Oasis Stage – Day 1 Access

As part of the exhibition program on Day One, a series of panel discussions will bring together global leaders, experts, and specialists to debate the future of communications.

Day 1 Agenda

What Keeps the Internet Running and Why It Matters for Regulators and Telcos

11:00 am – 12:00 pm (GMT+3)

Every digital service, from local platforms to global applications, depends on a layer of infrastructure that most users never see. This includes domain names, IP addresses, and the protocols that connect it all. These systems form the core infrastructure of the Internet, enabling it to be reliable, scalable, and globally accessible.

Session Partner (co-organized)

Speakers

Walid Aloriny

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Hisham Al-Hamad

Director of the Saudi Domain Names

Baher Esmat

VP for Stakeholder Engagement

Cerys Stansfield

Analyst, Global Government Advisory

Strategic Foresight for Regulators: Lessons Learned from Government, Diplomacy and Trade

01:00 pm – 02:00 pm (GMT+3)

Join Natalie Black, former senior UK diplomat and head of the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit, to explore how regulators can apply foresight and scenario planning from government and trade to lead digital transformation and anticipate disruption.

Session Partner (co-organized)

Speakers

Samantha Torrance

Principal, Global Government Advisory

Natalie Black

Group Director for Communications and Networks and Executive Board Member

From Readiness to Resilience: Governing Frontier Technologies through National Action and Global Collaboration

02:00 pm – 03:00 pm (GMT+3)

This session will highlight how Saudi Arabia is piloting the WEF Quantum Economy Blueprint to build national readiness for quantum technologies. It will showcase how local action, driven by stakeholder alignment, phased planning, and public–private collaboration, can inform global governance frameworks

Session Partner (co-organized)

Speakers

Hussein Abul-Enein

Director, Head of Middle East

Saad Al Owayyed

Project Lead

Hani Alhemsi

Research and Studies Specialist

Preparing for Quantum Technologies: Lessons from AI Policy Development

03:00 pm – 04:00 pm (GMT+3)

This session sheds light on quantum technologies and their policy implications, highlighting the key regulatory and governmental challenges of the quantum era, and distilling lessons from AI policy to inform future strategies.

Session Partner (co-organized)

Speakers

Samantha Torrance

Principal, Global Government Advisory

Abdulrahman Mohammed Al-Ajmi

Vice Chair of the Board of Directors / Founding Member

Mohammed Alshreef

GM, National RDI Observatory

Niccolo SOMASCHI

CEO & Co-founder

The Kingdom’s experience in the field of geospatial information: from regulation to empowerment

04:00 pm – 05:00 pm (GMT+3)

This session offers a brief overview of the Kingdom’s geospatial journey—from a balanced regulatory framework to empowering stakeholders to use location data in policy and service delivery. It highlights success stories and promising investment opportunities—such as smart cities and digital twins—underscoring the Kingdom’s regional leadership and growing global stature.