Building on recent landmark partnership announcements between the United States and countries in the MENA region, this conference brings together leaders, policymakers, and experts to explore how technology is reshaping diplomacy, strategic alliances, and economic investment in the region. Through in-depth panels on evolving US-Gulf relations, the growing role of AI and digital infrastructure in shaping soft power, investment imperatives of powering AI’s future, and AI geopolitics, the program will examine the opportunities and challenges defining this next era of cooperation.
Welcoming Remarks
Keynote Address
This session will examine the evolving priorities driving US-Gulf relations – from technological innovation to strategic cooperation and deepening investment ties. Panelists will explore how shared interests and new challenges are reshaping the partnership, and what this means for the future of global engagement.
This session will explore how AI will impact the future of international collaboration and competition, and how governments will balance this technology’s potential to drive growth and reshape society with the risks it poses to privacy, security, and trust. Panelists will discuss how today’s international relations are defined as much by geotechnology disputes as by traditional geopolitics, with global forums and alliances being reshaped by debates over digital dominance.
Focusing on the intersection of technology and diplomacy, this session will address how AI and digital infrastructure are redefining soft power by enabling new forms of diplomatic engagement and cross-border cooperation. Panelists will discuss the role of technology in strengthening relationships and expanding influence through shared innovation and connectivity.
