UK Saudi Culture, Sports & Entertainment Forum

The Saudi British Joint Business Council UK (SBJBC UK) is delighted to announce the UK Saudi Culture, Sports & Entertainment Forum, set to take place on 26 June 2025 in London.

The UK-Saudi Culture, Sports & Entertainment Forum serves as a dynamic platform to discuss and explore Saudi Arabia’s remarkable transformation into a global hub for culture, sports, entertainment, and tourism, driven by the ambitious goals of Vision 2030. This forum will bring together key stakeholders, industry leaders, and government representatives to foster collaboration and create an environment where the exchange of ideas and best practices can drive transformative partnerships across these sectors.

Themes and Discussions

Against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the event will highlight areas where partnerships can drive innovation, unlock investment potential, and deliver sustainable growth across these vibrant sectors.

Showcasing Progress and Ambitions: Discussions will focus on Saudi Arabia’s remarkable strides in establishing itself as a global destination for culture, sports, and tourism. Key initiatives like AlUla, Diriyah Gate, and the 2034 FIFA World Cup will be spotlighted as examples of the country’s ambitions. Insights will be shared on how UK expertise and Saudi opportunities can converge to foster impactful collaborations.
Exploring Synergies: The Forum will emphasise avenues for collaboration in tourism, cultural development, and sports infrastructure. Rather than duplicating efforts, it aims to identify opportunities where UK companies’ expertise, such as; heritage preservation, innovative design, and event management, can complement Saudi Arabia’s ambitious projects. The focus will remain on creating impactful partnerships that leverage the strengths of both nations.
Fueling Innovation and Future Growth: Conversations will highlight emerging opportunities in areas such as esports, live entertainment, and immersive experiences that are reshaping Saudi Arabia’s global appeal. With the UK’s robust capabilities in technology and the creative industries, the Forum will offer a roadmap to strengthen these sectors while fostering cultural exchange and sustainable development.
Redefining Collaborative Opportunities: The Forum will examine how integrated approaches to culture, sports, and tourism development can yield transformative outcomes. From large-scale initiatives like Qiddiya to innovation-driven projects such as The Sports Boulevard, the Forum will explore how these ventures can become platforms for bilateral collaboration, delivering world-class results and lasting mutual benefits.

Date

26/06/2025

Time

08:45 - 16:00

Location:

Chelsea FC

Stamford Bridge, Fulham Rd., London SW6 1HS

A full-day, in-person event featuring keynote speeches, thought-provoking panel discussions, and hands-on workshops designed to inspire fresh ideas and actionable strategies.

Networking opportunities will enable stakeholders from both nations to forge meaningful connections and create a unified vision for the future—one that drives innovation, fosters long-term partnerships, and unlocks enduring benefits for the UK and Saudi Arabia.

This event is at full capacity.

Agenda:

08:45 – 09:20 | Registration & Networking Breakfast

09:20 – 09:25 | Welcome Remarks

09:25 – 10:00 | Fireside Chat: Beyond the Game: Unlocking Potential Through Sport

Donal McElwee, Managing Partner, CAA Portas
Rio Ferdinand, Former England Footballer & Founder, Rio Ferdinand Foundation
Fatima Whitbread MBE, Olympian & Youth Advocate
Karen Webb Moss, Chair, Aquatics GB
Ed Baxter, CEO & Co-founder, AP Race

10:00 – 10:45 | Panel 1: The Future of Sports: Empowering the Next Generation and Capacity Building

Paul May, Chairman, Trivandi

The Sports Consultancy – Matt Wilson, Managing Director

World Cup 2034 Higher Hosting Authority – Abdullah Alzahrani, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Basim Ibrahim, Sports Investment Director, MISA
Mohammed Awlia, Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Planning & Investment, Ministry of Sport

10:45 – 11:15 | Coffee/Tea Break

11:15 – 12:00 | Panel 2: Cultural Connections: Building a Legacy through Arts & Heritage

Anthea Peers, President EMEA, Christie’s

Simon Chadwick, Partner (Arts Team), Mishcon de Reya

Roger Walshe, Managing Director, Cultural Innovations (Moderator)

