2023/RiYadh
Digital Economy
& Purposeful Growth
Digital Economy
& Purposeful Growth
Leading the Neo-Renaissance
The 9th Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit returned in 2023 to Riyadh with a progressive theme: “Digital Economy and Purposeful Growth.”
As global and regional consumer behavior shifted amid historic inflation and market volatility, the Summit emphasized how the accelerating digital economy is reshaping entrepreneurship, fostering innovation, and enabling more purposeful, values-driven growth. And explored how businesses can navigate evolving consumer expectations, rising competitive pressures, and the broader implications of digital transformation.
Bringing together pioneering voices from diverse industries, geographies, and disciplines, the event offered a comprehensive view of a sector undergoing rapid reinvention. From managing supply chain disruptions to reimagining consumer engagement, influential C-suite executives, policymakers, investors, analysts, and innovators charted a new commercial blueprint for a future defined by agility and intent.
Our distinguished speakers

H.E. Eng. Ammar Nagadi
Vice Minister, Ministry of Economy &Planning, Saudi Arabia

Mohamad Mourad
Managing Director & CEO Cenomi Group

Zia Daniell Wigder
Chief Content Officer, EMARKETER

Matthew Shay
President & CEO National Retail Federation, USA

Ahmed Galal Ismail
CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Holding

Renuka Jagtiani
Chairwoman, Landmark Group

John Hadden
CEO, Alshaya Group

Patrick Chalhoub
Executive Chairman, Chalhoub Group

Peter Fader
Professor of Marketing, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar
Senior Vice President & Group Country Manager – GCC Visa

