Good morning.
We announced this week that the 2025 Fortune Global Forum will convene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next December. In the spring, we will also hold a Fortune Most Powerful Women event in the Saudi capital—our first-ever MPW gathering in the Middle East. Both are being held in partnership with the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority.
I can’t think of a country that has tried to change at the scale or speed of Saudi Arabia, from banning theaters to becoming an entertainment hub, to allowing women to drive and doubling their labor force participation in the space of a few years, to becoming a leader in renewable energy and planning ambitious new cities while overhauling old ones. Not all of these bets will go according to plan—the CEO of the massive Neom project was replaced this week—and there remain concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East.
Having recently visited Saudi Arabia for the first time, I was struck by the energy and the optimism of the people I met—especially among those at the start of their careers. As His Excellency Fahd bin Abdulmohsan Al-Rasheed, advisor in the General Secretariat of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers, pointed out in our interview at the Fortune Global Forum this week, there are 1,064 different initiatives underway across the country. “You’ve got 30 million people who are a part of this,” he said. “It’s not just top down.”
I’m excited that we get a chance to be a part of this change, bringing important discussions and leaders to the region. I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences and hope to see you in Riyadh.
More news below.
Diane Brady
diane.brady@fortune.com
Follow on LinkedIn