Hamad Homiedan, Director General of the Arts and Creative Industries Department, Royal Commission for AlUla

Dr Jasir Alherbish, CEO, Heritage Commission, Ministry of Culture

12:00 – 12:45 | Panel 3: Powering Saudi Arabia’s Transformation Through World-Class Entertainment & Experiences

Sandy Case, SVP Sports, Creative Technology (Moderator)

Barry Bremner, Executive Director of Sports Strategy, Qiddiya

Stewart Hosford, CEO,Sela International
Nadeem Javaid, Mayoral Director, Global Relations and Communities, Mayor of London, City of London

12:45 – 01:45 | Networking Lunch

01:45 – 02:30 | Football for Peace Panel: Football and Sustainability

02:30 – 03:30 | Concurrent Roundtables

Roundtable 1: Developing a World-Class Sports Ecosystem: Vision, Delivery & Global Partnerships

Basim Ibrahim, Sports Investment Director, MISA
Ministry of Sport, SA
Donal McElwee, Managing Partner, CAA Portas
Eddie Marshbaum, Head of Sports, Quest Global Ltd
General Entertainment Authority

Roundtable 2: Forging Cultural Partnerships: Heritage, Creative Industries & the UK-Saudi Exchange

Jules Ugo, CEO, LOTUS
Callum Lee, Managing Director, BOP Consulting
Dr Jasir Alherbish, CEO Heritage Commision, Ministry of Culture
Hamad Homiedan, Director General of the Arts and Creative Industries Department, Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)

03:30 – 04:00 | Networking & Close

Event Speakers

Rio Ferdinand OBE, Former English Football Player

Rio Ferdinand OBE is an English former professional football player & a highly respected TV present, pundit, & media personality. During his illustrious playing career, he represented and captained clubs such as Manchester United, Leeds & West Ham, as well as the England National team. In 2023, he was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as one of the most decorated players of all time & one of the greatest defenders in the history of the sport. Since retiring from professional football, Rio has successfully transitioned into the media industry. He is currently a lead pundit for both TNT Sport & the BCC, providing expert analysis on the biggest matches in the game. Beyond punditry, he has fronted several critically acclaimed documentaries from the BBC and Amazon Prime, showcasing his ability to tackle important social issues. His documentary Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum & Dad won a BAFTA for 'Best Single Documentary' in 2018. In addition to his broadcasting career, Rio has built a thriving media brand, Rio Ferdinand Presents, which produces original football podcasts, documentaries & digital content. The brand has amassed over 1.3million YouTube subscribers, making it one of the most successful independent football media platforms. With a career spanning elite-level football, broadcasting, & media entrepreneurship, Rio Ferdinand continues to be one of the most influential figures in the sport both on and off the pitch.

Fatima Whitbread MBE, British Olympian

Fatima Whitbread MBE is a world javelin champion, former world record holder, and twice Olympic medallist. She made history with her outstanding athletic career, earning multiple medals on the world stage and becoming one of Britain’s most celebrated sportswomen. In recognition of her resilience and achievements, she was honoured with the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023, celebrating her exceptional spirit in overcoming adversity.After retiring from competitive sport, Fatima dedicated herself to nurturing the next generation of athletes, coaching elite runners and serving as a qualified javelin coach. She also transitioned into a successful media career, appearing on popular television programmes such as I’m a Celebrity, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, and Pilgrimage: The Road to Istanbul, sharing her story and inspiring audiences nationwide.Beyond sport, Fatima is deeply committed to social impact through her founding of Fatima’s UK Campaign. This initiative focuses on transforming the children’s care system across the UK to empower care leavers and vulnerable youth. Through advocacy, resource provision, and collaboration with policymakers and charities, the campaign seeks to create an environment that fosters self-worth, confidence, and opportunity for children in care. In April 2025, Fatima convened a groundbreaking summit bringing together cross-party politicians, agency leaders, and care experts to set a national agenda for reform and excellence in care provision.Fatima is also an accomplished author, with three published books including her latest, My Bright Shining Star (2024), which tells a heartfelt story of resilience and hope for young people facing adversity.As a motivational speaker, Fatima shares her inspiring journey—from Olympic success to championing social change—encouraging audiences to overcome challenges and make a positive impact in their communities.

