UAE and West Asia Leaders to Take the Stage at Asia's Largest Impact Investment Gathering, AVPN Global Conference 2026

(MENAFN- Tales & Heads) ABU DHABI, 19 August 2026 – Senior leaders from the UAE and wider West Asia region will take part in the AVPN Global Conference 2026, Asia's largest gathering of social leaders who direct funding toward solving social and environmental challenges, from healthcare and education to climate change.
Taking place from 25 to 27 August at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India, and held under the theme 'A Blueprint for Action in Asia,' the Conference will bring together close to 2,000 funders, impact investors, philanthropists, corporates, policymakers and changemakers from across the region to shape practical, scalable ways of closing Asia's social and environmental financing gaps.
The region's role in this story is shifting fast. Nearly USD 2 trillion in generational wealth is projected to pass to the next generation of Gulf capital holders over the next decade, a generation increasingly drawn to structured, outcomes-focused giving, and AVPN counts West Asia among the most active growth stories in its ecosystem today.
This year's speaker line-up includes leaders from government-linked foundations, conservation leadership and community CSR funds, underlining the range of institutions now shaping how the UAE and Saudi Arabia engage with Asia's social impact ecosystem. Since AVPN's Global Conference 2024 in Abu Dhabi, the organisation has deepened its presence in the region, opening a West Asia hub in Abu Dhabi and building partnerships with institutions including the UAE Office of Development Affairs and Ma'an. This year's line-up reflects that growing engagement, bringing senior UAE and Saudi leaders onto AVPN's flagship global platform in New Delhi.
“West Asia is no longer just a source of capital for Asia's impact ecosystem, it's becoming one of its architects,” said Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO at AVPN. “The leaders joining us from the UAE and Saudi Arabia bring institutions with deep giving traditions and growing ambitions to match. Their presence at this year's Conference reflects exactly the kind of Asia-led collaboration our Blueprint calls for, region to region, not simply capital flowing in one direction.”
The confirmed speakers reflect the breadth of institutions now shaping the region's approach to giving, spanning policy-making, crisis coordination, national CSR leadership and philanthropic research. HE Marwan Rashed BinHashim, CEO, JOOD – Dubai Community Contributions, will also attend the Conference, including the session 'Building the Infrastructure for Cross-Border Giving in Asia.
Confirmed speakers include:
HRH Princess Dr. Haya Al Saud, Senior Vice President of Research, Hevolution Foundation, will represent Saudi Arabia's growing role in the region's philanthropy landscape, reinforcing that West Asia's participation extends to the entire region. "Saudi Arabia’s philanthropic sector is evolving rapidly, creating new possibilities for how we think about delivering meaningful and lasting impact. At Hevolution, evidence is central to our approach, shaping where we direct resources, how we design our interventions, and how we measure progress. The AVPN Global Conference brings together diverse perspectives and models from across the region and beyond, providing an important platform to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and explore how philanthropy can play a more strategic role in addressing the challenges we face." said Al Saud.
HE Mohamed Al Khoori, Vice Chairman, Khalifa Foundation, will join the session "Scaling Philanthropic Impact: The Role of Policy and Governance," examining how philanthropists and policymakers can move beyond traditional grant-making to co-create enabling frameworks, strengthen digital public infrastructure, and mobilise catalytic capital for public good. “The UAE has become a leading force in global philanthropy, demonstrating how strategic partnerships and a commitment to human development can drive lasting impact. At the Khalifa Foundation, we are committed to building on this legacy through initiatives that empower communities and foster sustainable development. The AVPN Global Conference provides a valuable platform to share the UAE’s experience, strengthen regional collaboration, and advance collective efforts to create positive change across Asia and beyond," said H.E. Al Mohamed Khoori.
HE Sarah Shaw, CEO, Majra – National CSR Fund, is also confirmed to speak at the Conference, further strengthening the UAE's presence across this year's programme.
Laila Abdullatif, Director General, Emirates Nature-WWF, will take part in “Coordinating in Crisis: Disaster Response in a Complex World," addressing how governments, funders and local communities can build faster, more adaptive responses as climate disasters, conflict and health emergencies grow increasingly interconnected. "Climate and humanitarian crises don't respect borders, and neither should our response to them. Conservation work has taught us that the fastest recoveries occur when local leadership, communities, data, and funding work together. Few platforms bring together the range of voices needed to make that happen the way the AVPN Global Conference does," said Abdullatif.
The Conference will also feature a dedicated session, "Partnering with the UAE: Pathways for Cross-Border Impact," opening with a fireside conversation between UAE leaders on how their institutions select partners and structure long-term collaboration, followed by facilitated roundtable discussions exploring what similar partnerships could look like across other markets.
At AVPN's Global Conference 2024 in Abu Dhabi, funders from the region committed more than USD 125 million toward global health, poverty alleviation and conservation in a single event, a marker of the scale UAE and West Asia capital can bring when convened around a shared agenda.

For more information about the AVPN Global Conference 2026, visit avpn.asia/conference.

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