Gustau Alegret is an international broadcast Emmy-award winning journalist and recognized media leader by the World Economic Forum, who works in Washington DC for the international news channel NTN24. He has over 25 years of professional experience working in various media outlets in Spain and in the United States, and currently is the Managing Editor and Anchor of Club de Prensa and Cuestion de Poder — two daily interview broadcast shows.He is committed to fact checking and producing news for social interests, based on the principle that journalism is a public service, especially nowadays when misinformation and fake news are rampant around the world.

Roya Mahboob is Afghanistan's first female tech CEO and an entrepreneur making a significant impact beyond the business world. She uses her success and expertise in technology to educate and empower Afghan women and girls while advocating for their rights. Mahboob founded the Digital Citizen Fund (DCF) to improve the technological and financial literacy of Afghan women. She also co-founded the Afghan Girls Robotics Team and provides support to them. Mahboob is actively involved in promoting robotic education through the Inoura platform and is planning to launch an online platform called Zalla, which aims to amplify the voices of Afghan women and journalists. She consistently emphasizes the importance of STEAM education and economic opportunities for women and girls, particularly in relation to human rights. Mahboob's contributions have been widely recognized. She was named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in 2013 and has received prestigious awards, including the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award in 2014, the Advancement of Gender Equality through Education Award, and the Young Leader of World Economic Forum in 2015. She was recognized as an Asia Game Changer in 2019 and received the Doha Forum Award in 2022. Additionally, Mahboob has been honored with the Lantos Human Rights Awards and the Presidential Leadership Scholarship. She also received an honorary Doctorate of Science from McMaster University.

Selim Eddé develops and leads public policy campaigns across the full range of policyareas that impact Google and the web. Key issues include technology innovation,economic development and intellectual property.A passionate public policy leader, Selim is a thought leader on building innovationprograms with governments and has a particular expertise in digital transformation at acountry level, labor markets, entrepreneurship and job creation initiatives.Selim advised governments in MENA and Africa as well as Latin America , providingstrategic programs and was previously the Vice President of Government Affairs at SAP,setting strategy, devising and implementing plans in Government Relations at SAPMENA. Formerly, Selim was the Country Development Officer at Cisco, and SeniorRegional Lead at Hewlett-Packard and IBM.A frequent speaker at regional and international events, with appearances in thespecialised media, Selim graduated from Imperial College-London with a mastersdegree in management sciences. He is married, has two adult children and lives inDubai.

Lana Khalaf is the General Manager for Microsoft Qatar. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she has been instrumental in furthering Microsoft’s mission to transform businesses and industries, redefine learning, and fuel a knowledge-based economy to enhance the country’s global competitiveness. Khalaf began her career with Microsoft in 2006 as Regional Developer evangelist, and has since served as Education Lead and Public Sector Director. In September 2018, she was appointed General Manager of Microsoft Qatar, where she leads a team of 180 employees that spearheads the company’s efforts in supporting the country in its pursuit of the National Vision 2030.Khalaf is dedicated to empowering governments, enterprises, startups, communities, and partners to harness the power of technology to reimagine industries and economies. She has led crucial strategic initiatives, including Smart City initiative, Education elearning initiative, Health Hub initiative, Hosting FIFA world Cup in Qatar for the first time in the MiddleEast and the launch of Microsoft's cloud datacentres in Qatar. These facilities join the company’s Global regions making Qatar 55th region globally before any other region in MiddleEast.Khalaf has also launched first of its kind skills development programs and initiatives called Digital Center of Excellence to provide young people with access to the skills, technology, networks, and opportunities they need to succeed in the digital era. In addition, she has been committed to accelerating the Country’s sustainability agenda, helping governments, businesses, and startups access key tools and solutions to create a more sustainable future. She also drives Microsoft’s objectives in Qatar to promote diversity and inclusion, in order to bridge gender parity gap, as well as encourage the role of women in the ICT sector. Khalaf has been recognized by multiple industry publications for her contributions to the region and industry.Before joining Microsoft, Khalaf has held positions in organizations such as Samsung and Active Mania with involvement in areas such automation of business processes as well connected solutions for Smart Cities. She has an MBA with focus on leadership from the Lebanese American University, and majors in Computer Science from the American University of Beirut.