Ed Baxter, Co-Founder, AP Race

Having gone through his development years at one of the smallest voluntary clubs in the UK, Ed understands the commitment it takes to progress through the swimming world. After breaking his first British Record and winning the Youth Commonwealth Games in the 200m breaststroke, Ed became training partner to now Triple Olympic Champion, Adam Peaty in 2015 ahead of the 2016 Olympics.In 2019 Ed Co-founded AP Race alongside Adam and is now the CEO of the AP Race Brand. Ed works with the team across the world, working collaboratively with Adam to drive the strategy and delivery of this for AP Race’s growth. Based in Riyadh, Ed leads the AP Race Team who are growing aquatics offerings across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Karen Webb Moss, Chair of Aquatics GB & Founding Chair of More than Equal

Karen has over three decades in the global sport business - a career that includes working on 11 Olympic Games, multiple FIFA World Cups, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games and leading several successful sport bids. She was one of the first senior woman at the IOC and one of the first female CEOs of a sports organisation in the Middle East. Karen is now back in the UK and is Chair of British Swimming/Aquatics GB, Founding Chair of female motorsport initiative More than Equal and through her own business, advises governments, sports and brands on reputation management, nation and place branding, governance and sport and event strategies. She has 11 years of living and working in sport and mega events in the Middle East.

Hamad Alhomiedan, Director for Arts and Creative Industries, Royal Commission for AlUla

Hamad has extensive experience in traditional arts in Saudi Arabia, and is currently leading on the development of Arts Districts, Wadi AlFann, and AlUla Contemporary Arts Museum as well as cultural institutions such as Madrasat Addeera, and other world class art institutions, and supporting local artists and artisans. Hamad previous experience revolved around reviving traditional crafts to showcase Saudi heritage from different regions across the Kingdom, he also has experience in working with NGOs and philanthropies from across the world.

Anthea Peers, President, EMEA Christie’s

Anthea Peers joined Christie’s in 2006, successfully developing a diversified career. Prior to her current role she held the position of Global Managing Director of Private Sales (since 2019), an area of the business which saw its best year to date in 2021, leading the market with $1.7B in private sales. Prior to this, Anthea was Client Strategy Director for the Classic Art Group and led plans for the then new Classic Week series of sales, now a regular auction fixture globally at Christie’s. She has also worked as Business Director in Old Masters, as a paralegal, in client development, and across many departments including 20/21, and Estates, Appraisals and Valuations. Anthea has been at Christie’s for 18 years. She is based in London, covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Dr. Jasser Suleiman Al-Harbash, CEO Heritage Commision, Ministry of Culture

Dr Jasir Suliman Alherbish is the CEO of the Her-itage Commission, one of eleven sector commis-sions of the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia. The Heritage Commission develops, documents and preserves the Kingdom’s heritage sites and advances research activities related to national heritage.In the past, Dr Jasir Suliman Alherbish served as supervisor of the Saudi National Handicrafts Pro-gram, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Scholarships, and Supervisor General of the Saudi Cultural Missions. He also held the position of CEO of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage in Al-Qassim.

Simon Chadwick, Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP

Simon is a Partner in the Private department. He has experience in acting for a wide variety of clients ranging from companies to high net worth individuals to charities, across a wide range of domestic and international commercial disputes. Simon has a particular interest in art and cultural property law and, as a member of the Art Law team, advises galleries, auction houses, artists, collectors, foundations and other public and private institutions on non-contentious and contentious art related matters. Before starting his carrier in law, Simon worked for an Italian commercial art dealership in Mayfair and Milan for seven years. This experience, and his understanding of the market, has proved invaluable when working with individuals, galleries and institutions on both contentious and non-contentious art matters. Simon has previously been recognised in Legal 500’s Art and Cultural Property directory as being a Next Generation Partner and in Chambers & Partners and Chambers & Partners HNW as Up and Coming.

