6 forums to look forwards to in Arabnet Riyadh’s upcoming conference

The Kingdom’s largest technology gathering is back for its 8th edition on December 10-11 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center. For the second consecutive year, Arabnet will host 2,000+ corporate executives and senior government leaders, 4,000+ entrepreneurs, youth and students, a showcase of 300+ startups, and bring together 250+ experts and speakers from around the world, with full tracks of programming covering a range of topics in 6 forums:

1. Inspire Saudi

According to Arabnet Business Intelligence, more than $950M were invested in MENA tech startups in 2018. Inspire Saudi will gather key regional investors, government leaders and successful startups to highlight the changing tech landscape and emerging trends and opportunities. It will also feature investors from around the world highlighting the latest trends in the global technology sector.

2. Finverse 

Regional funding to fintech companies hit over $250M between 2012-2018, according to Arabnet Business Intelligence, and based on KPMG’s Pulse of Fintech, global fintech funding reached $111.8B end of 2018. 

Technology has been deeply impacting financial services, urging banks to adopt new strategies to stay innovative, and to partner with fintech startups to develop and deliver new service offerings. 

Finverse will explore trends in fintech, rise of challenger banks and cutting-edge technologies that are transforming the customer journey, as well as the next wave of innovation in digital payments. It will also dive into some of the strategies that regional banks are creating to compete in the digital banking era.

3. AdEdge

While advertising campaigns are increasingly powered by data whether brand-collected, agency, or third-party, technology in marketing has become critical in targeting, reaching and engaging consumers – and driving sales. 

Not only are brands affected through advertising and marketing, but so are streaming platforms facing the real challenge in keeping the crown above their heads.

Voice technology, on the other hand, is on the rise and has been for a while. Machine learning has come hand in hand with voice recognition and AI, to create the ultimate robot friend. Current predictions indicate that by 2020, 50% of all searches will be carried out via voice, forming an opportunity for brands to become part of the conversation in the new “voice-search-to-purchase” consumer journey. 

The Ad/Edge tackles how brands, agencies, and publishers are adapting their strategies to keep up with cutting-edge technologies, consumer behaviors, and the structural changes that are reshaping the industry as a result.

4. CIO Forum

Technology has remarkable effects on business operations. Technological infrastructure affects the culture, efficiency, and relationships of a business. 

Arabnet Riyadh 2019 will host an exclusive half-day session for CIOs, CTOs, and senior IT decision makers. The session will explore the changing role of the CIO given the increasing strategic importance of tech disruption, digital transformation, and innovation.

5. Digital Policy Forum

This newly introduced forum is an invitation-only roundtable for senior government leaders focused on digitization, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Policy makers will share insights and best practices, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

6. Investor Summit

Another invitation only forum, this one-day summit focuses exclusively on tech investors, from angels to growth capital. The Investor Summit will feature master classes, investor matching, connections with LPs, and interactive discussion sessions.

Register and secure your spot so you won’t miss out on this experience!

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