Main Conference Day Two - Riyadh (UTC, GMT+03:00)
Unpack the realities beyond the hype: where is AI today, the breakthroughs on the horizon and infrastructure required to support growth
How are space, AI and defence becoming intertwined arenas of geopolitical competition and what does that mean for global power dynamics?
As some of the world’s largest and most respected institutional investors, how are these LPs leveraging long-term discipline to find opportunity amid global volatility? What trends beyond the headlines are helping in position for success over the next decade?
Part 1: New market report (10 minutes): Venture exits in MENA - IPOs, M&A and what comes next
How is IPO pipeline shaping investor sentiment and how realistic is public listing as a liquidity path?
Is the community too focused on exits and too little on building enduring tech companies?
Part 2: 30 minute panel - Sustainable growth in MENA's VC ecosystem: Navigating market rationalisation in an era of tech opportunity
How can GPs stand out and how can LPs better identify long-term, sustainable VC strategies in the region? What structural gaps – like Series B funding and lack of exits must be addressed to build a mature and investible ecosystem? How can the region nurture sector-specific scale-ups in AI, fintech, and deep tech while avoiding over-concentration and valuation gaps? Why do so many MENA startups stall at Series A/B and how are sovereign funds and fund of funds addressing this bottleneck?
How can you move faster with anti-trust?
Saudi Arabia's leading family offices share how they're balancing traditional wealth preservation with strategic growth opportunities across emerging sectors and markets. How are families adapting their criteria for identifying exceptional investment partners in an increasingly competitive environment? What does portfolio construction innovations look like across asset classes? How do you balance strategic decision-making frameworks for evaluating emerging sectors such as AI, defence technology, and sustainable infrastructure while maintaining alignment with long-term wealth preservation goals?
Unicorns of the Middle East: What’s driving scale?
How do LPs blend private capital into holistic portfolios
Do private asset classes make sense in the portfolio?
Closed-door discussion run under the Chatham House Rule. This session is only open to pre- qualified LPs, subject to validation.
Join intimate, expert-led roundtables exploring key questions and sectors shaping the private capital landscape in the region
- Fintech: sandboxes, sectors and market growth
- Education and ed tech: how can the private sector access opportunities?
- Unlocking mid-market private equity
- Evergreen fund structures: Learning from European and US best practice. When will the model arrive in the region?
- Talent: How can you attract, retain and develop top talent in an AI-driven world?
- Digital infrastructure at scale: Where is the region allocating capital and who’s deploying?
- Debate: Blind pool vs single-asset - which model works best?
- Fees: How can private fund fee structures be designed to align LP and GP interests while remaining competitive and sustainable?