Sandy Case, SVP Sport, Creative Technology

Sandy heads up the Global Sports practice for Creative Technology which is part of the NEP Group. CT provide the technical infrastructure to major sporting events such as Summer and Winter Olympics, LIV golf, Wimbledon, US Open, Ryder Cup, Nascar, DP World Tour as well as major music festivals such as Glastonbury. Sandy has enjoyed a multi sector career starting at Morgan Stanley running their London Fixed Income Trading desk before going on to build his own retail business and a sports marketing agency. Within sport, he helped build up a mass participation business before selling out to the Tour de France Group (ASO) for whom he also worked. Prior to joining CT, Sandy was CEO of iSportConnect, the largest private network of sports executives.

Abdullah Alzahrani, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, World Cup 2034 Hosting Higher Authority

Abdullah Alzahrani is a seasoned brand and marketing executive with over two decades of experience spanning brand development, destination marketing and strategic communications. He currently serves as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for the World Cup 2034 Hosting Higher Authority (WCA), the newly established entity in Saudi Arabia responsible for the planning and delivery of the first 48-team FIFA World Cup™ in a single host nation, in coordination with stakeholders across a wide range of sectors. In his role, Alzahrani supports the WCA’s ambition to host an exceptional and unprecedented tournament that reflects Saudi Arabia’s ambition, hospitality and growing global stature, and contributes to the broader transformation under Vision 2030. Prior to his current position, Alzahrani served as Chief Demand Officer at Golf Saudi, leading the strategy and promotion of international and local golf events. He was previously Executive Director of Brand & Marketing at Red Sea Global and Amaala, where he led global marketing efforts for two of the Kingdom’s leading luxury tourism destinations. Earlier, he was Head of Corporate Marketing & Communications at Jabal Omar Development Company and Country Marketing Communications Manager for Red Bull in Saudi Arabia. His earlier career includes roles as Marketing Communications Manager at the National Commercial Bank and Director at LMI Saudi Arabia. He began his career at Abdul Latif Jameel, where he spent nearly seven years as part of the consulting team. Alzahrani holds a master’s degree in Strategic Marketing from Brunel Business School in London and is a fellow of both the UK's Chartered Institute of Marketing and the American Marketing Association.

David Garrido, Presenter & Sustainability Lead, Sky Sports News

David Garrido is a sports broadcaster with almost 25 years’ experience in the industry. At the BBC he covered World Cups, European Championships, Champions League finals, Wimbledon Championships, Formula 1 Grand Prix and Ashes series at Radio 1 Newsbeat, and also reported on the BBC’s flagship football programmes.Since joining Sky in 2011, David has hosted live Premier League, EFL and LaLiga matches, he is a staple in Sky Sports News’ Transfer Deadline Day presenting line-up and he has made two documentaries. The second of those, “Football’s Toughest Opponent”, is award-nominated and explores the beautiful game’s relationship with the climate crisis, and he also has his own series which has finished its its fourth season, “Playing for the Planet”, profiling elite athletes and their journeys in climate action and sustainability.David is a keen football, cricket, tennis and F1 fan, and he speaks several languages, including Spanish having been born to South American parents, and having studied French & German at Oxford University.

Kash Siddiqi Former Footballer, Football Diplomat and Co Founder of Football for Peace

Former British South Asian Footballer, Football Diplomat, and Philanthropist. In 2013, he was inaugurated as a Champion of Peace, under the High Patronage of HRH Prince Albert II of Monaco. for his global charitable ventures. In 2011, he established the Kashif Siddiqi Foundation, and in 2013, co-founded Football for Peace globally with FIFA’s & Chilean legend– Elias Figueroa, supported by the late Kofi Annan at the United Nations.He made his debut for Pakistan National Team debut on the international circuit, playing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Qualifiers and then also represented in the SAFF Cup, Maldives. Kashif has become known to many as South Asia's philanthropic football globetrotter and is now taking on the role as the first Football Diplomat to convene conversations at all levels of society. Whilst advocating messages of peace, he also became a player / ambassador for Real Kashmir FC playing in the most militarised zone in the world- Srinagar, Kashmir.He has become renowned for his humanitarian efforts and is recognised for his goodwill work by HRH Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal- Sports Minister KSA, Former Prime Minister David Cameron, HRH Prince Ali of Jordan, Pope Francis, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and the United Nations. Kash has also been awarded the Athlete Humanitarian of The Year by The Better World Awards in Monte Carlo, Philanthropy Award by Esquire Middle East and Peace & Sports Award from Monaco.

