Reuters announces first speakers to join inaugural Reuters NEXT Gulf in Abu Dhabi

Definitive live journalism summit spotlights leading voices, including Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the UAE, Emaar Founder and Chairman, and HashKey Capital CEO

NEW YORK, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Reuters today announced the initial lineup of speakers for its premier Reuters NEXT Gulf event in Abu Dhabi on October 22, 2025. The unmatched agenda is set to deliver insights from 40+ experts, including the Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the UAE HE Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Emaar Founder and Chairman Mohammed Alabbar and HashKey Capital CEO Deng Chao.

Reuters NEXT Gulf, a collaboration between Reuters Events and Reuters global newsroom, will convene more than 350 global leaders, innovators and CEOs in Abu Dhabi to examine the challenges defining business, society and the world. The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development is the host city partner of Reuters NEXT Gulf.

In a world marked by rapid political, financial, social and technological transformation, staying ahead requires insight and foresight. Abu Dhabi's position as a global hub for innovation and business means that nowhere is more relevant for global leaders in business and policy to chart the path forward. Among the first set of speakers announced are:

• Sinan Ulgen, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe and Director, EDAM: The former Turkish diplomat joins the 'What's NEXT? The Gulf's role in a new world order' panel to discuss the critical issues and key leaders shaping the region's future.
   
• Hussain Sajwani, Founder and Chairman, Damac Group: The founder of the Emirati conglomerate, best known for its luxury property development arm, is speaking on the 'New corporate playbook: adapting to shifting consumer behavior' panel, sharing insights on how international consumer dynamics are changing.
   
• HE Khalfan Belhoul, CEO, Dubai Future Foundation: With a focus on shaping Dubai's future, the government-backed organization joins Reuters NEXT Gulf to discuss its mission of fostering innovation, developing future leaders and building a future-ready city.
   
• Mohammed Alabbar, Founder and Chairman, Emaar: In a fireside chat, the founder of Dubai-based real estate development company known for its iconic landmarks, including the Burj Khalifa, will discuss new planned ambitious projects both within UAE and as far afield as Montenegro and Indonesia.
  
  
• Luigi Di Maio, Special Representative for the Gulf Region, European Union: Tasked with developing a stronger, more comprehensive and more strategic EU partnership with countries in the Gulf region, he joins the 'Tariff wars and trade shifts' panel.
   
• Giorgos Gerapetritis, Foreign Minister, Greece: Gerapetritis, who made a state visit to the Middle East earlier this year, has been positioning Greece as an active and reliable interlocutor in the region's affairs with a commitment to fostering stability and humanitarian aid. Gerapetritis will discuss the region's future against the backdrop of Greece's upcoming tenure as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council.
   
• Abdulaziz Al Sager, Head, Gulf Research Institute: The influential businessman, advisory board member and president of Sager Group Holding in Saudi Arabia joins the 'What's NEXT? The Gulf's role in a new world order' panel.
   
• Deng Chao, CEO, HashKey Capital: Speaking on the 'Deep tech at scale' panel, Chao brings timely insights from leading a digital asset investment firm that manages more than US$1 billion in client assets and invests globally in crypto and blockchain.
   
• Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department, International Monetary Fund: From modernizing Lebanon's tax and customs systems in his role as Finance Minister in 2005-08 to now overseeing the IMF's work in the Middle East, North Africa, central Asia and Caucasus, Azour brings his unique experience to the 'What's NEXT? The Gulf's role in a new world order' panel.
   
• Nasser Saidi, Politician and Economist, Former Minister of Economy and Industry, Former Vice Governor, Lebanese Central Bank, Lebanon: The founder and president of Nasser Saidi & Associates, which provides economic and business consultancy services to major public and private sector entities, joins the 'Tariff wars and trade shifts' panel.
   