Tobias Ellwood was born in New York due to his father’s overseas posting as a diplomat. He attended schools in Bonn and Vienna where he completed the International Baccalaureate.He then took his first degree at Loughborough University, where he was elected President of the Students’ Union. He later completed an MBA at City University Business School and finally the senior executive course in national and International Studies at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.Tobias spent six years in the Regular Army with The Royal Green Jackets, head quartered in Winchester, and served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Kuwait, Germany, Gibraltar and Bosnia. He now has the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as a reservist in the 77th Brigade.He has worked as a researcher for former Defence Secretary, the Rt Hon Tom King MP (now Lord King), and as a Senior Business Development Manager at the London Stock Exchange and Allen and Overy.Tobias served as Parish and Borough Councillor before being elected Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East in May 2005, and subsequently re-elected in 2010, 2015 and most recently in June 2017.Shortly after first being elected to Parliament in 2005, Tobias was appointedOpposition Whip. In July 2007, he was promoted to the post of Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport. After the May 2010 General Election, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary firstly for the Defence Secretary, Rt Hon Liam Fox MP and then for the Minister for Europe, the Rt Hon David Lidington MP.In July 2014 he was promoted to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as Minister for the Middle East and Africa. He was then moved to Ministry of Defence as Minister for Defence People and Veterans.Tobias was elected Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee inJanuary 2020 and served in this position until September 2023.Tobias has written publications on post-conflict stability, Royal Navy aircraft carriers, the future of Afghanistan, the weaponisation on space and daylight saving.Outside of politics Tobias is a keen sportsman and a private pilot. He is frequentvisitor to the United States and the Middle East. He also enjoys the theatre, military history, and is an Eagle Scout.

H.E Eng Abdulrahman Bin Ali Al Malki is holding the position of the President of the National Cyber Security Agency since March 2021.His professional mission includes holding several technical and managerial positions as well as taking part in technical committees and playing a vital role in the development of the business scheme of the Ministry of Interior.Mr. Al Malki held several positions prior to joining the National Cyber Security Agency. One of them is Assistant Director at the General Administration of Information Systems.He was also a member of several committees including the Supreme Committee for Preparation of Third National Development Strategy and the Security Committee of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.Mr. Al Malki holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Qatar University and several leadership and technical trainings certificates.

Tarek Megerisi is a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His work mainly addresses how European policymaking towards the Maghreb and Mediterranean regions can become more strategic, harmonious, and incisive – with a long-term focus on Libya.For more than a decade, Megerisi has worked with various regional, European, and multilateral authorities on providing reform and stabilisation assistance to transitional states in the Middle East and North Africa. He has been involved in a range of projects, including post-conflict stabilisation, development and democratisation, Libya’s domestic and international political processes, economic reform in Tunisia, and the eastern Mediterranean disputes. His articles have featured in publications such as Foreign Policy magazine and the Guardian newspaper, and he has contributed to think-tank programming across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa.

As the first woman President in the history of the Croatian state, H. E. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović held office from 2015 to 2020. She began her career in 1992 in the Ministry of Science and Technology and in 1993 moved on to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she held various positions, eventually leading Croatia on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration as Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration from 2005-2008. In 2008, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović became Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America, and in 2011 was appointed NATO Assistant Secretary-General for Public Diplomacy, a position she held until 2014, as the first woman Assistant Secretary-General ever in the history of NATO and the highest ranking woman in NATO. She is a frequent guest at the United Nations, promoting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular with respect to peace and security, reducing inequality and increasing opportunities, and gender equality and education. She was a member of the International Olymipic Committee’s Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport from 2020-2021, and Since 2021 is Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad. She is a Co-Chair of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, an independent body in charge of monitoring world's preparedness for pandemics and health emergencies, appointed by the World Health Organization and the World Bank.

Eng. Ahmad Abdulla AlMuslemani is the President of Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority, bringing over 18 years of extensive experience in IT and telecom industry to the forefront of ICT regulation.Prior to his current role, he served as the CEO of MEEZA, Qatar's leading IT service provider, demonstrating his adept leadership skills and strategic vision. Eng. AlMuslemani has also held key senior roles at the Qatar National Broadband Company and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, contributing significantly to the industry’s growth and advancement.His strong educational background is marked by Master’s degrees in Communication Systems from the Swiss Institute of Technology and in Management from HEC Paris. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Ohio State University, USA.His broad expertise covers Big Data, IoT, Cloud Computing, and his current focus on the particulars of ICT regulation. Eng. AlMuslemani's blend of practical industry experience and academic prowess positions him as a leading figure in shaping Qatar's digital future.