Oumar Niasse, Former Premier League & Senegalese National Team Player Professional footballer and an ambassador of Football for Peace.

He has played for top clubs including Everton FC in the English Premier League, Hull City, and Galatasaray, as well as representing the Senegalese national team. Off the pitch, Oumar is dedicated to using his platform to inspire positive change, championing peacebuilding, youth empowerment, and community development through the power of sport.

Paul May, Chairman & Co-Founder, Trivandi

Paul is the Chair and Co-founder of Trivandi, with more than 30 years of experience in the planning, delivery and operation of complex projects in the mega-events, venues and sport sectors. Paul’s experience includes numerous sporting projects including the last four Olympic & Paralympic Games in London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 as well as various sports venue developments. Since 2013 Paul has been focussed on building and growing Trivandi’s global business – this has included providing strategic advice to a wide array of UK, Middle East and international clients. Trivandi is well established within Saudi Arabia where its project portfolio includes giga projects such as Qiddiya, Neom, Sports Boulevard and Diriyah Gate, as well as major events and sport clients, such as the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Soundstorm festival, and the Saudi Surf Federation.

Roger Walshe, Managing Director, Cultural Innovations

Cultural Innovations are a global arts, heritage and cultural consultancy that has worked continuously in Saudi Arabia for over 20 years on projects ranging from the Saudi National Museum to Diriyah and NEOM. Roger began his career at the Science Museum in London and went on to become a senior leader within the UK cultural sector, overseeing public engagement activities including exhibitions, learning, events, digital and marketing at the British Library and Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Mohammed Al Nemer - Founder, Chairman and CEO of Morood Investment Company

Mohammed Al Nemer is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Morood Investment Company Morood Investment Company, has become the portfolio management and wealth advisory partner of choice for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families in the Kingdom, as well as a trusted corporate advisor for SMEs. Al Nemer is a trusted long-term investor in the real estate, food and beverage, entertainment and financial services sectors and also serves on other boards, government related committees and local & international organizations, including: Chairman of the Saudi Surfing Federation, Ana Odeer Investment Company, Malahi Leisure, Dar Al Tanmiyat Ltd, Furniture Land Ltd and Food Seasons Trading Company. Board Member of the National Committee for Entertainment, Makkah Province Youth Counsel & President of Entertainment Committee, Riyadh Chambers (Culture & Entertainment Committee), Saudi British Business Counsel for Saudi Chamber, Wabel Al Arabia Investment Company, Cubitt & Bond, UK and Seek Pharmaceuticals, UK.

Mohammed Awlia, Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Planning & Investment, Ministry of Sport

Awaiting Bio

Matt Wilson, Managing Director, The Sports Consultancy

The Sports Consultancy – is an integrated management consultancy, commercial advisory and law firm dedicated to the sport and live events industry, with offices in London, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Singapore. Matt leads the Consulting and Commercial Partnerships practices at TSC and is Managing Director for the wider group of international companies. He joined TSC in 2014 following 11 years practicing with Deloitte and 2 years with the organising committee of London 2012. He works with rights holders, investors and governments across the world to help them maximise the return on their investments in sport and major live events. Matt has been at the forefront of global major event innovation, supporting NFL, MLB, WWE, UFC and World Rugby enter new international markets; has advised private equity, sovereign wealth and family office investors as they navigated pre- and post-transaction investment strategy; and has supported central and regional governments in Europe, APAC and the Middle East to develop and implement major event, high-performance and community sport programmes that drive lasting, commercially viable, change.

