My current role is the First Deputy Minister of Finance for Economic Affairs. I am entrusted with various responsibilities in relation to economic issues but I am also responsible for sovereign guarantees as well as loans and I am involved in active negotiations with various financial institutions in this respect.

I am proud to have a background as a corporate banker and financier. In addition, I also held various roles in direct investment and private equity as well as the advisory fields.

Prior to being the First Deputy Minister of Finance for Economic Affairs, I held various advisory and consulting positions at Ahli United bank of Egypt, Concord International Investments and Commercial International Bank.

I am currently a Board member in the Egyptian Sovereign Fund as well as Africa Finance Corporation.

Holding a Masters degree in Finance and Investment with distinction from Exeter University in the United Kingdom since July 1998. The Bachelors degree is in Economics in June 1990 from the American University in Cairo, Egypt.

Nadia Boumeziout, an accomplished sustainability professional with over two decades of experience, integrates people-centric approaches in sustainability, strategic communications, governance, and data privacy. Her work in the UAE strengthens governance and promotes sustainability and ESG practices in the financial sector. She leverages technology as a catalyst to accelerate climate action and sustainable development.

Nadia develops and implements strategies that foster stakeholder engagement, transparency, and disclosure, advocating for a collaborative approach that recognizes the interdependence of sustainability aspects that require joint efforts to achieve for impactful results.

An active participant in the Dubai Sustainable Finance Working Group at DIFC, focusing on diversity and inclusion, and a mentor at WiSER at Masdar, Nadia is certified in Business Sustainability Management from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). Her dedication to financial literacy, inclusion, women's empowerment, and support for girls' education in Tanzania demonstrates her commitment to creating a sustainable future that prioritizes people at every level.

Leena Faraj is a results-oriented leader with over 20 years of experience in strategic leadership, business transformation, and human capital development. She has a proven track record of aligning stakeholders, driving commercial success, and leading organizations through complex challenges.

Currently, Leena is the Vice President of Strategy Implementation and Business Improvement at Bahrain Airport Company, overseeing all strategic development and execution activities. She played a key role in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and driving post-pandemic recovery.

Beyond her core expertise, Leena actively shapes the future of aviation through her involvement in prestigious organizations like the ICAO, ACI, and IATA, contributing to aviation strategy and policymaking.

Leena holds a Bachelor's degree in both Business Management and Human Resources and is a certified professional in various areas, including strategy, project management, and finance.

Wadia is an independent Strategic Advisor with over two decades of experience in international cooperation and community development. He has worked at the intersection of public affairs, building communities, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Renowned as a dedicated servant leader, he adeptly combines business acumen with technical expertise to address complex challenges, championing strategic initiatives and driving positive change through cross-functional teamwork.

Formerly serving as Head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders at the World Economic Forum, Wadia oversaw engagement with over 1,400 leaders, fostering a vibrant community of Head of States, C-level, Entrepreneurs Artists and Activists. Prior to this role, he led the Global Shapers Community, expanding its reach to +500 cities and spearheading impactful local projects benefiting millions.

Wadia's achievements include being a United Nations Alliance of Civilisations Fellow, an Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leader, a World Economic Forum Global Leadership Fellow, and a recipient of the Tariq Ibn Ziyad Initiative Award. Recognised as one of the influential "15 under 40" shaping International Geneva, he is also a featured author on Forbes and the World Economic Forum Agenda.

Ms. Muneera Salem Albuainain is the chief of land transport in the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, and she's a Ph.D. researcher in business analytics at the University of Bahrain. She holds a BSc. in Computer Science from the University of Technology, Bahrain, and her MBA. in eCommerce from the University of Technology, Bahrain. Muneera has many years of experience in IT and project management. Muneera's passion for professional development is evident through her active engagement in several esteemed professional associations. She is a dedicated member of ISACA's Bahrain Chapter and IEEE. She actively contributes to advancing best practices and knowledge sharing within AI, Big data, IT governance, risk management, and cybersecurity. Muneera is also a certified Portfolio Management (MoP) practitioner, and she’s a lifelong learner interested in developing herself and expanding her knowledge in various fields. She also has the Train of the Trainer (TOT) certificate, and she’s trying to share her knowledge by offering workshops.

Maha is a self motivated Engineer who has 21 years of experience in strategic planning and project management, particularly in environmental issues and international cooperation. She currently holds the position of Director of Policies and International Cooperation in Ministry of Environment- Jordan. She has a great experience in business excellence. She is an EFQM Assessor and has a certificate of Government leaders. She demonstrates exceptional technical skills, particularly in national, regional and international alliance of strategic objectives. Maha consistently displayed strong problem-solving skills, adaptability to changing project demands, and a commendable work ethic.

