Saudi Arabia is set to examine its role in the new global scenario as the world tackles to come out from the current financial crisis. Over 1,200 prominent figures representing governments, financial and business sectors from world over will gather at a two-day Euromoney Conference on May 18 and 19 in Riyadh. Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of Finance, the co-host of the Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference will be one of the keynote speakers on opening day of the event. The two-day event will hear from the government leaders on how they plan to manage the economic challenges that lie ahead and the role that the Kingdom plays in the world. The conference will explore and explain the new financial landscape and the place, which Saudi Arabia is taking on the global stage. Other keynote speakers on the inaugural day include Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) Governor, Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and Mohammad Al-Kurahsi, Governor, Public Pension Agency. The keynote speakers from private sector include Mubarak Al-Khafrah, Chairman National Industrialization Company (Tasnee) and an international speaker Paul Taylor, President, Fitch Ratings, an international credit rating agency dual-headquartered in New York City and London. The conference will include a number of panel discussions and workshops with the participation of prominent economists, bankers and government representatives. The panelists will debate to find answers on some of the challenging topics such as ‘With bank finance on the wane and debt markets not yet mature or willing enough to offer an alternative – how is Saudi Arabia going to fund its massive infrastructure and development needs.' The event will also take on other issues and find answers to questions such as ‘Can a government-financed project be managed with private sector energy? Does the state really want the private sector owning and operating key assets? If international investors cannot own equities then why should they be allowed to own a road, a port or a hospital? What do global infrastructure investors want from the Kingdom?