Jules Ugo, CEO, LOTUS

As one of LOTUS’ founding team members, Jules has built the business to become one of the most recognised, globally renowned marketing and communications specialists in the travel, hospitality and lifestyle space. She is one of the most respected and well-known PR practitioners in the industry and has been included in PR Week’s Power Book for eight years As an award-winning practitioner with over 25 years' experience Jules has led global campaigns for flagship national airlines, the world’s largest outbound tourism destinations and global hospitality brands. A strategist with a deep understanding of commercial objectives and the need for creative to deliver business growth Jules is often found offering senior counsel to C-suite and sharing her knowledge of the worldwide travel and tourism sector to direct brand and business strategy. Over the last few years Jules has been integral in steering the development of LOTUS’ Saudi-focused business and has overseen pan-territory projects and campaigns for Saudia, Cruise Saudi and Jeddah Historic District.

Basim K. Ibrahim, Sports Sector Investment Development Director, Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia

Basim K. Ibrahim is passionate about the opportunities for sport development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is a seasoned Investment Attraction & Development Director with 20 years of diverse professional experience in Investment, IT, Education/Training, Project Management, and Research. A former Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum, Basim is a member of various professional organizations. He founded BMA Engineering in 2011 and co-founded BoardMaps in 2015, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit. His extensive international experience includes roles with Tencent/INSPUR in China and CONCO in South Africa. Basim was a pivotal member of the joint technical team between SAP and Saudi Aramco from 2000 to 2005. Passionate about volunteering and dedicated to serving his country, Basim is a dynamic leader in the field of Business and Investment Development.

Donal McElwee Managing Partner CAA Portas

Donal is the Managing Partner at CAA Portas, the management consultancy division of CAA Sports. Donal works closely with senior leaders in the sports sector on their strategies and plans. His clients include Ministries of Sport, Olympic Committees, federations, leagues, mega events, investors, and the private sector. In addition to leading CAA Portas, Donal has spent 10 years supporting senior leaders in the Saudi sports landscape, delivering transformational projects on topics such as national policy, major events, growth plans for leagues and federations, infrastructure feasibilities and investment strategies. Donal holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an LLM from Harvard Law School, and an LLB from the University of Glasgow. He has previous experience as a lawyer and management consultant at Freshfields, Goldman Sachs, Roland Berger, and Yale University.

Stewart Hosford, Chief Executive, Sela International.

Stewart Hosford is Chief Executive of Sela International. Previously, Stewart Co-Founded Origin Sports Group with Sir Keith Mills, a sports consultancy advising rights holders, International Federations and National Governing Bodies in all aspects of commercial and operational activity. Prior to founding Origin, Stewart led 5 West, a sports management business that ran amongst other projects prominent offshore sailing team, Alex Thomson Racing/HUGO BOSS Sailing. Before transitioning into the sports industry, Stewart amassed experience in economics, investments, and consulting, working for Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and CapGemini Ernst & Young. During his time at RBS, Stewart became its youngest ever Board Director and served as Chief Procurement Officer for ABN Amro during its acquisition by RBS. Stewart now has the responsibility for leading Sela’s international growth from their London office, Sela’s first outside of Saudi Arabia.

Jason Wright Managing Partner and Head of Investments, Project Level®

As Managing Partner and Head of Investments, Jason is responsible for deal sourcing and execution while also overseeing due diligence, portfolio management and value creation. Jason previously served as President of the Washington Commanders—the first Black president in the 105-year history of the National Football League (NFL), the youngest during his tenure, and only the fourth former NFL player to serve in that role. At the Commanders, he was responsible for all business operations, helped secure development rights to the RFK stadium site and helped facilitate the team's sale at a record high. Prior to the Commanders, Jason was a partner in McKinsey & Company. He spent seven years as a running back in the NFL and served as team captain and NFLPA player representative for the Arizona Cardinals. Jason holds a BA in psychology from Northwestern University where he was an Academic All-American student-athlete and a two-time All-Big Ten football selection. He earned an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Zach Weiss Founder of Elemental Ecosystems and Water Stories

Protégé of Sepp Holzer, Zach is the first person to earn Practitioner certification directly from Sepp - through a rigorous two-year apprenticeship. Over the past decade Zach has implemented Decentralized Water Retention in more than 25 different countries on 6 continents, spanning a wide range of climates, contexts, land-forms and ecosystems. After more than a decade of experience, Zach created www.WaterStories.com to bring these approaches and solutions to people around the world.

