Over 2,000 financial and business leaders are expected to attend the upcoming first Financial Sector Conference (FSC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The conference will be held under the patronage of King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on April 24 and 25 at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.

Organisers the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) and the Capital Market Authority (CMA), have confirmed the completion of all logistical and technical preparations.

This was announced at a press conference organized at the MoF headquarters in Riyadh on April 15 by the FSC Executive Committee to highlight the coordinated efforts for the event.

Khalid Al Homoud, member of the CMA Board of Directors and member of the FSC supervision Committee noted: “The conference aims to attract about2,000 participants among which local, regional and international finance and business sector leaders from the public and private sectors, including international corporations, international rating agencies, experts and specialists in finance, investment, banking and insurance.”

Al Homoud went on to note that the FSC is among the most prominent financial conferences in the world, as it features the competitive position of the Saudi financial sector on both regional and global levels.

The event will not only raise awareness about the FSDP initiatives and how they fit within Vision 2030’s objectives, but also facilitate the exchange of experiences and information, discuss challenges and best financial sector development practices, showcase investment opportunities, stimulate competition, uplift the attractiveness of the Saudi financial sector, and enhance the Kingdom's position as the Middle East’s largest financial market.

On the FSC’s main themes and sessions, Fahad Al Saif, head of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Advisor to the Minister of Finance and chairman of the FSC technical committee stated that the conference will host a two-day agenda with sessions featuring a high level group of international, regional and local speakers, who will discuss various themes, including: raising the bar for the financial sector in Saudi, Islamic finance and FinTech, as well as the challenges and opportunities within the insurance sector.

“They gather to exchange experiences and information between lenders and beneficiaries, discuss key challenges, highlight regulations and legislation and showcase best financial sector development practices,” Al-Saif continued.

We envision the FSC being the largest platform for financial dialogue in the Middle East and among the top financial sector events in the world, serving as a key catalyst for innovation, forging partnerships and building relationships between financial institutions and investors,” Al-Saif concluded.

Yarob Thenayan, Deputy Minister of Communication and Media, Ministry of Finance, Chairman of FSC Executive Committee, said: “The FSC will include a special pavilion dedicated to the Financial Sector Development Program that highlights the program's initiatives and what it has achieved so far, as well as pavilions for the participating organizations that will highlight their future plans and activities.”

“The Ritz-Carlton Hotel will also host a Shark Tank-style competition in which aspiring entrepreneurs will pitch their business projects to potential Saudi start-up investors, as well as workshops during which entrepreneurs will present their business ideas and projects to businessmen, virtual trading walkthroughs, and financial literacy sessions to raise awareness on the importance of saving and financial planning,” Al-Thenayan added. – TradeArabia News Service