About the Conference
The Saudi Corporate Governance Conference is the flagship annual event of the Alfaisal University Corporate Governance Center (CGC), College of Business. Now in its fifth edition, the conference has become a leading regional and international forum where academics, regulators, board members, executives, and professionals meet to advance both the theory and practice of corporate governance.
In today's business environment, governance extends far beyond compliance and financial performance. Boards and institutions are expected to lead transformation, anticipate disruption, steer through crises, manage risk, and create durable value for shareholders, stakeholders, and society. The 5th Conference, themed "Visionary Governance for Transformation," explores how governance can serve as a driver of positive change when conditions are most uncertain.
Aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the conference frames visionary governance as an engine of transformation. The program will bring together research, policy dialogue, practical case studies, and board-level perspectives, while also featuring the release of the Alfaisal CGC annual governance assessment of Saudi listed companies and a special ceremony recognizing governance excellence and improvement.
Theme and Rationale
Theme: Visionary Governance for Transformation
Transformation at the scale of Vision 2030 cannot be delivered by strategy alone. It requires governance that is visionary - anticipatory, principled, adaptive, and capable of steering organizations through profound and often disruptive change. This year's conference reframes the boardroom's purpose from narrow oversight and compliance toward foresight, resilience, ethical leadership, and strategic decision-making under uncertainty.
Governance in a Time of Crisis
A defining emphasis of this edition is governance during crises. Pandemics, regional wars
and armed conflict, energy and commodity shocks, financial volatility, cyberattacks,
supply-chain instability, and rapid technological displacement have shown that crises are
not rare exceptions but recurring features of the operating environment. The quality of
governance is most visible - and most decisive - when conditions are most adverse.
The conference examines how visionary governance builds the resilience, ethical clarity, and
decisiveness needed for institutions to protect stakeholders, sustain value, and emerge
stronger from disruption.
Three Focal Forces of Transformation
AI-Driven Transformation
Artificial intelligence is moving from a tool of automation to an influence on decision-making. The conference explores board oversight of AI, algorithmic accountability, data ethics, machine-assisted governance, and the productivity and risk frontiers opened by AI.
Geopolitical Risk & Conflict
Regional instability, armed conflict, sanctions, and fractured supply chains place new demands on boards. Sessions examine governing across volatile borders, scenario planning, business continuity, and ethical responsibilities in turbulent environments.
ERM & Enterprise Resilience
Risk management, crisis preparedness, cybersecurity readiness, and resilient governance structures are treated as core board capabilities through which organizations anticipate shocks and sustain long-term value.
Conference Objectives
Why Attend
Engage with leading scholars, regulators, policymakers, board members, and executives on the future of corporate governance.
Explore how governance can support transformation, resilience, and long-term value creation under disruption.
Gain insights into AI governance, geopolitical risk, enterprise risk management, ESG, transparency, and institutional reform.
Present research or practitioner work in person or online and receive constructive feedback from an international audience.
Benefit from a Q1 journal publication pathway through the Journal of Institutional Economics Special Issue.
Attend the release of the Alfaisal CGC annual governance assessment and the CG Excellence and CG Enhancement Awards.
Build visibility and connections at a premier governance event in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.
Keynote Speakers and Hosts
The conference will feature keynote addresses and panels with internationally recognized scholars and leaders in economics, finance, and corporate governance, alongside senior regulators and executives from the region. Confirmed speakers should be announced on the website as the program is finalized.
Abdallah Al Khoshiban
Ahmed Alhudaifi
Ahmed Adel
Alissa Kole
Amer Salaymeh
Amira Abaza
Call for Papers
We are pleased to invite you to the 5th Saudi Corporate Governance Conference (Saudi CGC 2026), taking place on December 2-3, 2026 at Alfaisal University, Riyadh. Organized by the Alfaisal University Corporate Governance Center, the conference provides a unique platform bringing together academicians, policymakers, regulators, board members, executives, and professionals to engage in dialogue on both theoretical developments and practical challenges in corporate governance.
This year's theme, "Visionary Governance for Transformation," examines governance as a driver of positive change, particularly in times of crisis. As organizations and nations navigate artificial intelligence, geopolitical instability and conflict, and mounting risk, the conference explores how visionary boards and institutions convert disruption into durable transformation.
CGC Annual Assessment and CG Awards
A defining highlight of the conference is the release of the Alfaisal CGC annual governance assessment of Tadawul-listed companies and a dedicated award ceremony recognizing the best governance performers among Saudi listed companies.
The awards are grounded in the Alfaisal Corporate Governance Center's annual, data-driven assessment. The Corporate Governance Index evaluates each Tadawul-listed company against more than 200 governance variables spanning shareholder rights, the role and effectiveness of the board, public disclosure and transparency, and stakeholder rights.
CG Excellence Award
The CG Excellence Award recognizes the top-performing listed Saudi company in corporate governance. Winners are determined objectively by the Alfaisal Corporate Governance Index, celebrating demonstrable and measurable excellence rather than reputation alone.
CG Enhancement Award
The CG Enhancement Award recognizes the company that has achieved the greatest improvement in governance performance over a two-year period. By rewarding the largest positive change in CGI score across consecutive assessments, the award highlights firms making meaningful progress and reinforces the conference's message that governance is a journey of continuous transformation.
Secure Your Place at Saudi CGC 2026
Join prominent scholars, board leaders, and regulators at Alfaisal University in Riyadh on December 2-3, 2026. In-person attendance and online presentation tracks are available.