Saudi Emerging Technologies Forum Names Ernst & Young as Consulting Partner

Dubai – Riyadh

Sallam Sallam
 
Professional service firm Ernst & Young will serve as the official consulting partner for the Saudi Emerging Technologies Forum to be held in Riyadh, KSA from 11-13th of November, later this year. 
 
Billed as the largest R&D event in the region focused on the disruptive technologies of what has been labelled the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Saudi Emerging Technologies Forum will welcome over 3,000 government officials, senior executives and attendees for three days of workshops, exhibitions, interactive demonstrations and discussions around rapidly emerging technologies. 
 

With the deployment and latest applications of artificial intelligence, blockchain, IoT, robotics and data science just some of the topics on the agenda, the conference will also feature over 50 tech and industry leaders drawn from an array of sectors for a series of keynotes and panels – including an executive briefing led by Glenn Maxwell, a partner with the regional Advisory practice of EY, the official consultant partner for the event. 
 
Currently heading up Ernst & Young’s Finance Advisory practice for the Middle East and North Africa, along with holding responsibilities for the advisory lines activities around optimisation and revenue enhancement, robotics process automation (RPA) and shared and managed services, Maxwell has been with the firm for the past three and a half years, and altogether based in the region for close to a decade. 
 

“This event represents a turning point in the digital transformation domain in Saudi Arabia because it will be the only platform in the Kingdom that will celebrate the Vision 2030 digital transformation leaders who are driving the deployment of emerging technologies in government entities and private sectors,” said forum director Chiara Palieri, who added that government representatives will unveil their latest digitisation programmes during the event. 
 
Joining Maxwell as guest presenters over the three-day forum, to be held at Burj Rafal Hotel in Riyadh from 11th to 13th of November, are among others du CEO Sultan Osman and Cyrus Hodes, Director of the AI Initiative, along with senior representatives from the Saudi Environment, Labor and Social Development, Health, Foreign Affairs, and Finance ministries among others. Ten innovation pioneers will also be awarded at a ceremony during the event. 
 
Commenting on participating at the Saudi Emerging Technologies Forum, Ayad Aldaijy, Former advisor to the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water & Agriculture & Adjunct Professor, said: “Emerging innovative technologies are shaping everyday life both at citizen level and at a wider national level. Certainly, keeping up to date with such major technological changes may reap rewards benefiting the economy at a national scale. The Saudi Emerging Technologies Forum is the perfect place to define and conceptualize the characteristics of new Emerging Technologies”. 

Exclusively at the event, Dr. Khaled Abusalem, Chairman of UAV & Robotics Standards Committee in Saudi Aramco will be presenting about the Fourth Industrial Revolution Center in Dahran, the first centre of its kind in the world inaugurated in March 2019, which will help the company’s operational performance to enable greater efficiencies and significant cost savings, and help further strengthen Aramco’s global leadership in the oil and gas industry. 
 

Chiara Palieri the Director of the Saudi Emerging Technologies Forum said: “This event represents a turning point in the digital transformation domain in KSA because it will be the only platform in the Kingdom that will celebrate the Vision 2030 digital transformation leaders who are driving the deployment of emerging technologies in government entities and private sectors. Technology will be the main enabler to a thriving economy for an ambitious nation, powered by a vibrant society of digital sapiens. We are so thrilled to have received an enthusiastic response from government entities that will use the event to announce their latest digitisation programs.” 
 

Commenting on speaking at the forum Eng. Mohammed Mahnashi, Information Security Advisor of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “Saudi Arabia, the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds, the investment powerhouse, and the hub connecting three continents, on those three pillars the Saudi Vision 2030 relay on an ambitious yet achievable blueprint reflects our country’s strengths and capabilities and depends on the technology to achieve the vision goals. “I believe that The Saudi Emerging Technologies Forum is a key event to attend, to listen and discuss with experts in Saudi National Transformation program.”, Eng. Mahnashi added.