RIYADH — Under the auspices of the Public Investment Fund, the Project Management Institute (PMI) in Saudi Arabia organized the first session of the Global Project Management Forum (GPMF), under the theme “The Future of Project Management: Between Digitalization and Adaptation to the Change”.

The international event took place in Riyadh on Sunday and Monday.

Focusing on four themes; Infrastructure, Technology and innovation, Smart Cities and Social Development, the event hosted elite experts from around the world participated in panel discussions and presentations.

The forum included an exhibition specialized for the partners and sponsors to showcase the latest techniques in the project management field, as well as workshops to enhance and upgrade the skills of managers and motivate young people and professional students to develop their skills.

This is in addition to an awards ceremony for the award winners presented by the Project Management Institute in conjunction with the Global Project Management Forum.

Diverse speakers who are leaders in their respective fields shared their expertise on a wide spectrum of topics, including workflows and best practice solutions, soft skills, emerging technologies, diversity, sustainability, and business scaling while re-igniting the passions essential for those working as project managers.

Grace Najjar moderated a panel discussion on, “Transforming Project Skills and Competencies for the Digital World”.

She’s the managing director of Project Management Institute’s for the Middle East, and North Africa (MENA) region. Her experience spans across 25 years as an advisor, lead engineer, and program director making her the perfect candidate to host this panel discussion.

The panel discussion focused on the impact the technical revolution has on businesses, forcing organizations to rethink their strategies, and reimagining the work force through building capabilities, skilling, and upskilling.

Najjar said: “The Forum confirms the imperative role of skilled project managers and leaders who are at the heart of the successful implementation of the Kingdom’s vision.

“It is an honor for us at The Project Management Institute to be part of this impactful gathering working toward the same goal of empowering talent and building capabilities of the future.”

Participants of the Global Project Management Forum will include Project Management Institute (USA), Chair of the Board of Directors, Jennifer Tharp and Joseph Cahill, Chief Customer Officer of the Project Management Institute.

Jennifer Tharp kick started the event with her keynote speech on the theme of, “The Future of Project Management: Digitizing & Adapting to Change, Sustainability, Innovation, and Inclusion”.

She’s a well-known keynote speaker, with over 25 years of leadership experience, and in her speech, Jennifer shared three key takeaways on what the future of projects may appear to be.

Joseph Cahill hosted a fireside chat on the topic of “Discussing the future of Project Management”, while bringing to the event his insights from over 20 years of senior leadership experience.

During the discussion, Joseph highlighted how the Project Management landscape has evolved over the years.

Global Project Management Forum comes at a crucial time for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the country seeing a surge of talent entering the project management sector in recent years.

Today, the project management profession is ranked among the five most popular occupations by expatriates working in Saudi Arabia. This increase is due to the Kingdom’s dedication towards bolstering the national economy as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 program. — SG