London Business School Hosts 23Rd Annual MENA Conference Convening Regional Leaders And Global Experts

(MENAFN- Mid-East Info) . The conference explores key themes including global capital flows, the digital economy, climate resilience, fintech, and artificial intelligence.

. The event brought together policymakers, investors, founders, and industry leaders to discuss the region's evolving economic landscape.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,May 2026 – London Business School (LBS) hosted its 23rd Annual MENA Conference at the School's London campus. The conference is a landmark gathering that continues to shape conversations around innovation, entrepreneurship, investment, and impact in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This year's conference built on a proud legacy of insight, dialogue, and regional leadership.

For over two decades, LBS has proudly hosted the region's foremost MENA-focused conference, uniting influential voices from across the Middle East and North Africa. This flagship event has evolved into a cornerstone for intellectual exchange, bringing together senior policymakers, business leaders, and changemakers to explore the most pressing regional and global challenges. Year after year, the LBS Annual MENA Conference draws a distinguished audience of leaders, diplomats, academics, industry experts, and students committed to shaping the region's future.

“This year's MENA Conference highlights how the region is positioning itself at the intersection of capital, innovation, and global economic transformation,” said Florin Vasvari, Executive Dean of Executive Education, Middle East, at London Business School.“By bringing together policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and academics, the conference creates an important platform for dialogue and collaboration that supports the region's continued growth and global competitiveness.”

The conference agenda this year explored five key themes shaping the region's economic future:

Global Capital Flows: examining how sovereign and private capital is being redeployed and what this means for capital markets and economic development across the region.
The Digital Economy: analysing the evolving financing landscape for the region's technology sector and the development of stronger exit pathways and deeper capital markets.
Climate Change: exploring how climate pressures are reshaping investments in energy, water, infrastructure, and industrial decarbonisation.
Fintech: discussing how fintech companies are transforming financial infrastructure and expanding access to credit, liquidity, and digital financial services.
Artificial Intelligence: examining how regional companies can build sustainable advantages in AI through talent, data, infrastructure, and capital.

The conference featured keynote conversations, fireside chats, and panel discussions with prominent leaders from across business, government, and academia.

Throughout the day, senior executives, policymakers, investors, and founders discussed topics ranging from shifting capital flows and climate resilience to fintech and artificial intelligence. Speakers from leading investment firms, technology companies, and academic institutions shared insights on the evolving digital economy, the growth of MENA's startup ecosystem, and the capabilities needed for long-term competitiveness.

Organised by the region's future leaders who are also current students at London Business School, the 2026 Conference was co-chaired by Abdul Aziz Al-Sibaai and Khaled Alawadhi, with support from Ghazi H. Sa'ad Eddin and Julie Assad. The broader organising committee reflects the diversity of the MENA region and represents a wide range of industries including consulting, venture capital, finance, public policy, and technology.

With a legacy of hosting presidents, royals, ministers, C-suite executives, and global thought leaders, the LBS Annual MENA Conference continues to attract a global audience of investors, policymakers, academics, and future leaders dedicated to shaping the region's next chapter of growth and innovation.

As part of its continued commitment to the region, and alongside its longstanding campus in Dubai, London Business School opened an executive office in Riyadh last year, further strengthening its engagement with organizations and leadership in Saudi Arabia. The office enables LBS to support the Kingdom's Vision 2030 ambitions while expanding access to world-class executive education. It also complements the momentum generated by the LBS Annual MENA Conference, creating new opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and leadership development across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.

About the Annual MENA Conference:

For two decades, we have taken great pride in organizing the largest Middle East and North Africa-focused conference in the region, bringing together business leaders, politicians, social influencers, and members of royal families from across the MENA region.

The annual conference gathers business leaders, diplomats, and academics from across the region to foster a deeper understanding and collaboration across cultural and economic landscapes by bridging knowledge, ideas, and opportunities between the MENA region and the global community.

About LBS MENA Club:

The LBS MENA Club was founded in 2002 to introduce students to Middle Eastern and North Africa markets and cultures, assisting in career placements for students interested in working in the region, and increasing the presence of Middle Eastern nationals at London Business School.

The Club has over 3000+ members from current students and alumni, and hosts several events throughout the academic year including career presentations, discussion panels and social events.

With a growing membership, the Dubai Campus, and the region's phenomenal economic potential, we have a unique opportunity to act as a bridge between LBS and the MENA in terms of culture and career placement.

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