The Fourth Saudi Corporate Governance Conference, organized by the Corporate Governance Center at Alfaisal University, concluded with strong participation and international engagement, further strengthening its position as a leading platform for corporate governance dialogue in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.
Held over two full days, the conference brought together 69 speakers from academia and professional practice under the theme of promoting good governance that serves productivity, people, and the planet.
The conference attracted 388 registrations, with 315 participants attending from across Saudi Arabia, the Gulf region, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Academic participation was equally strong. The conference received more than 100 research submissions, with 45 papers selected for presentation. Two parallel tracks ran throughout both days, combining professional and applied discussions with in-depth academic sessions on governance research and practice.
A major outcome of the conference was the creation of a pathway for continued research collaboration and publication. Participants were given the opportunity to contribute to a special issue of the Journal of Institutional Economics, published by Cambridge University Press, with a dedicated editorial meeting held during the conference.
The conference also featured the Corporate Governance Awards Ceremony, recognizing nearly 40 Saudi listed companies. The CG Excellence Award honored companies achieving the highest scores in Alfaisal University’s annual corporate governance assessment, while the CG Enhancement Award recognized companies demonstrating the greatest improvement over the previous two years.
The event also created valuable opportunities for students. A large number of Alfaisal University MBA students attended the conference, and four presentations were delivered by MBA students, providing them with direct exposure to high-level academic and professional discussions.
With strong participation, high-quality research, active engagement between academia and practice, and concrete opportunities for future publication and collaboration, the Fourth Saudi Corporate Governance Conference marked another important milestone in advancing governance research and practice in the Kingdom.
