Welcoming Remarks

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The Great Conversation

A worldwide dialogue about the future of our profession and the capabilities we will need in a world defined by rapid change, new technologies, shifting demographics, geopolitical pressure and rising environmental risk. This will unpack some of the emerging themes, highlighting the implications and begin to plot a course into the future for the profession of procurement and supply and CIPS. This will be a glimpse into the Great Response in 2027 which will fully describe the future of this profession.

Seen, Not Just Managed: The Overlooked Lever Behind High-Performing Teams

Some teams comply. Others excel. The difference isn’t budget, size, or talent - it’s a small tweak to a habit most leaders already practise. In this engaging keynote, discover the overlooked shift that turns good teams into great ones, and great teams into unstoppable ones; cutting the time you spend chasing engagement, and handing you a powerful, ready-to-use tool that changes how your people show up, starting today.

Stop Buying Procurement Software. Start Deploying Procurement Agents

A provocative look at the future of procurement transformation. This keynote challenges traditional software-first thinking, exploring how AI-powered procurement agents are changing the way organisations automate work, accelerate decision-making and deliver value. It asks whether the next generation of procurement transformation will be bought—or built.

Location. Leverage. Leadership: Real Estate as a Supply Chain Advantage

Real estate is no longer just a footprint, it’s a strategic lever. From distribution hubs to nearshoring sites, property decisions now shape agility, resilience, cost, and ESG performance. This session explores how procurement and supply chain leaders can turn real estate from a fixed cost into a competitive advantage aligning network design, automation, and growth strategy for the future.

Negotiation Intelligence: The AI Advantage

AI is changing how procurement professionals prepare, negotiate and create value. This keynote explores how negotiation intelligence can strengthen decision-making, uncover new opportunities and enhance supplier relationships, while reinforcing the critical role of human judgement in achieving better commercial outcomes.

Break

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Autonomous Supply Chains: Capabilities & Competencies for a Resilient Future

This session highlights the critical capabilities required to enable Autonomous Supply Chains’ real-time visibility, predictive risk sensing, AI-driven decision intelligence, digital control towers, and ecosystem collaboration, alongside the organizational competencies such as data literacy, agile governance, cross-functional orchestration, and strategic procurement leadership needed to achieve true risk resilience.

Beyond Automation: Unlocking the Value of Digital Procurement

With AI, automation and digital platforms accelerating change, the challenge is no longer what to adopt but how to make it deliver. This session explores how leading organisations are prioritising the right technologies and integrating them into existing processes and initiatives. Discover how to build a more connected, intelligent procurement function that drives measurable value, strengthens resilience and supports long-term growth.

Procurement Must Lead: Sustainability, Resilience and Long-Term Value

As rapid growth, resource constraints and economic transformation reshape MENA, sustainability is moving from ambition to action. This keynote explores the critical role procurement can play in embedding sustainability across the supply chain, strengthening resilience, competitiveness and long-term value.

Lunch Break

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Building Supply Chain Resilience: From Risk to Readiness

Resilience starts at the procurement desk. This session explores how strong supply and demand analysis enables proactive decision-making, smarter forecasting and faster response to disruption. We’ll discuss strategies to strengthen supply resilience, attract and diversify external suppliers, and manage supply risk in an increasingly volatile environment. Learn how you can turn procurement excellence into a competitive advantage through data, agility and smarter sourcing.

Safeguarding Patients through Medication Supply Chain Management

In a fast-evolving healthcare landscape, supply disruption is not just operational risk, it’s patient risk. In this 15-minute keynote, Suzan Hammoudeh shares practical insights for the role of procurement in patients’ safety. Focusing on best practices , demand volatility, and procurement for safety, this session delivers actionable strategies on categorization , smarter forecasting and embedded risk management ensuring continuity of care and with resilience built in.

Break

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Revolutionizing Category Management through AI

AI is reshaping category management, enabling procurement teams to uncover deeper insights, identify opportunities and make faster, more informed decisions. This session explores how AI can strengthen category strategies, improve supplier and market intelligence, and unlock greater value across the procurement lifecycle.

The Capability Gap: Are Your Procurement Teams Ready for 2030?

As AI advances and transformation accelerates across KSA, the biggest risk isn’t technology, it’s talent. This session will discuss how organisations are upskilling teams, redesigning roles and building commercially agile, future-ready procurement leaders, giving you practical tips to implement.

Closing Remarks

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