Main Conference Day One - Riyadh (UTC, GMT+03:00)
Bringing together leading family offices from the UK, Europe, and the Middle East explore how regional dynamics shape venture capital investing, compare approaches to risk and due diligence, and discuss what meaningful cross-border collaboration looks like. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain first-hand insights from LP peers shaping the global investment landscape.
LP-only, closed-door discussion run under the Chatham House Rule and open to pre-registered development finance institutions, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices subject to validation. Places are limited, to register please email nafiya.mangalore@informa.com
- Roxane Sanguinetti - Founding Partner, Alma Angels
- Awaiz Patni - CFO, Bugshan Investment
- Amine Bentaleb - Senior Executive Officer, Patrimium Asset Management
- Samantha Simmonds - Journalist and Broadcaster, BBC News
- Omar Al-Madhi - Chairman of the Board, Jada Fund of Funds, Co-Head of MENA Direct Investments, Public Investment Fund (PIF)
- Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih - Minister of Investment, Ministry of Investment Saudi Arabia (MISA)
How is Saudi Arabia transforming into a global investment hub, and what opportunities does this present for investors? What are the top legal and regulatory reforms facilitating investment in Saudi Arabia, and how do they enhance the ease of doing business? What does today’s landscape look like across sectors, and how is PIF shaping and prioritising within private capital?
- Samantha Simmonds - Journalist and Broadcaster, BBC News
- H.E. Mr. Mohammed El-Kuwaiz - Chairman, Saudi Capital Market Authority
- Somi Arian - CEO, InPeak Time
- H.E. Dr. Nabeel Koshak - CEO and Board Member, Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC)
- Tariq Al-Sudairy - Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jadwa Investment
- Jessica Wong - Founder & Managing Partner, ewpartners
- Abdullah Alshwer, PhD, CFA - CEO, Riyad Capital
What are global GPs seeing on the ground and where are the opportunities for Middle Eastern investors?
- Nour Amache - Economist & Business News Senior Anchor, Asharq Bloomberg
- Jad Ellawn - Managing Partner, Regional Head of the Middle East, Brookfield
- Viraj Sawhney - Managing Director, Head of Cross Border Services & Middle East Private Equity, Warburg Pincus
Value creation has firmly established itself as the non-negotiable engine of private equity returns, replacing the era of easy gains from cheap debt and multiple expansion. LPs now demand clear, credible value creation plans that are differentiated, practical, and embedded from due diligence onwards. How are LPs increasingly scrutinising how firms deploy operational expertise and sector insights to deliver results?
- Eyad Faraj - Head of MENA Transaction and Investor Services (TIS), Roland Berger Middle East
- Roberto Croci - Head of Transformation Office, Public Investment Fund (PIF)
- Fahad Al-Naeem - CEO, SIDF Industrial Company SIC
The GCC’s private equity market is changing fast. How are top GPs finding and securing distinctive deals? Which operational improvements matter most for driving growth and returns? And what exit routes - strategic sales secondaries, recapitalisations, or IPOs, are proving most effective today? What can recent successful exits teach us about building value?
- Ronit Karamchandani - Vice President, Head of Middle East Research, Preqin, a part of BlackRock
- Dr Karim El Solh - Co-Founder & CEO, Gulf Capital
- Walid Majdalani - Head of Emerging Markets Private Equity, Investcorp
- Khalid Al Balushi - Chief Executive Officer, Oman National Investments Development Company (TANMIA)
- Sara Nayef Al-Ateeqi - Vice Chairman and Acting CEO, AlMal Investment Company
- Michael Shedosky - Co-Chief Investment Officer, Azimut Alternative Capital Partners
- Nour Amache - Economist & Business News Senior Anchor, Asharq Bloomberg
LP-only, closed-door lunch run under the Chatham House Rule and open to pre-registered development finance institutions, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices subject to validation. Places are limited, to register please email nafiya.mangalore@informa.com
- Erik Sebusch - Global Strategy Leader ‒ Venture Capital | Partner, Mercer
Private credit is booming - but so is competition. As capital floods into the asset class, GPs are under pressure to differentiate. What defines a winning strategy today: asset-backed vs cash flow lending, mid-market vs large cap, direct origination vs club deals? How are managers carving out alpha in a saturated environment, and what are LPs really buying?
- Armineh Baghoomian - Managing Director, Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Partners for Growth
- Marco Mauri - Chief Investment Officer, Aljazira Capital
- Ted Goldthorpe - Head of BC Partners Credit, BC Partners
- Richard Miller - Group Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer, Private Credit Group, TCW
- Mark Jochims - Head of European Private Credit, Morgan Stanley
- Aaron Peck - Managing Director, Co-Head, Alternative Credit Solutions, Monroe Capital
How has private equity matured into a firmly established asset class? In what ways is it driving economic diversification and growth across the region? What opportunities and challenges lie ahead for investors in the GCC and beyond?
- Diana Estupinan - Managing Director, Heads Middle East and North Africa, Prosek
- Muhannad Qubbaj - Founding Partner, Olive Rock Partners
- Abdullah Altamami - Founder & CEO, Merak Capital
- Huda Al Lawati - Founder & CEO, Aliph Capital
- Noura Alhokair - Senior Director of Alternative Investments, Awqaf Investment Company
What are LPs looking for in a fund manager and how are GPs local and global adjusting their pitch, structure and strategy to meet those expectations? With dry powder concentrated in fewer hands, how can first time and emerging managers position themselves credibly in this cycle? Where do GCC LPs fit in the global fundraising picture – what matters most to them (alignment access, co-investment, transparency) and how should GPs approach them differently to traditional global LPs?
Evolution of investment focus for regional LPs from diversification internationally to capitalising on increasing regional growth – directly/indirectly through managers at a time when international players are viewing ME as a new opportunity
- Jörg Goschin - CEO, KfW Capital
- Nael Mustafa - CEO, GFH Partners
- Marc El Hage - Deputy CEO - Head of Wealth Management, BLOMINVEST
- Muneera AlDossary - CEO & Board Member, Franklin Templeton
- Luc Rigouzzo - Managing Partner, Amethis
In a period defined by market volatility, inflationary pressures and shifting global dynamics, investors face the challenge of preserving resilience while positioning for long-term growth. Leading LPs share how they’re adapting their portfolio strategies in an uncertain world. Key discussion points will include: How are investors balancing resilience and opportunity? What shifts are we seeing in portfolio construction? How are LPs evolving decision-making frameworks?
- Boris Hentze - Managing Director, Middle East & Africa, Cambridge Associates
- Fares Al Balwi - Chairman, Al Blagha Holding Company for Investments (ABGI)
- Malik Zahir - Managing Director Head of Investments, KAPSARC Investment Management Company
- Euan Finlay - Partner & Head of EMEA, Partners Capital
- Marwa Alani - CEO-UK, Embassy Capital
- Nawied Jabarkhyl - Senior Vice President, Prosek
- Steve Plimsoll - Chief Strategy Officer, HUMAIN
- Mohammed Almeshekah - Founder & General Partner, Outliers Venture Capital
- Noor Sweid - Founder and Managing Partner, Global Ventures
- Sulaiman Alkhushi - Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer, Jada Fund of Funds
- Samantha Simmonds - Journalist and Broadcaster, BBC News