His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General AssemblyAmbassador Dennis Francis has had a career spanning approximately 40 years in the Diplomatic Service of Trinidad and Tobago. For 18 of those years of unbroken service, he held the rank of ambassador until his compulsory retirement from career service in 2016.According to Mr. Francis, he has the distinction of being his country’s longest-serving ambassador. Before demitting office as Director of Multilateral Relations, hefunctioned as Senior Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on all multilateral-level matters, including climate change and the negotiations on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.His transfer back to Port of Spain in 2011 capped Ambassador Francis’ posting as Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Geneva, as well as Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization and to the UN Human Rights Council. He was also accredited concurrently to the U.N. Specialized Agencies in Vienna and Rome, besides having bilateral accreditation as Ambassador to Austria and Italy. Ambassador Francis was also appointed Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.In 2010 at a period of renewed engagement in Multilateral Trade Negotiations, Ambassador Francis was elected to the sensitive Chairmanship of the Negotiating Group on Rules of the WTO, namely Anti-Dumping, Subsidies and Countervailing Duties and Fisheries Subsidies.He also served as Chairman of the Committee on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in Regular Session as well as Chairman of the Commonwealth Group of Developing Countries (2007/8).He has led many national delegations including to the First Universal Periodic Review of Trinidad and Tobago in the UN Human Rights Council in October 2011 and to UNCTAD 12, which was held in Accra, Ghana in 2008.Ambassador Francis’ assignment in Geneva in 2006 followed a seven-year tour of duty as High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago to Jamaica and Permanent Representative to the International Seabed Authority. During this period, Ambassador Francis was also accredited as Ambassador (non-resident) to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. When he demittedoffice in Jamaica, he had held the position of Dean of the Diplomatic Corps for almost two years. Ambassador Francis took an active interest in the issues before the International Seabed Authority, leading to his election to the Chairmanship of the Assembly in 2003.In July of 2021, he completed a three-year assignment as Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO.Ambassador Francis co-facilitated a training course entitled “Protocol and Diplomacy: A Guide for the Modern Professional,” at the Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean; an institution in the conceptualization of which he was intimately involved as Lead Technical Adviser to the Foreign Minister. In 2018, Ambassador Francis also co-authored a book entitled “Heads of Mission-A Handbook,” which has received regional and international acclaim. In 2020, Ambassador Francis returned to The University of the West Indies, his alma mater, as a Visiting Scholar at the Institute of International Relations at the St. Augustine Campus. He is also a graduate of The School of Advanced International Studies, the Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC. (1985).

Jacek Siewiera – Secretary of State, Head of the National Security Bureau of the Republic of Poland. A graduate of the Faculties of Medicine, Law, Administration and Economics. Also graduated with honors from the University of Oxford in “Strategy and Innovation.”He is a specialist in anesthesiology and intensive care. During his military service at the Military Medical Institute he established the Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic – Poland’s first military clinical center dedicated to the treatment of submarine and flying personnel of the Armed Forces.He was twice awarded with the Cross of Merit for Bravery and the Medal for Sacrifice and Courage for his services in saving human lives.Author of the concept of first modular temporary hospitals designed in Poland and several innovative technical solutions in the field of medicine and security. He has been publishing articles on rescue and civil protection, and is the founding father of the Paramedics Centre. Author of the first Polish textbook on the limitations of life–support technology.On October 11, 2022 the President of the Republic of Poland appointed Jacek Siewiera to the position of Secretary of State in the National Security Bureau – Head of the Bureau.

Career:Dr. Al-Ansari was appointed as the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar on 22 February 2022. His duties include conducting weekly media briefings for various local media outlets and news agencies accredited in Doha as well as interviews with local and international media outlets. Dr. Al-Ansari is actively engaged with various local, regional and international research centers and think tanks. He established and heads the Center for International Policy Research (CIPR), which works on political risk analysis, consulting for the government and commercial sectors, on conflicts, Track Two diplomacy, humanitarian and development issues, and management of events in the Arabian Gulf region and beyond.Previously, Dr. Al-Ansari served as the Director of Policy at the Institute of Social and Economic Survey Research (SERI) at Qatar University (QU). During his work at the university, he also served as an assistant professor at QU’s Department of International Affairs. Al-Ansari started his career as a researcher in international relations at the office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2005. He also took various roles in multiple civil society institutions. He wrote regularly in Al Sharq and Al Arab national Newspaper between 2006 and 2022. He has appeared as a political commentator on many media outlets including Al Jazeera, BBC, Sky News, CNN,, Russia Today, Al Araby TV, and Qatar TV. Dr. Al-Ansari serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic Studies of the Qatar Armed Forces and the Advisory Board of the College Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).Experience:Dr. Al-Ansari Specializes on GCC foreign and security policies, MENA regional issues, development/humanitarian aid, international security and conflict resolution. He is author of a book titled “Minority of Citizens: The Effects of religious, social and political values on trust in immigrants in Qatar” published in 2020. He also wrote on “The Unbridgeable Gulf: Applying Bennett’s Model ofAnalysis to the 2017 Gulf Crisis” published in the Journal of Balkans and NearEastern Studies in 2021, “The New Gulf Order: Crisis, Mediation, andReconciliation” in Middle East Policy in 2021 and “Qatar’s Foreign Aid and Least Developed Countries” published in Alternatives: Global, Local, Political in 2022.Education:Dr. Al-Ansari received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Leeds University in the UK as well as a MA and PhD in Social Change from the Cathy Marsh Institute at the University of Manchester. 

