Speakers will attend from a range of international and local organizations — such as Visa, Ericsson, JP Morgan, Cisco, and Huawei, as well as stc, NEOM, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

The event will host workshops and sessions based around the future of IT including, education, financial technology, electric cars and smart cities. Other specialized sessions, called Orbital Talks, will host speakers on these specific industries and topics:

• FinTech

• Future energy

• Creative economy

• Health technology

• EduTech

• Smart cities

• Retail

• The fourth industrial revolution

There will also be a startup pitch stage that will see entrepreneurs bid to attract seasoned investors. The winner of the pitch contest will receive a cash prize for their new business.

Some of the conference star speakers include:

Börje Ekholm

• President and CEO of Ericsson

• Appointed on Jan. 16, 2017

• Board member of Alibaba, Nasdaq, Trimble, and Royal Institute of Technology

Olayan Al-Wetaid

• Group CEO of Saudi Arabia’s stc

• Has over 22 years of experience in telecom

• Has held multiple board positions across several stc subsidiaries

Roberto Carlos

• FIFA World Cup-winning football player

• Former Real Madrid player

• Launched Ginga Scout, a software system connecting players with coaches across the globe

Joseph Bradley

• CEO of NEOM Tech & Digital Co.

• Served in senior roles at Cisco Systems for over 15 years

• Also worked for C3 Communications, AT&T, and Pacific Bell

Stephen Carter

• Group CEO of Informa

• Former UK minister of communications

• His career has spanned the private and public sectors

Ahmad Al-Khowaiter

• Chief technology officer of Saudi Aramco

• Joined Aramco in 1983 and has since held various technical roles in oil and gas production

Eugene Kaspersky

• CEO and co-founder of Kapersky

• Renowned cybersecurity expert

Tony Chan

• President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, or KAUST

• Has a PhD in computer science from Stanford University

Siim Sikkut

• Government chief information officer of Estonia

• In charge of the country’s digital government and innovation work