GRC and Export Controls in the Middle East Conference, 11 – 12 November 2025, Riyadh, KSA
GRC and Export Controls in the Middle East Conference, 11 – 12 November 2025, Riyadh, KSA
With new export controls, sanctions, and anti-corruption rules from the US, UK, EU, China, and local authorities in the Kingdom, compliance is more complex than ever. The GRC and Export Controls in the Middle East Conference is designed for compliance professionals working directly in the field, providing practical advice and real-world insights from both global experts and respected local leaders.
The US, UK, EU and now China have far reaching export controls, sanctions and anti-corruption initiatives, match this with developing local regulations within the Kingdom and you have a perfect storm of compliance to navigate through. GRC and Export Controls in the Middle East Conference is the one place where you, as a local compliance specialist, can find a way through.
‘Culture beats Compliance’ is well known maxim but carries no weight with Regulators. So how do you not only build leading compliance programs but also ensure their take up and the buy in of the workforce ?To quote ‘Tomell Da Silva of The Middle East and Africa Compliance Association ”you may have the right ‘Tone from the top’ but what about the ‘Mood in the middle’ and the ‘Groove on the ground” ?
Best Practice is commonly called for but does one size fit all ? How can you ensure you are compliant with conflicting international regulations at the same time as ensuring local regulations are adhered too?
This conference has been produced with you the compliance specialist ‘on the ground’ in mind. It is designed specifically for those in industry to allow you to learn from your peers and benchmark your program with not only the global leaders but also with local prominent companies from within the Kingdom. This is the must attend conference in the region where you will interact in an intimate, open and candid setting with eminent speakers from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as other GCC and leading global specialists, we look forward to meeting you.
- Mr. Mohamed El Sadany, GRC Director, BOD and Committees Secretary, Mowah
- Dr. Saleh M. Alshunaif, Director Legal, Contracts, & Global Trade Compliance, Alsalam Aerospace
- Dr. Syed Abid Hassan, Head of Compliance, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, Dallah Pharma
- Ms. Lauren Talerman, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
- Ms. Zahra Mashhood, Counsel, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
- Eng. Ali Alghamdi, GRC Director, Confidential Government Authority
- Eng. Rizq Alzahrani, Cybersecurity GRC Director, Confidential Government Authority
- Ms. Hanna Al Melhi, AVP – Business Conduct & Advisory, PIF
- Mr. Ibraheem Alkahtani, Head of Logistics & Trade Compliance KSA & PYB Cluster, Schneider Electric
- Mr. Mohammed Al Ghafly, Regional Regulatory Affairs & Trade Compliance Manager, Ecolab
- Mr. Fahad Al-ali, Senior Counsel; Labour Law, Ethics and Compliance, BAE Systems Saudi Arabia
- Ms. Fai Alawad, Governance, Compliance and Board Relation Lead, NEOM
- Ms. Ghada Al Ghamdi, People & Business Integrity Director, Eisai EMEA
- Mr. Jefferson Fabbio, Compliance Officer – MEA, IBM
- Mr. Ahmed Alhijab, SME – Tax, Aramco
- Eng. Nawaf Albeajan, AVP – IT Governance, Saudi Investment Bank
Should you wish to join our esteemed speaker panel at this event, please contact If you are interested in speaking at this conference, please contact Mr. Henderson Huang on henderson.huang@nielsonsmith.com.
The agenda for the GRC and Export Controls in the Middle East Conference is prepared by and for industry professionals, and includes the most interesting topics, currently pertinent to the field.