Saud Alsulaiman
CEO, Alsulaiman Group

Guy Perry
President, DevCo Development Arm of Diriyah Company
- Alison Rehill Erguven
- Pavlos Exarchos
- Abdulaziz AlAfaleg
- Cyrille Fabre
- Norma Taki
- Aref Yehia
- Mohamed Galal
- Abdellah Iftahy
- Debashish Mukerjee
- Abdulla Al Hammadi
- Prince Waleed Al Saud
- Burak Cakmak
- Omar Almajdouie
- Abdulmajeed Alsukhan
- Myf Bagnold
- Khaled Tash
- Georges Barakat
- Ali Mansour
- Sujata Assomull
- Jhonny Jha
- Mina Fader
- Khalid AlJanah
- Mazen AlDarrab
- Amin Magrabi
- Stephen Holbrook
- Ali Bailoun
- Carlos Garcia Pinilla
- Joel Banck
- Lynn Al-Khatib
- Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne
- Frederic Levy-Perrault
- Nabila Nazer
- Mohammed Fitaihi Farimah Moeini
- Mohammad Al Razaz
- Muzzammil Ahussain
- Remo Abbondandolo
- Faraz Khalid
- Roy Hintze
- Eithne Treanor
- Mohammad Alawi
- Muwaffaq M. Jamal
- Mohammed Dhedhi
- Nisreen Shocair
- Saima Khan
- Michael Ward
- Richard Simonin
- Dejan Kovacevic
- Christine Assouad
- Dina Alsamhan
- Yash Arya
- Rawan Alsahsah
- Mohammed Bajbaa
Highlights
Highlights
A look back at the moments that mattered, the voices that inspired, and the ideas that moved us forward. At the energy, insights, and connections that defined the 2023 MENA Summit.
Agenda
Day 1
H.E. Eng. Ammar Nagadi, Vice Minister, Ministry of Economy & Planning, Saudi Arabia
Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President & Group Country Manager – GCC, Visa
The traditional expansion formula of retail – new stores, new formats and adjacent categories – is delivering declining returns as the market matures. As a result, global retailers are leveraging their ecosystems - an extensive system of integrated offerings that creates value for all stakeholders (including customers, suppliers, employees, communities, and shareholders) to strengthen and expand the traditional business. How does Cenomi plan to leverage its ecosystem to strengthen and expand its business in Saudi Arabia and beyond?
Mohamad Mourad, Managing Director & CEO, Cenomi Group
Cyrille Fabre, Senior Partner, Bain & Company Middle East
In the last decade, we believed that consumers are time deprived and avoiding ads by default. So we limited our stories and ironically swapped out entertaining for - advertising. In this session we explore how brands can move from interrupting the day to day of consumers to becoming part of their most valuable time of the day. Entertainment was always worth consumers’ time.. and yours, because it sells.
Aref Yehia, Head of Business Partnerships for Retail & E-Commerce, MENA, TikTok
Innovation in retail hails from all corners of the globe. China gave rise to social commerce, and in the US, retailers can’t build out retail media networks fast enough as this mega-trend promises lucrative new revenue streams and profits. Retailers are turning their physical and digital stores into ad platforms, providing brands with new ways of promoting their products and directly tying marketing spend to sales. In this session, we’ll explore how these two trends are changing both consumer behavior and corporate strategies, and what retailers in the Gulf can learn from the experiences of top players in the US and China.
Zia Daniell Wigder, Chief Content Officer, Insider Intelligence
Farimah Moeini, Head of Industry - Retail and eCommerce, Snap Inc. - MENA
In recent years a new attitude prevails towards supporting homegrown talents. Responsible consumption starts with supporting local creators. Last year Saudi 100 highlighted the diverse range of talent there is in the country from streetwear to couture’s to modest fashion. What are the next steps that must be taken to ensure that the local design industry flourishes?
Burak Cakmak, CEO, Fashion Commission, Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia
Sujata Assomull, Journalist & Author
John Hadden, CEO, Alshaya Group
Debashish Mukerjee, Partner, Middle East & Africa Lead, Consumer & Retail, Kearney
The opportunities to guide business growth that respects or better still restores the environment are enormous, as are the opportunities for creating inclusive jobs and addressing rising income inequalities. The past years have seen a collective stakeholder awakening to sustainability and inclusion matters. Turning this momentum into tangible gains at scale is a daunting task. How can the retail industry do more in this space? How should the industry reconcile the seeming paradox of growth vs. sustainability and inclucivity considerations? What does “circularity” mean for an industry built on desire, consumption and constant change?
Amin Magrabi, Chairman, MAGRABi Retail Group
Patrick Chalhoub, Group President, Chalhoub Group
Norma Taki, Middle East Retail & Consumer Market Leader, Transaction Services Partner & Inclusion & Diversity Leader, PwC Middle East
Peter Fader, Professor of Marketing, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
What is “Modern Retail” ?
How can retailers harvest the value of the two worlds (online and offline) The 7 common habits for Modern Retailers
Mazen AlDarrab, Founder & CGO, Zid
Saima Khan, Managing Director, CTZN Cosmetics
Rawan Alsahsah, Founder and CEO, RIS Group
Christine Assouad, Founder, Catalyst of Growth, Dunkin Lebanon & Semsom
How are digital technologies changing consumer lifestyles and expectations? How can retailers respond to this change?
Saud Alsulaiman, CEO, Alsulaiman Group
Georges Barakat, Chief Operating Officer, Richemont Saudi Arabia
Stephen Holbrook, CEO, Clothing & Toy Division, Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group
Dina Alsamhan, Head of Advertising Partnerships, Saudi Arabia, Google
