This is the first time the Top CEO event will be preceded by a conference dedicated to women Two days of discussion have been scheduled touching on women"s progress in society and boardroom challenges Some 400 of the region’s top business executives, strategists and thought leaders are converging on the King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah for the eighth gathering of Top CEOs under the auspices of Trends Magazine and the Insead Business School. For the first time, to reflect the moves towards gender equality in Saudi Arabia’s workforce, the event will be preceded by the Arab Women Forum, a one-day gathering of top women executives, decision makers and professionals, as well as experts on women empowerment and business leadership, in partnership with Arab News. Julien Hawari, co-CEO of Mediaquest which publishes Trends, said: “There is a profound paradigm shift under way in the region and its epicenter is Saudi Arabia. These changes are impacting all businesses and CEOs have to understand how it is affecting the government and private sectors. “The other important transformation is the empowerment of women that will have a profound impact on the economy. These two events will explain how it will affect employment and growth,” he added. The centerpiece of the two days of plenary gatherings, workshops and breakout sessions will be the announcement of the Top CEO Awards in the Arabian Gulf region, an annual rating of executive quality based on the financial performance of the leading companies on the region’s stock markets. “These are the most credible and transparent awards the region produces, assessing companies and their CEOs that value grows, corporate governance and transparency,” Hawari said. The women’s forum will discuss such issues as “value creation in the 21st century,” “reinventing the workplace and the power of parity”, and the “community based new economy.” The Top CEO event will debate matters like “the execution challenge,”, “rethinking the ecosystem”, and “securing the future.” Among the speakers at the two days of events are included Fahd Al Rasheed, CEO of Emaar the Economic City, Maliha Hashmi, head of strategic partnerships for the Public Investment Fund’s NEOM project, Tarek Elmasry, Middle East chief of McKinsey & Company, and Muna Abusulyman, media personality and goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Development Program. Faisal Abbas, editor in chief of Arab News, said: “Given the raft of reforms underway in Saudi Arabia, there could not be a more appropriate and meaningful time to host such an event.” Arab News has been taking a leading role in both reporting on the changes under way in the Kingdom and pointing out the clear need for women to play key roles in Saudi society, and the many challenges ahead. The conference aims to take this conversation forward - for the benefit of both Saudi Arabia’s female workforce and the wider society as a whole.”