Under the auspices of H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Abdullah ElKuwaiz , Chairman of the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Financial Academy (TFA) , The Financial Academy's Forum for 2025 has kicked off . The fourth edition of the annual event featured a prominent group local and international decision makers and experts in finance.

The gathering — held Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at the Conference Center of King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh — has been widely attended by industry practitioners and stakeholders in the Kingdom, as it marked an unprecedented presence of over 6,000 men and women , exceeding the number of participants in previous editions.

The forum included three panel di scussions that addressed several major themes , with a particular focus on  the "Institutional Leadership in an Evolving Environment", "Sustainable Strategies for Developing Leadership Talent", and "Human Capital in AI Era".

A number of specialized workshops were conducted as well. The sessions were centered on critical, engaging topics such as the High-Performance Business and Sports, Cyber Insurance, The Importance of Credit Risk Models and Emerging Technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, Merging and Acquisition (M&A), Private Equity Funds as Strategic Tool for Institutional Investment , and Modern Governance in Public Sector.

On the sidelines of the forum, The Financial Academy rolled out a series of strategic initiatives in collaboration with local and international centers of expertise , aiming to develop and refine the capabilities of KSA's financial sector workforce. The initiatives included "The Next CFO" with Saudi Tadawul Group; "Corporate Banking Pioneers" with Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, represented by Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), Financial and Insurance Services Sector, and Human Resources Development Fund ( Hadaf ); " Elite Asset Management (EAM) Graduates " with State Street Corporation; "Shaping the Future of Saudi Financial Media" with Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) and SNB Capital; "The National Initiative for Banking Awareness and Capability Development" with Saudi Banks Committee ; and "Private Equity Leaders – Golf Challenge" with Core Vision Investment.

In addition, ten Memorandums of Understanding, intended to empower leaders and advancing innovation in financial sector, were signed. They covered numerous activities such as launching the " Executive Program for Bankers 2.0 " in partnership with Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF); the "Comprehensive Agreement for Competency Development and Leader Training" with th e Saudi Mortgage Guarantees Services Company ( Damanat ); an agreement for "Developing Leaders and Enhancing Professional Capacities" with Alinma Capital ; and the "Board Member Training and Leader Development" agreement with MEDGULF.

Among other concluded deals were the " Strategic Cooperation Agreement " between TFA and Oteet Society that covers professional training, research and joint studies; an agreement for developing a trading simulator with Sahm Capital; an agreement for promoting youth and women's financial literacy and knowledge with Alinma Bank; and a cooperation agreement with the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association ( CAIA ) to further develop capacities in alternative investment area and support the goals of Saudi 2030 Vision.

The Financial Academy Forum is an annual , high-profile platform that brings together industry decision makers, attracting senior government officials, heads of authorities and institutions, CEOs, as well as distinguished researchers, academics, experts and practitioners in areas of finance and investment. The gathering is designed to explore the newest global methods for refining human capital’s capabilities and skills, and align them with the financial sector’s future needs.