Ingy Agha assumed the position of Head of Internal Audit for HSBC Bank Egypt in November 2023. With a career spanning over 24 years at HSBC Egypt, Ingy has gained extensive experience in various roles across the three Lines of Defense. She has led teams in Internal Audit, Digital Business Services, Remediation Management Office, Compliance and Corporate Governance. She has served as the execution lead to a number of bank-wide programs to drive transformation, strengthen the overall internal governance and management of Financial Crime Risk and implement an effective Corporate Governance Framework across HSBC Egypt.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Cairo University and is a dedicated professional with a passion for her work. In her personal life, she is married with two children.

Mr. Ali is investment and real-estate professional with 16 years’ experience in investments, real estate development, project turnaround and asset management. His current role is as Chief Executive Officer of Forma Asset Management, a Private Family Office. He previously served as General Manager of Property Management at Bahrain Real Estate Investments (Edamah), a subsidiary Bahrain’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, Mumatalakt where he was tasked with managing the public sector’s portfolio of properties and destinations and turning around it’s struggling legacy assets. Prior to that He worked at Ithmaar Development Company as Director of Investments, leading led a cross-functional team spanning financial, contractual, legal, and technical roles to deliver the USD 430 million Bahrain Affordable Housing PPP Project and oversaw key investments at the USD 4 billion Dilmunia at Bahrain Development. He also served as Director of Olive VFM W.L.L, a dedicated facilities management company with operations in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Currently, I am a founder and CEO of a technology company. 

With 17 years of professional experience, I gained diverse skill sets in business development, planning and strategy, investment (VC, Fund of Fund, Hedge Fund) mergers and acquisitions (M&A), Big Data, Block Chain, AI, incubations and Accelerators. Throughout my career, I have collaborated with +52 startups, achieving public and private projects with a market value of OMR 7.8 million through tech projects, oversight and partnerships with governmental bodies. 

I have spearheaded digital transformation initiatives and innovation, financial reporting, and strategic implementation.

As of now, I am an advisory board member in 2 startups (Seed Stage) Fintech and E-commerce in the food industry, and a member of the Cybersecurity Award committee.

Saddam Sayyaleh boasts 12 years of entrepreneurial experience and a profound passion for innovation in addressing socio-economic challenges. He believes traditional thinking falls short in today's world, necessitating creative solutions. Recently, Sayyaleh achieved significant milestones, including joining Anera as Regional Development Lead, serving as Local Communities Outreach Advisor at the Crown Prince Foundation, and becoming a 2024 Fellow of Emerging Board Leaders, among other roles. Described as goal-oriented, agile, and diligent, he is driven by a social mission and fueled by innovation. As a 2024 Fellow, he aspires to influence decision-making, leveraging his expertise in implementing multi-million-dollar projects to bridge the gap between policy and implementation for long-term socio-economic impact. In both the immediate and distant future, Sayyaleh aims to impact strategy and regional development, ultimately fostering a culture of social innovation. His dream is to serve on a board that values this ethos, balancing social impact and economic profit.

I am Mohamed Bassiouny, a seasoned banking professional with a strong background in corporate banking. With 20 years of experience in corporate credit, during which I have managed clients across all industries and through economic downturns and volatility both locally and globally; whereby I have led innovative ways to support clients through the challenges as well as managing deteriorating credits. I am vice President in the multinationals team. I am the Global Banker for the only Egyptian based multinational expanding the relationship shop across 6 continents. I was the first to close and initiate deals under the BRI.

Nada AlSaeed is the Chief of Strategy at the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), responsible for strategy formulation and management, research, as well policy and strategic initiatives.

During her 12-year tenure in the EDB, Nada worked on several initiatives in economic planning, public policy and economic reform. She spent approximately two years in San Francisco as a Data Policy fellow at the World Economic Forum's Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, working on global initiatives related to data privacy, cross border data flows, artificial intelligence and other emerging tech policies. Nada also worked in several government entities including the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications.

Nada holds a Bachelor's of Commerce in Economics and International Trade and a Postgraduate Degree in Economics from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Nihal has a 20-year professional history, reflecting a profound evolution from a corporate banker and a strategist at HSBC Egypt to an entrepreneur breathing new life into underperforming farms. Her transformation is not just about career shifts but about nurturing a vision to revolutionize agriculture. By founding a startup that advocates tractability, Nihal intends to upgrade small to medium farm position in the value chain, highlighting her commitment to sustainable growth and innovation.

Her endeavours extend beyond business, actively contributing to the Horticultural Export Improvement Association (HEIA) and consulting with donor agencies to enhance Egypt's agricultural sector on the global stage. Nihal's ambition to digitize agribusiness and modernize the date palm industry through advanced technologies showcases her forward-thinking approach.

