoming more competitive, which is a sign of maturity,” Mannai notes. “Customers are more informed, expectations are higher, and there is a stronger focus on performance, flexibility, and long-term value.”
For companies operating in this space, the challenge lies in meeting these evolving expectations while maintaining scalability and reliability. “We see this as an opportunity… delivering solutions that are easy to deploy, scalable across different environments, and capable of adapting to evolving needs, without compromising on audio quality.”
Leadership, agility, and regional complexity
Managing a region that spans the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and CIS requires a combination of strategic clarity and operational agility. For Mannai, much of this mindset is rooted in his background as a professional handball player.
“Handball has shaped a significant part of how I approach leadership today,” he says. “In such a high-speed, high-contact sport, success depends on strategic agility — the ability to process complex situations and pivot tactics in a split second.”
This ability to anticipate change rather than react to it is critical in business. “Whether managing an internal team or a partner ecosystem, the objective is to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring that we are never just reacting to the market, but actively driving the game.”
At the same time, leadership is increasingly about alignment and empowerment. “Leadership is about ‘creating space’ and empowering a team to move with synchronized confidence, even when the play changes unexpectedly,” he explains.
His role today reflects this dual focus on performance and people. “Today, my role is about growing the business while growing the people behind it,” Mannai says. “Leading such a diverse region demands strong alignment, mutual trust, and the agility to adapt quickly to very different market realities.”
This long-term approach extends to planning and execution. “We operate with a long-term mindset. Our plans are not limited to a single financial year, they are multi-year roadmaps that are continuously adjusted based on market shifts, challenges, and opportunities,” he adds.
Outlook: resilience and long-term opportunity
Despite periods of regional uncertainty, particularly affecting sectors such as events and MICE, the underlying fundamentals of the market remain strong.
“We see the current situation as a temporary adjustment rather than a long-term shift,” Mannai says. “The region continues to be a key destination for global events, conferences, and exhibitions, supported by strong infrastructure and long-term planning.”
Demand across key sectors—including education, corporate environments, and live experiences—remains steady. “We are confident that as conditions stabilise, the sector will regain momentum. The fundamentals are in place, and the region has shown its ability to adapt and move forward with resilience.”
The UAE, in particular, continues to play a strategic role in enabling this growth. “The UAE has evolved into much more than a hub for business and events. It has become a global destination for growth, whether that is career development, education, healthcare, or entrepreneurship,” Mannai notes.
Its position as a regional connector also enhances its importance. “It allows us to support not only the Middle East but also extend into Africa and other neighbouring markets.”
Looking ahead, Mannai expects AI, cloud, and collaboration technologies to continue reshaping the industry. For Shure, the focus remains on staying aligned with these shifts.
“Our focus remains on evolving alongside that change, continuing to bring solutions that are relevant, reliable, and aligned with how people work and communicate today,” he says. In an era where decisions are increasingly driven by data—and data is increasingly captured through conversations—the role of audio has never been more critical. As Mannai’s insights suggest, in the age of AI, being heard is no longer enough. Being understood is what truly drives outcomes.