In a historic and unprecedented roundtable forum, the leaders of the largest retail groups in the region will come together to explore the future of retail, and discuss ways to drive positive change in the sector.
Renuka Jagtiani, Chairwoman, Landmark Group
Patrick Chalhoub, Group President, Chalhoub Group
Mohamad Mourad, Managing Director & CEO, Cenomi Group
Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Holding
John Hadden, CEO, Alshaya Group
Panos Linardos, Chairman, Retail Leaders Circle
Day 2
How does a strategic focus on business building translate into market rewards? What are the factors that dis- tinguish successful new businesses from underperformers?
Abdellah Iftahy, Partner, McKinsey & Company
Jhonny Jha, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company Dubai
Saudi’s emerging lifestyle destinations are driving footfall and engagement among the country’s consumers. How can destinations and retailers work together to develop seamless customer experiences and create val- ue for all?
Alison Rehill-Erguven, CEO, Cenomi Centers
Guy Perry, President, DevCo Development Arm of Diriyah Company (DGCL)
Abdellah Iftahy, Partner, McKinsey & Company
Ali Mansour, CEO, United Electronic Company - eXtra
Prince Waleed Al Saud, Founder & CEO, Mukatafa
Abdulla Al Hammadi, Regional Business Lead for KSA Market, Snap Inc.
Mohammed Dhedhi, Consumer & Retail Partner MEA, Kearney
As the sector becomes more globally connected, how can retailers manage the growing range of payment options that consumers expect? How can payment providers enhance their service to build and defend com- petitive advantage?
Abdulaziz AlAfaleg, Managing Director, Saudi Payments
Ali Bailoun, Regional General Manager for KSA, Oman & Bahrain, Visa
Mazen AlDarrab, Founder & Chief Growth Officer, Zid
Remo Abbondandolo, General Manager, MENA, Checkout.com
Renuka Jagtiani, Chairwoman, Landmark Group
Debashish Mukerjee, Partner, Middle East & Africa Lead, Consumer & Retail, Kearney
As economies bounce back from the pandemic, authorities seek to turbocharge tourism once more through unconventional and innovative investment strategies. To realize and sustain growth, investments should sys- tematically cover the entire ecosystem – from destination readiness to tourist engagement in source markets; from distribution to regulations and human capital.
Khaled Tash, Group Chief Marketing Officer, SAUDIA
Muzzammil Ahussain, CEO, Almosafer
Eithne Treanor, Founder & CEO, E Treanor Media
Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Holding
Matthew Shay, President & CEO, National Retail Federation
Mohamed Galal, Group Managing Director & CEO, United Electronic Company - eXtra
Pavlos Exarchos, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
A look at what make Saudi design identity unique. How can it continue to expand its footprint through the regional market and then look at becoming an international force. We speak to a few leading creators to find out.
Mohammed Bajbaa, Founder, Proud Angeles & Proud X Fashion Consultancy
Nabila Nazer, Fashion Designer & Entrepreneur
Mohammed A. Fitaihi, Founder & General Manager, Luxury Good Trading Company
Lynn Al-Khatib, Group Head Of Communications, Chalhoub Group
This session will look at what a retail media network is, why it’s so powerful for both brands and retailers, and what brands are looking for in their retail media partners. We will review what attributes are most important to brand advertisers seeking out a retail media partner, and explore why certain retailers scored highest in our US Retail Media Perceptions Benchmark.
Zia Daniell Wigder, Chief Content Officer, Insider Intelligence
Moving from “Acquiring new customers” to Retargeting How to use data to build proper digital marketing performance New techniques and trends to be explored in 2023
Dejan Kovacevic, Chief Operating Officer, Multipliers
Responding to the global upheavals in supply chains requires planning on a scale – and with a depth – few companies have undertaken before. How can companies better understand their vulnerabilities and build greater resilience to future shocks?
Muwaffaq Jamal, Managing Director, Sudasia Consultancy
Joel Banck, Lead Senior Solution Principal, EMEA & APAC, RELEX Solutions
Mohammad AlRazaz, Co-Founder & CEO, OTO
Frederic Levy-Perrault, CEO, Al Raya Supermarkets
Yash Arya, Transport & Logistics Director, PwC Middle East
Omar A. Almajdouie, Founding Partner, Raed Ventures
Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Co-Founder & CEO, Tamara
Ibrahim Abdul Khaliq, CFA - Chief Investment Officer, Namara Investments
Roy Hintze, Deals Strategy & Operations Partner, PwC Middle East
How can retailers maintain a premium customer experience in omnichannel retail while maintaining con- sistency across all customer touch points? How does this experience translate into enhanced loyalty and a seamless brand experience?
Myf Bagnold, Group CMO, Cenomi Group
Michael Ward, Managing Director, Harrods
Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne President & CEO Americas, Global Luxury Practice Lead, ESW
Richard Simonin, Vice Chairman, Al Tayer Retail Dubai
Mina Fader, Managing Director, Baker Retailing Center, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Our Partners






















H.E. Eng. Ammar Nagadi
Vice Minister, Ministry of Economy & Planning, Saudi Arabia



Patrick Chalhoub
Executive Chairman, Chalhoub Group



RLC is the only place that brings all retail leaders together to talk about the defining trends of our industry.
Dr. Saeeda Jaffar
Senior Vice President & Group Country Manager – GCC, Visa