Nihal holds a BA and MBA degrees from the American University in Cairo and is an accredited director by the Egyptian Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA).

CEO of Golden Wheat for Grain Trading, Ltd, over 18 years of experience in agricultural commodities trading Malak is Co-Managing Partner in Golden Kayan for Oil & Renewable Energy. Ambassador to Commodity Trading Club,Switzerland. Member of Board of Trustees in the German- Jordanian University. Member in the “ National Entrepreneurship Council “ Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship. Board Member in the “Higher Consulting Commission” at the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Jordan. Board Member in the “ Excellence Center for Entrepreneurship projects”, University of Science & Technology. Advisory Board Member of TOOL (The Ocean Opportunity Lab ), Norway. Founding & board Member of “Jordan Economic Forum”. ALPs Alumni with Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century Program at Harvard University Top Ten Young Persons of the World by Junior Chamber International Young Global Leader (YGL),2017,World Economic Forum. First Jordanian women to cross 80 degrees' north pole, Arctic Expedition. Partner and consultant on Oil and Aviation investment projects in Nigeria. International Visitor Leadership Program Alumni,US department of State. MBA in Management, German-Jordanian University.

Born and raised in Bahrain, Hisham brings over 15 years of experience in an array of industries including sports, public policy, public health & investments. Having also competed in the Olympics, Hisham brings a unique point of view to the projects he works on. Before founding N3XT Sports, Hisham’s most recent post was as Sports Intelligence Manager at the International Olympic Committee.

He lived in Finland (studies), Switzerland (studies + work), and most recently in Washington DC, USA (work). He is now based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he leads N3XT Sports' regional office.

Hisham enjoys sports, reading, and hiking with his wife and 2 boys, born in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Rumaitha Al Busaidi is an Omani scientist and environmental advocate working on sustainable solutions to climate change. Her 2021 TED talk examining women as the key to our climate future has garnered over a million views. Rumaitha currently heads Business Development Manager at Hydrom, the orchestrator of Oman’s green hydrogen development. She also serves as Vice President of the only environmental NGO, Environment Society of Oman. Internationally, she has advised the Biden administration on developing a climate resilience standard for US foreign aid focusing on empowering women as a form of climate mitigation, the government of Greenland on creating a framework for sustainable tourism in Greenland, and the Arab League on empowering Arab youth in climate change negotiations spaces.

Her work on climate change has been recognized by the United Nations, the EU, and NATO, to name a few. Rumaitha is named in Reuters’s climate hot list and subsequently was recognized in their ‘Top 25 Women in Climate Change’ list and most recently named on the BBC 100 Women list for 2023. She holds degrees from Harvard and Oxford.

Myrna Atalla is the Executive Director of Alfanar (https://alfanar.org), the oldest venture philanthropy organisation in the Arab region. She has overseen the growth and expansion of the organisation since 2010, enabling the pooling and delivery of over £11 million in grants, zero-interest loans, as well as Alfanar's first equity investment, coupled with management support to over 130 social enterprises across the region, with emphasis to date on Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Alfanar has enabled its social enterprises to directly improve the lives of over 400,000 vulnerable women, youth and children. Under Atalla's leadership, Alfanar continues to innovate and disrupt by actively supporting the launch the first regional impact investment fund to help extend the financing life cycle for investor-ready social enterprises. Atalla is passionate about uncovering and trialling collaborative strategies that drive lasting change for vulnerable communities across the Arab region. Atalla holds a BA in International Relations from Brown University and a dual degree Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from Columbia University and the London School of Economics (LSE).

Results driven professional offering over 11 years of experience with extensive knowledge in Public Finance, Taxation Policies and Management. Specialized in negotiating taxation agreements, and implementing efficiencies in organizations' strategies leading to significant returns. A hands-on team leader, with a vision, adaptability to change and fast paced environments, and exceptional communication skills. Aiming to make an impact in the sustainability of the region's economy.

I am a mid-career professional with over 14 years of experience in various financial roles spanning across various industries.

I am currently the Associate Minister of Finance for Financing affairs and Economic authorities & units, working on analyzing the financial performance of state-owned enterprises and providing recommendations for increasing their efficiency and enhancing their governance while monitoring their leverage and debt positions. I previously worked in a number of national and multinational companies where I held positions like budgeting manager, category financial analyst, strategy supervisor and pricing section head, I was also a part of a consulting team presenting growth plans for small companies in the food industry.

I received my bachelor’s degree from Ain Shams University, my ACCA certification from the UK and done my master’s in Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School. Currently, I am pursuing a DBA in Finance from the GUC in Egypt.