Day One
08:15 – 09:00 Registration opens with early morning refreshments
09:00 – 09:15 Chairman’s welcome and opening address
09:15 – 10:15 GRC Integration in the Public and Private Sectors
10:15 – 11:15 Sanctions Compliance in the Gulf: Adapting to U.S., EU, and Local Frameworks
11:15 – 11:35 Morning refreshments and networking
11:35 – 12:00 The Fast Five – 5 solutions – 5-minute interviews
12:00 – 12:50 Supply Chain Due Diligence: Managing Trade Risks Across Tiers and Borders
12:50 – 14:00 Prayer Break and Networking Lunch
14:00 – 15:00 Governance in Action: Elevating Risk Management to the Executive Agenda
15:00 – 16:00 Combatting Bribery in MENA: From Internal Allegations to Enforcement Lessons
16:00 – 16:25 Afternoon refreshments and networking
16:25 – 17:25 Panel Discussion: Building Ethical Business Culture in High-Growth Markets
17:25 – 17:30 Chairman’s closing remarks
17:45 – 18:45 Conference Drinks reception
Day Two
08:30 – 08:55 Early morning refreshments and networking
08:55 – 09:00 Chairman’s opening remarks
09:00 – 10:00 Export Controls in Practice: Screening, Licensing, and Red Flags
10:00 – 11:00 GRC Strategic Direction in the era of AI and emerging technology
11:00 – 11:20 Morning refreshments and networking
11:20 – 12:20 Panel Discussion: Future Challenges in GRC Across the GCC
12:20 – 13:30 Prayer Break and Networking Lunch
13:30 – 14:30 Export Control Nexus: Managing Sensitive Technology Transfers in the GCC
14:30 – 15:30 Post-Acquisition Ethics & GRC Integration: Aligning Governance After Mergers
15:30 – 15:50 Afternoon refreshments and networking
15:50 – 16:50 Interactive Roundtables on topics brought up by the delegates on the day
16:50 – 17:00 Chairman’s remarks
End of Conference
If you are interested in speaking at this conference, please contact Mr. Henderson Huang on henderson.huang@nielsonsmith.com
Please contact your NielsonSmith representative to discuss the programme in more depth.
Meet Our Media Partners:
AGRC is a global, non-profit, professional accreditation & certification organisation, as well as a networking platform, that was founded in 2020 and started its operations a year later. We have developed a series of Level 3 professional qualifications on topics such as AML, ESG, KYC/CDD, Compliance, Risk Management, Corporate Governance, and International Economic Sanctions, all of which have been accredited by the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF) in the UK.
We also facilitate the exchange of knowledge and sharing of experiences among governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) professionals. We support our community of multi-jurisdictional GRC professionals in the financial services industry and beyond by sharing their common values, experiences, expertise, and business development opportunities.
You can find out more about us at www.agrc.org.
Meet Our Event Partners:
Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq: DSGX, TSX: DSG) is a global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions designed to enhance the productivity, performance, and security of logistics-intensive businesses. The company’s solutions make it easier for organizations to access and analyze global trade data, offering insights that help businesses improve trade compliance, reduce duties paid, minimize transactions with sanctioned parties, and identify potential customers and supply chain resources.
As the world’s largest collaborative multimodal logistics community, Descartes serves a broad range of industries. Headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Descartes operates with a global network of offices and partners. More details are available on their website at www.descartes.com.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Akin) is a leading global law firm with more than 900 lawyers and advisors, who pride themselves on dedication to their clients and their communities. With offices worldwide, we are renowned for numerous market-leading practices. Our international trade practice is highly regarded as a top-tier practice providing counseling and advice to companies, industries and governments across the globe as they navigate detailed trade regulatory processes. We have extensive experience guiding companies across various industries through the detailed trade regulatory processes in areas including export controls, economic sanctions, customs and import controls, global investment review, anticorruption, anti-money laundering, trade remedy litigation and trade policy. We regularly advise clients based in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region seeking regional and international representation, as well as international clients headquartered in the United States, Europe and Asia, on their investments and other commercial interests across the MENA region. This includes regulatory and compliance aspects of all transactions with cross-border dimensions, and a wide range of other trade compliance issues, as well as trade policy and WTO matters. www.akingump.com
Should you wish to become our Partner at this event, please contact Mr. Reyhan Perera on reyhan.perera@nielsonsmith.com
1 physical 2-Day pass and the Company-wide Post-Event Microsite license for 1 year with access to conference recordings – 999 USD
The in-person event includes sessions, lunch, refreshments and available documentation. Please contact us for Groups. Please note: “Vendor” companies may attend as sponsors only.
Conference Venue
Fairmont Riyadh, Area, Business Gate, Qurtubah, Riyadh 11552, Saudi Arabia
Accommodation Allotment
Arrival Date: November 10, 2025 (Check-in from 3:00 p.m.)
Departure Date: November 11, 2025 (Check-out by 12:00 noon)
Booking: Room rates are subject to the hotel’s website and availability. Please book directly through the hotel.
Information
Delegate tickets are for in-house participants only. Compliance vendors may only attend by becoming a sponsor, please request a prospectus via the button below. Vendors purchasing tickets will not gain access to the event and will receive only a 70% refund.
