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Thrive with Mentoring · Middle East Virtual Conference

Ready for what's next: women, AI and real influence in MENA.

AI won't take your job. But someone who knows how to use it might take your next promotion. And even for women who climb, a title too often arrives without the power. Ninety minutes on both, over lunch.

Wednesday 3 September | 10:30–12:00 CEST · 11:30 KSA · 12:30 GST

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Two stories. Both half true.

Women across the Middle East are being told two things at once. That AI will transform every career. And that the path to real influence is finally open.

The reality is sharper. AI is not taking jobs, but people without the skills and strategy to use it risk being left behind. And representation keeps rising while real influence often does not.

This conference takes on both questions, with two speakers who work on them every day, and a look at what mentoring in the region can do about them.

Details:

📅 Wednesday 3 September
🕚 10:30 to 12:00 [CEST] | [12:30 KSA / 13:30 GST]
📍 Online | Live on Zoom

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Meet Our Speakers

  • A woman with long dark hair, wearing a black blazer over a red top, sitting at a table against a light blue background.

    Dr. Najat Elmahdy

    Director Strategy, OD & Human Resources, Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA)
    Connect with her

  • A professional woman with gray hair, glasses, and a warm smile, wearing a gray business suit and white shirt, standing against a plain light gray background.

    Dr. Kamel Hothi

    Chief Strategy Officer, GoldenPoint Global
    Connect with her

  • A smiling woman with long, wavy, reddish-brown hair, wearing a dark blazer and a small necklace, standing against a plain white background.

    Raj Bhogal

    Moderator | Senior Director, R&D Business Excellence, Jazz Pharma
    Connect with her

  • A woman with brown hair smiling, wearing a red blazer, standing indoors in front of a blurred background with shelves and greenery.

    Petra Gatto

    Moderator | Founder / Brand Strategist, Gatto Branding
    Connect with her

  • Allison Lerma

    Moderator | Community Engagement Manager at Roche
    Connect with her

Key sessions

90 minutes, built for what comes next.

Session 1 · 10:40
Dr. Najat Elmahdy

The AI Takeover: Will Women in MENA Be Left Behind, or Lead the Way?

Dr. Najat Elmahdy Director Strategy, OD & Human Resource, Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA)

  • Whether generative AI is a threat to women's careers in the region, or the opening of a decade.
  • The view from inside the system: government initiatives already running, and where the upskilling paths actually are.
  • How to build a career in AI deliberately, rather than hoping it works out.
  • The parts polite conversation skips: the digital divide, unequal access to training, and bias inside AI itself.
✦  Interactive session. Come ready to weigh in on the live poll.
Session 2 · 11:00
Dr Kamel K Hothi OBE

Titles Without Power: Why MENA Women Are Still Hitting the Glass Ceiling, and What Actually Breaks It

Dr Kamel K Hothi OBE Chief Strategy Officer, GoldenPoint Global

International speaker, leadership coach, and ambassador and board member with the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust, Alzheimer’s Society and ImpactMatch.

  • The gap between being represented and being heard, examined candidly.
  • Why mentoring matters most in male-dominated industries like banking, and the vital move from mentorship to sponsorship, where someone spends their own capital on you.
  • A timely connection to Saudi Arabia's 2030 Vision and the evolution of KSA in sports, entertainment, art, culture and heritage.
  • What's in it for mentors: a safe space to practise, and the motivational power of reverse mentoring.
  • Practical actions to walk away with, from networking to allyship, which comes in all shapes and sizes.

Then we talk about what comes next

The first Middle East cohort starts here.

Both speakers join the TwM team for a panel on one question: what would it mean to join the first Middle East cohort of Thrive with Mentoring?

Thrive with Mentoring is a Swiss nonprofit that catalyses woman-to-woman mentoring through structured six-month journeys, peer circles and community learning. Every TwM city has started the same way: one woman inviting another in. On 3 September, the Middle East is next.

Dr. Najat Elmahdy Dr Kamel K Hothi OBE

Facilitated by the TwM team, with both speakers and TwM co-founder Shivangi.

The agenda

Over lunch, start to finish.

  • 10:30
    Welcome & introduction
    TwM team
  • 10:40
    AI and women's careers in MENA
    Dr. Najat Elmahdy
  • 11:00
    Titles without power: what breaks the glass ceiling
    Dr Kamel K Hothi OBE
  • 11:20
    Panel: joining the first Middle East cohort
    Both speakers with the TwM team
  • 11:40
    What is Thrive with Mentoring
    Shivangi, TwM co-founder
  • 11:50
    Next steps & close
    TwM team

Times shown in CEST. KSA is one hour ahead, Gulf Standard Time two hours ahead.

Who this is for

If one of these is you, come.

Women building their careers in MENA

If the AI question or the influence question is live for you right now, this is 90 minutes well spent.

Senior women considering mentoring

Hear what mentors get back: a safe space to practise, reverse mentoring, and a role in the region's first cohort.

Anyone who champions women at work

Allies come in all shapes and sizes. They are part of the answer, and welcome in the room.

A panel discussion with nine women seated on stage, women talking, and a large screen displaying images of women alongside the text 'Unstoppable is a motivational anthology from Thrive with Mentoring, illuminating the impact of women-to-women mentori
Eight women sitting on chairs on a stage at a panel or discussion, with an audience watching in front of them.
A woman with curly hair and a floral dress is speaking into a microphone while standing on stage. Three women are seated behind her, listening; one in a black top, one in a beige top with white striped pants, and one in a colorful patterned dress. A
Women in colorful dresses standing and clapping during a gathering in a banquet hall with tables set with glasses, bottles, and flowers.
Two women standing on stage, one with black hair in a blue dress and the other with brown hair and a blue dress with a red belt, exchanging an award or certificate. Behind them, a large screen displays an image of a woman with long hair and the text
Two women are standing together, smiling at an indoor event. The woman on the left has long dark hair, is wearing a lavender sleeveless dress, and has tattoos on her arm. The woman on the right has shoulder-length dark hair, is wearing a blue dress,
Three women standing on stage holding certificates at an award ceremony, with a large screen behind them displaying text about a cohort leadership team of the year and their names and photos.
People serving themselves food at a buffet table with various dishes, surrounded by green plants and foliage.
A panel of eight women seated on stage at a conference, facing an audience, with a large screen behind them.
A smiling woman with gray hair and glasses hanging on her shirt holding a tray of snacks, standing in a room with chairs and other people in the background.
A woman with brown hair smiling, wearing a sparkly beige dress, stands behind DJ equipment and a laptop, wearing headphones in front of a background of horizontal window blinds.
Group of women smiling and holding glasses with red-colored drinks at a social gathering.
Group of women at a social gathering, smiling and holding glasses of red drink
Women sitting in chairs at a social event, laughing and smiling, with some holding small items in their hands, in a well-lit room with large windows and blinds.
A large group of women posing for a group photo at an awards event, with a screen displaying fireworks and the words 'Thrive Annual Awards' in the background.

Past Sponsors

Logo of Swissinx, a company specializing in executive, technology, and finance services.
Roche logo with blue text inside a blue hexagonal outline on a black background.
The logo of Syngenta featuring a blue text with a green leaf above the letter 'g'.
Logos of IVDM featuring a stylized shield and a partial globe above the text.
Logo of Beau-Rivage Palace hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland, featuring a stylized blue shell or fan shape above the text.
Colorful logo with interlocking rings and stylized text reading 'Pride'