As the Director of Business Development at Tamkeen, I lead the strategic planning and execution of innovative support programs and services for the financial services, ICT, telecoms, manufacturing, logistics, and gaming sectors in Bahrain. With over two decades of experience in the ICT and management fields, I have a deep understanding of the market needs and opportunities, and the ability to leverage technology to achieve process automation and digitization within enterprises.

I am also a co-founder and manager of several successful businesses in the ICT and veterinary fields, where I apply my skills in leadership, innovation, and mentorship. I am passionate about sharing my knowledge and expertise with Bahraini-based startups and aspiring entrepreneurs, and I actively engage with various stakeholders to identify and address their challenges and aspirations. My mission is to drive impact and growth for businesses and individuals in Bahrain, and to foster a culture of entrepreneurship and excellence.

Emon Shakoor (إيمان عبد الشكور) is a Saudi neuroscience researcher turned venture capitalist & entrepeneur. She is the founder & CEO of Blossom Accelerator; Saudi’s first tech-inclusion accelerator. A Venture Partner at Oryx Fund by Hambro Perks. An Angel Investor, Board Member and Advisor. She serves as an advisory board member at Oqal; Saudi’s largest angel investment group. Emon has been recognized as one of nine Saudi women who has made an impact on the world as she is the pioneer of women in entrepreneurship and venture capital in KSA. NEOM has also recognized Emon Shakoor as one of five Saudi’s driving change in Saudi Arabia and the world.

Emon’s company Blossom Accelerator operates innovation services such as accelerators, hackathons, incubators, corporate venture capital for Saudi's leading GIGA projects and a number of the PIF companies as well as countless Saudi ministries and authorities. Through these government backed programs, Blossom provides exceptional founders access to unparalleled community, networks, educational resources, investment, as well as direct market entry for Blossom startups to start, scale, and succeed. A core investment thesis and pillar at Blossom is accelerating and investing in inclusive founding teams as it not only leads to greater innovation but yields higher economic returns.

Prior to her career in Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship , Emon obtained her bachelors in Cognitive Science from UC San Diego and was a neuroscience researcher at the University of California, San Diego investigating the role of mirror neurons in social cognition. She also worked at PAREXEL where she led and managed hundreds of Pfizer clinical drug trials across North America.

She has been featured on the cover of Entrepreneur Middle East, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia as well as the digital cover of Vogue Arabia as a Saudi leading venture capitalist and entrepreneur making an impact on the world as well as countless other outlets such as Bloomberg Middle East, Yahoo Finance, Washington Business Journal, Arabian Business, Elle Arabia, Wired, Vogue Arabia, Marie Claire Arabia, MBC, Arab News, Okaz, Saudi Gazette, amongst others.

Rym Tina Al-Ghazal Bach’s motto: "Plant trees in whose shade you shall never sit..." She is an award-winning journalist, author, photographer, explorer, humanitarian, peace and cultural ambassador. Rym works at The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture as Creative Art Director, Editor-in-Chief of Ithraeyat Cultural Magazine, and is a member of the Innovative Committee. Currently working on her PhD, she has a Master's in Journalism from Carleton University and a BA (Hon) in Psychology & Economics from the University of Waterloo. Rym's early focus included Indigenous communities before broadening her research interests to include other cultures and forgotten chapters of history. Rym has over 20+ years of experience in journalism, starting as a war zone correspondent and then diving into cross-cultural international political affairs, EU, conservation, and environmental diplomacy.

One of the founders of The National Newspaper, she has published three books and 2000+ articles in various outlets, such as National Geographic, Huffington Post, Syndication Bureau, UN, and others.

Highlights include meeting HH The Dalai Lama and Dame Jane Goodall as a youth and thought leader.

Over 22 years of banking experience combining both frontline and central teams exposure, Over 12 years in managing Risk and compliance, currently the Head of Enterprise Non-Financial Risk at HSBC Bank Egypt, A wide Risk Management experience managing Financial Crime Risk Remediation and De-risking Exercises, Implementation of Operational Risk frameworks, Managing Streamline and Cost efficiency Projects, Risk Culture change and execution, Leading risk Governance Meetings, A learning and development advocate and a sustainability lead.

Jamila has over 17 years of experience in environmental and sustainability strategy and policy development on a wide range of topics including large-scale infrastructure development, masterplanning and citywide planning, climate change and circular economy. Her role typically involves close engagement with key decision-makers to optimise solution development, buy-in and overall sustainability impact.

Jamila is currently acting as senior advisor to the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28. Prior to this, Jamila acted as technical strategy and policy advisor for environment and sustainability with the Government of Dubai and held several positions in private sector working on environmental and city sustainability advisory.