Introducing
Reuters NEXT Gulf 2025
Leadership Summit and Global Broadcast
October 21–23 2025 | St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Questioning today to build a better tomorrow
Host City Partner
Host City Partner
Join us at Reuters NEXT Gulf Abu Dhabi
In a world marked by rapid political, financial, social, and technological transformation, staying ahead requires insight and foresight. This year, we are thrilled to bring our acclaimed live journalism summit, Reuters NEXT, to the Middle East, set against the backdrop of Abu Dhabi, a global hub for innovation and business.
Reuters NEXT Gulf is an exclusive gathering designed for visionary leaders from business, government, media, and culture. Curated by our award-winning journalists, Reuters NEXT Gulf is where passion meets expertise, creating a vibrant space for global leaders, policymakers, technologists, and financiers to foster groundbreaking ideas and participate in transformative discussions that will shape the future.
Building a better tomorrow begins with a clearer understanding of today.
Join us in Abu Dhabi at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, and be part of the dialogue that defines the future
Reuters NEXT Gulf in numbers
350
Invite-only leadership delegates
700
+
Leadership Delegates
100
+
Speakers
7
.
5
M
Live Views
12
+
Reuters NEXT Newsmakers in 2025
68
%
C-suite, VPs or Directors Attendees
64
M*
Reuters audience are BDMs
* Source: GWI 2024
350
invite-only leadership delegates
40
+
speakers from business and policy
85
%
CXO - SVP representation
95
%
decision maker or budget holder
15
+
countries represented
4
M+
live broadcast views
Reuters NEXT annual themes
Economy & Markets
Climate & Sustainability
Technology & AI
Geopolitics
Banking & Finance
Business Leadership
Geopolitics
Economy & Markets
Banking & Finance
Technology & AI
Climate & Sustainability
Business Leadership
A focus on developing technology and AI has been a key plank of the region’s concerted push to diversify beyond oil and gas. Many countries are investing heavily in AI, and there have been significant efforts across the region to develop Arab-language models trained on local datasets. As around the world, questions of governance and ethical use are arising.
The Gulf is experiencing a renaissance, bucking global economic trends and growing fast. Growth in the GCC region is expected to surge to around 4.4% in 2025, more than doubling 2024 projections, and significantly higher than forecast global growth. Non-energy sectors, including tourism, trade and finance, are increasingly pivotal with diversification fostering resilience and sustainable development through a volatile global economic period.
The Gulf, like every region in the world, finds itself adapting to significant changes on the world political stage after the “global year of elections.” Shifting trade patterns are also leading to new financial and diplomatic alliances, amid a broader shift toward deglobalization, posing opportunities for the region to position itself in a new world order.
The financial services industry in the Gulf is undergoing a significant transformation, fueled by the advances of digital technology. The change is presenting both opportunities – the Middle East public cloud market is expected to reach almost $10 billion by 2027—and challenges, in the form of data security and privacy concerns.
The Gulf is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with rising temperatures, water scarcity, and environmental degradation posing significant challenges. Diversification away from oil is playing a role, with considered debates about viable timelines as the spotlight rests on the region with the UAE hosting COP28.
The last few years have been marked by social, political and economic upheaval around the world. Steering a steady course and rebuilding trust will be key for successful political and business leaders alike.
Where global leaders in business and policy chart the path forward
Reuters NEXT speaker alumni include:
Duma Boko
President
Botswana
Christine Lagarde
President
European Central Bank
Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister
New Zealand
Benedetto Vigna
Chief Executive Officer
Ferrari
Sundar Pichai
Chief Executive Officer
Alphabet & Google
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Piyush Gupta
Chief Executive Officer
DBS
Sarah Friar
Chief Financial Officer
OpenAI
Antonio Guterres
Secretary-General
United Nations
Janet Yellen
Secretary of the Treasury
United States
Baiba Braže
Foreign Minister
Latvia
A unique gathering of global leaders
Driven by agenda-setting editorial interviews, Reuters NEXT offers unrivalled insights and access to the global elite, hosting an exclusive invite-only audience in Abu Dhabi alongside a live broadcast that expands our reach to tens of millions around the world.
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"Reuters NEXT Gulf will provide a forum for leaders to gain the insights they need to make decisions that will ignite real change and build a better tomorrow for generations to come."
— Alessandra Galloni, Editor-in-Chief, Reuters
"Bringing Reuters NEXT to Abu Dhabi, a major business hub in the Gulf, provides professionals in the Middle East with the platform to tackle critical challenges on a stage that reaches millions worldwide."
— Josh London, Head of Reuters Professional
A powerful convening experience to create lasting impact
In today's world, where truth and innovation are paramount, Reuters NEXT Gulf is your platform to explore pivotal questions about the future. Together, we can build a brighter tomorrow by understanding today’s complexities.
Global Leadership
Our World Stage agenda will convene influential leaders in business, policy, and finance for critical discussion on growth and progress.
Meaningful Connection
Leadership forums, CXO roundtables and issue-based dinners at NEXT Gulf will offer unmatched opportunities to connect and partner.
Exclusive Audience
Engage with a select, invite-only group of C-level executives, policymakers, financiers, and public figures, creating unique opportunities for collective success.
Strategic Hub
Gather in Abu Dhabi, a global business nexus at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, attracting financiers, technologists, and policymakers from around the world.
Register your interest
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