• Yusuff Ali, Chairman and Managing Director, Lulu Group: The Indian businessman has played a key role in transforming the retail business into a multinational conglomerate, including its listing on the Abu Dhabi stock exchange last year. He will join the 'New corporate playbook: adapting to shifting consumer behavior' panel.
   
• John Pagano, Group CEO, Red Sea Global: With an aim to transform Saudi Arabia's tourism sector with its focus on sustainable development, the luxury tourism developer owned by PIF is behind large scale projects like the Red Sea and AMAALA. Pagano will join the 'New corporate playbook: adapting to shifting consumer behavior' panel.
   
• Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar OON, Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Nigeria: Nigeria is one of Africa's largest trading partners with the GCC; its trade with the UAE alone exceeds US$3 billion. In a fireside chat, Tuggar will discuss Nigeria's economic and geopolitical relations with countries across the region.
   
• Abdulrahman Tarabzouni, CEO, Saudi Technology Ventures: The largest technology-focused venture capital firm in the Middle East and North Africa region manages a US$800 million fund. Tarabzouni shares how his firm invests and scales promising and disruptive technology companies in sectors like e-commerce, fintech, logistics and communications.
   
• HE Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the UAE and Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (2008 – 2021): In a wide-ranging fireside chat with Gargash, Reuters will discuss the UAE's foreign policy objectives in the region, including the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the Syrian civil war.
   
• HE Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, UAE: Bringing the voice of the UAE government to the 'What's NEXT? The Gulf's role in a new world order' panel, Reuters will unpick how decisions made in the next decade by business, finance and policy leaders in one of the world's fastest-growing regions will have lasting worldwide influence.

"We're uniting market movers and leading visionaries across industries and government at Reuters NEXT Gulf because times of great change demand the emergence of strong leaders," said Alessandra Galloni, Reuters Editor-in-Chief. "Our unmatched agenda tackles the world's biggest challenges and opportunities so that leaders can answer today's most pressing questions and ignite change."

The agenda covers six main themes:

• Geopolitics: The Gulf, like every region in the world, finds itself adapting to significant changes on the world political stage after the "global year of elections." Shifting trade patterns are also leading to new financial and diplomatic alliances, amid a broader shift toward deglobalization.
• Economy & Markets: The Gulf is experiencing a renaissance, bucking global economic trends and growing fast – with growth expected to surge to around 4.4% in 2025, more than doubling 2024 projections.
• Banking & Finance: The financial services industry in the Gulf is undergoing a significant transformation, fueled by the advances of digital technology. The Middle East public cloud market is expected to reach almost $10 billion by 2027, but challenges remain in the form of data security and privacy concerns.
• Technology & AI: A focus on developing technology and AI has been a key plank of the region's concerted push to diversify beyond oil and gas. Alongside heavy AI investment, there have been significant efforts to develop Arab-language models trained on local datasets.
• Climate & Sustainability: The Gulf is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with rising temperatures, water scarcity, and environmental degradation posing significant challenges. The spotlight is on the region, and its diversification away from oil, with the UAE hosting COP28.
• Business Leadership: Social, political, and economic upheaval have been a constant theme around the world, and with it has come an increased need for leaders to steer a steady course and rebuild trust.

"The world is undergoing a period of intense change and leaders need insight on what the future may hold to navigate and plan for success. Reuters NEXT Gulf speakers tap into the expertise and experience needed to do just that," said Josh London, Head of Reuters Professional. "Reuters is committed to providing professionals in the Middle East with the crucial insights needed to navigate doing business in this time of uncertainty. The expansion of Reuters NEXT to Abu Dhabi, alongside the recent launch of digital subscriptions and a new Arabic website coming later this year, demonstrates the importance of this region."

Visit our event website to learn more, stay up-to-date with new speakers, and register your interest to attend Reuters NEXT Gulf.

MEDIA CONTACT
Heather Carpenter
Senior Director, Communications, Reuters
Heather.Carpenter@thomsonreuters.com 

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