Al-Eqtisadiah to launch inaugural annual forum on AI economy in Riyadh

The first edition of the Al-Eqtisadiah Annual Forum will open on Monday under the theme “Our Economy and Artificial Intelligence” at King Salman Science Oasis in Riyadh. The event is organized in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and is exclusively sponsored by The Family Office. It will bring together leading local and international experts in artificial intelligence, future foresight, and business model development.

The forum comes as Saudi Arabia has designated 2026 as the “Year of Artificial Intelligence,” at a time when AI technologies are increasingly shaping the economy and business sectors. The focus is shifting from the potential of AI to its practical application within organizations.

Mohammed Al-Bishi, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper and chairman of the forum, said the event reflects the newspaper’s role as a leading media institution that goes beyond reporting news to bringing together business leaders and company executives to foster dialogue on new economic enablers, particularly AI tools.

Al-Bishi noted that while the growing number of conferences and events on AI have largely focused on technology, investment, infrastructure, and related needs, there remains significant scope to address AI as a tool for developing Saudi Arabia’s business sector.

He emphasized that the forum aims to explore how AI can be used within companies to reduce costs, increase profits, optimize revenues, and develop human capital, rather than limiting the discussion to AI as merely a technical or investment field.

Al-Bishi added that designating 2026 as the “Year of Artificial Intelligence” underscores the importance of this discussion, referencing the royal address to the Shoura Council, which highlighted the Kingdom’s ambition to lead in this field. He affirmed that Al-Eqtisadiah’s role as a media institution is to support these objectives through specialized economic dialogue and content.

He also pointed out that the forum aims to present practical experiences and case studies from participating speakers, especially Saudi experts from sectors such as banking, technology, and logistics, who have leveraged AI in their operations. These insights will be shared with a wide range of business leaders.

More than 250 CEOs and economic figures will attend the forum, along with local and international experts and specialists. Notable participants include Alex Osterwalder, creator of the Business Model Canvas; Joachim De Vos, founder of TomorrowLab; and a representative from Belgium’s imec center.

The forum will address the future of artificial intelligence and business, AI management and business model development, investment and the economy in the AI era, as well as the transition of AI from assistive tools to agent systems and its role in reshaping business models.

By organizing this forum, Al-Eqtisadiah aims to expand its role from reporting on economic developments to actively fostering dialogue, sharing practical experiences, and discussing the impact of new technological transformations on companies and the economy.