Callum Lee, Managing Director, BOP Consulting

Awaiting Bio...

Nadeem Javaid MBE, Mayoral Director, Global Relations and Communities

Nadeem Javaid leads the Mayor’s work on global engagement and community relations, strengthening London’s ties with cities, governments, and international organisations. He works to ensure London remains a leading global city, driving collaboration on key issues such as trade, major events, and international cooperation. His role focuses on enhancing London’s global influence, fostering partnerships on international challenges, and engaging with diverse communities to build a more inclusive and connected city.Nadeem has been part of the Greater London Authority (GLA) since 2016, previously serving as a Senior Adviser to the Mayor. Before joining City Hall, he worked in the international development sector, bringing a wealth of experience in diplomacy, public affairs, and community engagement.

Eddie Marshbaum, Head of Sports, Quest Global Ltd

15 years of experience working in the sports integrity field. I focus predominantly on coordinating and leading complex investigations into wrongdoing in a sporting context, covering issues such as corruption, competition manipulation, doping and abuse.I lead our team responsible for operating standalone integrity units and whistleblowing hotlines for a number of the world’s leading international sports federations, both Olympic and non-Olympic.I also lead on our key strategic industry partnerships: 1. Threat Matrix, a partnership with technology company Signify, through which Quest offers a sophisticated enforcement mechanism to deal with the issue of online abuse; 2. Global Sports Investigations, a partnership with The Sports Consultancy, through which we enhance our investigative capability with legal and conuslting expertise; and 3. International Sports Campaign Group – a partnership with The Sports Consultancy and Acosta Sports Consulting, through which Quest runs the integrity, communications and strategy elements for presidential and other election campaigns in the sports sector.Over my 15 years of working in the sports integrity sector, I have contirbuted to numerous international working groups and white papers, sat on boards of NGOs, and helped shape the interantional agenda in the context of sports investigations and reporting of wrongdoing.

Gary Knight, CEO, WOLF

Gary is a globally renowned figure of the video games and social networking industries. As CEO of WOLF, the pioneering community entertainment app, Gary is a creative visionary who brings teams together that lead the KSA market in consumer gamification and monetisation.Gary previously ran EA Games and SEGA’s global marketing divisions – launching many of the world’s best-loved gaming brands – delivered successful exits for tech startup businesses, and went on to blaze a trail in digital user experience and behavioural psychology. Gary fuses gaming, social media and user journey innovation into WOLF, which today is one of the MENA market's most engaged, loyal and commercially successful digital propositions.

Adam Gold, Chief Strategy Officer, WOLF

Adam Gold is Chief Strategy Officer of digital engagement company REALM. A highly experienced GM and marketing leader, Adam's expertise is in digital where entertainment meets technology. His focus is on big strategic ideas to drive differentiation and growth. He spent 6 years leading strategy for WOLF, one of MENA's top community entertainment apps – with the lion's share of its audience in Saudi Arabia. In the last 2 years, Adam was in Riyadh for at least one week per month working with REALM's clients, creating digital engagement strategies for sports and entertainment organisations and giga projects. Adam previously ran his own content marketing agency with key clients such as eBay and Google. Earlier in his career, Adam was a journalist, best-selling author and talking head on the BBC World Service, covering football.

Roman Di Somma, Head of International Talent, CAA Sports

Roman Di Somma is Head of International Talent at CAA Sports, a division of leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). CAA Sports represents more than 3,000 of the world's best athletes in baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, and action and Olympic sports, in addition to icons in individual sports, on-air broadcasters, coaches, and other pre-eminent personalities. Beyond on-field athlete representation, CAA Sports provides unique opportunities for clients off-field, in areas including entertainment, licensing, endorsements, speaking, philanthropy, video games, and digital. Di Somma is based in the London office and represents many of the world’s top football players and Formula One drivers, including Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Rosberg, among others. Di Somma began his career at CAA Sports in 2012. Di Somma graduated from London Business School with a master’s degree in Management.

