Conference on Legal Aspects of Governance 2026
About the event
The Conference on Legal Aspects of Governance in Saudi Arabia: Sector Integration is a one-day conference held on 13 September 2026 at Hamad Al-Jasser Hall, King Saud University, Riyadh, under the patronage of the university's acting president, Professor Ali bin Mohammed Musmili. It treats governance as a single system running from legislation through to implementation across the public, private and non-profit sectors, and examines how governance models differ from one entity to another, even within the same sector.
The programme opens with a session titled Governance: Diverging Approaches between Legislation and Implementation, followed by two panel discussions. The first covers the legal aspects of governance and business enablement, addressing the proportionality between lawmaking and its application in the capital markets, institutional transformation and the governance of family and private companies, shifting governance concepts in the public sector and the direction of policy and procedure, and governance as an enabler of growth. The second and closing panel addresses the legal aspects of governance in the non-profit sector, covering the regulatory framework and institutional governance, transparency, accountability and risk management, and the management of financial resources and the development of sustainability. The organiser expects around 2,000 attendees from the legal, governance and business communities.
Five workshops run alongside the conference, delivered by governance and legal practitioners and aimed at students and professionals. Their subjects are a reading in corporate governance, the governance of legal aspects in the public sector, governance from the shareholders' perspective, real estate legislation and its effect on the governance of real estate activity, and applied legal research methods. Attendance is free, and registration is handled through the conference website using two separate forms, one for the panel sessions and one for the workshops, with each workshop registered for individually.
Agenda
9- 11:00–11:10Opening ceremonyRoyal anthem, a short film, and the opening address by the acting president of King Saud University, Professor Ali bin Mohammed Musmili.
- 11:10–11:50Opening session: Governance — diverging approaches between legislation and implementationModerated by Dr Abdulrahman bin Nabil Al-Saleh. Speaking: Abdulaziz bin Saud Al-Duhaim, Assistant Minister of Commerce, and Eng. Abdullah bin Saud Al-Hammad, chief executive of the Real Estate General Authority.
- 12:00–13:00First panel: Legal aspects of governance and business enablementModerated by Dr Khalid bin Sami Al-Sadhan. Four axes: proportionality between lawmaking and its application in the capital markets (Saud Al-Shammari); institutional transformation and the governance of family and private companies (Dr Aaidh Al-Mubarak); shifting governance concepts in the public sector and the direction of policy and procedure (Salman Al-Takhaifi); and governance as an enabler of growth (Ali Al-Hazzani).
- 13:00–14:00Second and closing panel: Legal aspects of governance in the non-profit sectorModerated by Dr Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Khabti. Three axes: the regulatory framework and institutional governance of the non-profit sector (Dr Fahd Al-Majed); transparency, accountability and risk management (Haitham Al-Fayez); and the management of financial resources and the development of sustainability (Dr Ibrahim Al-Haidari).
- 08:30–09:30First workshop: A reading in corporate governanceDelivered by Rakan Al-Humaimidi, director general of the general department for company policies and regulations at the Ministry of Commerce.
- 09:00–09:30Second workshop: Governance of legal aspects in the public sectorDelivered by Abdulraouf Al-Qurashi, director general of governance, risk and compliance at the Real Estate General Authority.
- 09:00–10:00Third workshop: Governance from the shareholders’ perspectiveDelivered by Dr Ali Mohammed Al Sari, faculty member at the College of Law and Political Science.
- 12:00–12:30Fourth workshop: Real estate legislation and its effect on the governance of real estate activityDelivered by Abdulrahman Al-Sunaidi, director general of legislation at the Real Estate General Authority.
- 12:00–13:00Fifth workshop: Applied legal research methodsDelivered by the Centre for Legal Studies and Research at the Board of Experts.
