Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Retail Forum (SRF) 2025, the Kingdom’s leading retail leadership and innovation platform, will convene industry pioneers on October 27, 2025, at the voco hotel in Riyadh. This premier event, serving as a definitive platform to translate early market signals into actionable business strategies, arrives as Saudi Arabia’s retail sector undergoes its most profound transformation, evolving from importing retail innovation to exporting homegrown concepts that are reshaping regional commerce, directly supporting the economic diversification goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The forum's strategic agenda is built around the key waves reshaping the Saudi retail landscape, including The Homegrown Wave, The Youth Wave, The Experience Wave, The Format Wave, The Tech Wave, The Values Wave, and The Talent Wave. Against this backdrop of unprecedented change, SRF 2025 will drive critical conversations around retail transformation, focusing specifically on emerging retail technologies and AI, customer experience and omnichannel strategies, sustainability and Saudi localization, and the evolution of brick-and-mortar retail. The forum is designed to answer what constitutes the next wave of retail innovation and how far its influence will travel across regional markets.
This transformation is powered by a national workforce, with the retail sector now employing over 400,000 Saudis, a significant increase from 130,000 in 2011, with female participation in the sector exceeding 35%. The forum is set to be a monumental industry gathering, bringing together 500+ attendees, 300+ leading brands, and 100+ retail thought leaders for 10+ sessions of strategic insights and networking. The event will feature comprehensive sessions exploring how artificial intelligence, analytics, and robotics are being deployed by Saudi retailers to define new industry standards rather than follow existing trends. Technology sessions will showcase practical applications across personalization, supply chain optimization, and operational efficiency, demonstrating how Saudi retailers are building smart solutions specifically for local market needs.
Customer experience takes center stage with dedicated explorations of omnichannel strategies that seamlessly blend digital and physical shopping journeys. The forum will examine how Saudi Arabia’s retail spaces are evolving beyond traditional storefronts into dynamic customer-engagement engines, with sessions dedicated to reformatting retail spaces and skills to capitalize on the Saudi advantage.
Sustainability and localization emerge as critical themes throughout the agenda, with focused discussions on how brands can authentically reflect Saudi values while maintaining global competitiveness. The "Made in Saudi Arabia" session will highlight homegrown founders who are building brands with legendary potential, showcasing how local identity and global ambition can converge to create retail excellence.
The speaker lineup brings together an unprecedented gathering of retail visionaries, for a series of sessions. The forum’s agenda features several cornerstone sessions with distinguished speakers. “Leadership Dialogues| What’s the Next Wave?” will convene top executives , including Neeraj Teckchandani, Group CEO of Apparel Group; Shibu Tharakan, CEO of Styli - Landmark Group; Ali Shareif, CEO of Al Othaim Life Co; and May Kanounji, Chief Commercial Officer of Aani & Dani.
Attendees will gain unique insights from keynote addresses and dialogues, including a strategic conversation on the Talent and Format Wave between Mohammad Alawi and Hussein Shobokshi of Cenomi Retail, and a keynote from Anishkaa Gehani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Yardstick Marketing Management.
The "Homegrown Wave" session, "Made in Saudi Arabia: Not Just Local — Legendary," will showcase founders building global icons like Majed Al Tahan of IACO and Dr. Mohammed Fitaihi of the Luxury Goods Trading Company, complemented by a separate keynote from Mohammed Alzain of Barn’s. A dedicated “Purpose Wave” address will be delivered by Rajesh Garg of Landmark Group.
Further perspectives will be explored in "The Youth Wave | Gen Z is the CEO," featuring Waleed AR. BinDawood of BinDawood Holding and Mohammed Khoja of HINDAMME, and "The Values Wave | Purpose Over Product" with insights from Muzon Ashgar of MZN Bodycare and Makram Malaeb of SACO.
The day’s strategic discussions will be followed by the prestigious IMAGES RetailME Awards KSA 2025 ceremony, celebrating retail practices nd innovation across the Saudi retail sector. The awards will honor outstanding achievements in 20+ categories, from Best Retail Launch of the Year to Retailer of the Year, recognizing the brands and leaders driving the industry forward.
This landmark event is supported by a coalition of industry leaders. The forum’s esteemed partners include Azad Properties, Red Sea Mall, Barn’s, Rabbit, Slimstock, and Braze, among others, whose collaboration is instrumental in forging the future of Saudi retail.
Retail Industry professionals, retailers, investors, and media representatives are encouraged to secure their participation for this landmark event that will define the future trajectory of Saudi retail. For registration details and the complete speaker lineup, and the full forum agenda, visit https://saudiretailforum.com/conference-lp/.
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