Gary Knight, CEO, WOLF

Register Interest

Event sponsors

supporting Partner

Supported By

Red Sea Global

Red Sea Global (RSG) is a visionary Saudi developer owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), tasked with driving regenerative tourism and sustainable development along the Kingdom’s Red Sea coast. Established to spearhead Saudi Arabia’s diversification goals under Vision 2030, RSG is behind two of the world’s most ambitious tourism destinations: The Red Sea and AMAALA.

RSG is committed to setting new global standards in responsible development, with a strong focus on environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and community empowerment. Its projects aim to deliver luxury tourism experiences while maintaining a net-positive environmental impact, powered by 100% renewable energy and guided by a “regenerative tourism” ethos.

Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia

The ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030 is unlocking new opportunities in the Kingdom at an unprecedented pace. The Ministry of Investment for Saudi Arabia (MISA) is facilitating access to these opportunities by developing a reliable, robust, business-friendly ecosystem, working across government to ensure investors and businesses are supported through their investment journey.

MISA’s mission is to promote Saudi Arabia as a world-class investment destination, attract and retain investors, and expand their investments; for the benefit of a sustainable national economic growth.

Federation of Saudi Chambers

The Federation of Saudi Chambers is the umbrella and only representative of the Saudi business community. They represent those doing business in Saudi Arabia both domestically and through partner organisations such as the Saudi British Joint Business Council.

Department for Business & Trade

DBT is the department for economic growth. They support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.

DBT is a ministerial department, supported by 19 agencies and public bodies.

Date

09/06/2025

Time

09:00 - 16:00

Location:

Chelsea FC

Stamford Bridge, Fulham Rd., London SW6 1HS

A full-day, in-person event featuring keynote speeches, thought-provoking panel discussions, and hands-on workshops designed to inspire fresh ideas and actionable strategies.

SBJBC Members: Free (please contact us for your 100% discount code)

SBJBC Non-Members: £150 + VAT

UK Saudi Culture, Sports & Entertainment Forum

Themes and Discussions

Agenda:

Event Speakers

Rio Ferdinand OBE, Former English Football Player

Fatima Whitbread MBE, British Olympian

Ed Baxter, Co-Founder, AP Race

Karen Webb Moss, Chair of Aquatics GB & Founding Chair of More than Equal

Hamad Alhomiedan, Director for Arts and Creative Industries, Royal Commission for AlUla

Anthea Peers, President, EMEA Christie’s

Dr. Jasser Suleiman Al-Harbash, CEO Heritage Commision, Ministry of Culture

Simon Chadwick, Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP

Sandy Case, SVP Sport, Creative Technology

Abdullah Alzahrani, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, World Cup 2034 Hosting Higher Authority

David Garrido, Presenter & Sustainability Lead, Sky Sports News

Kash Siddiqi Former Footballer, Football Diplomat and Co Founder of Football for Peace

Oumar Niasse, Former Premier League & Senegalese National Team Player Professional footballer and an ambassador of Football for Peace.

Paul May, Chairman & Co-Founder, Trivandi

Roger Walshe, Managing Director, Cultural Innovations

Mohammed Al Nemer - Founder, Chairman and CEO of Morood Investment Company

Mohammed Awlia, Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Planning & Investment, Ministry of Sport

Matt Wilson, Managing Director, The Sports Consultancy

Jules Ugo, CEO, LOTUS

Basim K. Ibrahim, Sports Sector Investment Development Director, Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia

Donal McElwee Managing Partner CAA Portas

Stewart Hosford, Chief Executive, Sela International.

Jason Wright Managing Partner and Head of Investments, Project Level®

Zach Weiss Founder of Elemental Ecosystems and Water Stories

Callum Lee, Managing Director, BOP Consulting

Nadeem Javaid MBE, Mayoral Director, Global Relations and Communities

Eddie Marshbaum, Head of Sports, Quest Global Ltd

Gary Knight, CEO, WOLF

Adam Gold, Chief Strategy Officer, WOLF

Roman Di Somma, Head of International Talent, CAA Sports

Gary Knight, CEO, WOLF

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