Kholood Khair is the founder and director of Confluence Advisory, a 'think and do tank' formerly based in Khartoum that works on three priority policy areas: peace and security, economy, and governance. Kholood also hosted and co-produced Spotlight 249, Sudan's first English language political discussion and debate show aimed at young Sudanese. Kholood has a career spanning the fields of research, aid programming and policy in Sudan and across the Horn of Africa. She has also written research and analysis pieces for several international publications and has provided analyses for different research and policy institutions. Kholood holds and MSc from Oxford University and an MSc from the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Brigitte Curmi is an expert on the Arab and Muslim world. She holds a Master’s degree in Arabic and Islamology from the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales and a doctoral Master’s degree from Sciences Po in Paris.Ms Curmi was a Senior researcher at the Centre d'études et de recherches sur le Moyen-Orient (CERMOC) in Amman between 1991 and 1994. Between 1995 and 2003, she worked extensively for the French Foreign Affairs Ministry, first in Jerusalem as a cooperation attaché for the Palestinian Territories and then in Paris in the development directorate. In 2003, she joined the diplomatic force. After two years as a Special Adviser for the MENA director on cross-cutting issues, she was positioned in Cairo, Beirut and Doha between 2005 and 2013.  Before being appointed Ambassador to Libya (2016-2018) and to Malta (2018-2021), she served as the Middle East and North Africa expert at the Policy Planning in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

H.E. Nassir bin Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, The president of The United Nations General Assembly 66th session, and the former UN high representative of the alliance of civilization.Experience1975 - 1981 First Consul General in Dubai.1981 - 1986 General Office of the Ministry.1986 - 1993 Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar in New York.1993 - 1998 Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Kingdom of Jordan.1998 - 2011 Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar in New York and a non-resident ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Belize, Panama, Canada, Colombia and Nicaragua. He also was the President of the Security Council during Qatar's non-permanent membership in the Security Council.2003-2004 Vice-President of the fifty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly.In 2004, he chaired the Group of 77 and China at the United Nations in New York, and his management of the work of the committee paved the way for the group's second South Summit to be held in the second year in the State of Qatar from 12-16 June 2005.2007 - 2009 Chaired the High Level Committee on South-South Cooperation of the General Assembly.2009 - 2010 Chaired the Fourth Special Political and Decolonization Committee of the General Assembly.In 2011, His Highness the Amir awarded him the rank of Minister.2011 - 2012 Presidency of the United Nations General Assembly for its 66th session.2013 - 2019 Assumed the position of High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.He represented the State of Qatar in many international and regional conferences and forums. Throughout his tenure at the United Nations, he contributed to advancing the multilateral international program of action in the areas of peace, mediation, security, sustainable development and South-South cooperation.Awards and achievements • Honorary fellow of the Foreign Policy Association – New York • Honorary doctorate in International Affairs from the government of China through Chongqing University - China• Honorary doctorate from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Russia• Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Fordham University - United States • Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from TERI University and Institute - India• Honorary doctorate from the International Islamic University – Malaysia• Honorary doctorate from Candido Mendes University – Brazil • He was awarded by the United Nations Association of New York their 2012 Humanitarian Award• He was awarded the Distinguished Leaders Award in 2013 from the Global Thinkers Forum CenterMedals:• Medal of Independence of the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan• Grand Officer, Order of Merit – Italy• Medal of Grand Commander of the Order of Makarios III – Cyprus• National Order of Doctor José Matias Delgado - El Salvador • Commander of the National Order of the Republic - Côte d’Ivoire  • Order of Friendship - Republic of Azerbaijan• Order of Merit - Panama

Alfredo Conte is a career diplomat from the Italian MFA. He has almost three decades of professional experience serving among others in Hong Kong (during the time of the handover to China), Berlin, and as adviser of a number of Italian Foreign Ministers. From 2008 to January 2018, he has been seconded to Brussels – first to the Policy Unit, then to the European External Action Service. In this capacity, he has been a member of HR Javier Solana's team; under Cathy Ashton, he was appointed Head of the Strategic Planning Division in the EEAS. Under Federica Mogherini, he was directly involved in the elaboration of the Global Strategy for the EU's Foreign and Security Policy, presented to the European Council in June 2016. Back to the Italian MFA as of January 2018, he briefly served as Special Adviser to two high-profile Special Representatives of the Italian OSCE CiO, Franco Frattini (for the Transnistria settlement process) and Paola Severino (for international fight against corruption). From November 2018 to May 2021, he has been Head of Coordination at the Secretariat General. In May 2021, Alfredo Conte has been appointed Deputy Director General for Political Affairs and Principal Director for the Mediterranean, Middle East and Gulf Countries.

Galip Dalay is a nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, consulting fellow at Chatham House, and doctoral researcher at Oxford University. He was previously Mercator-IPC Senior Fellow at Istanbul Policy Center and at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) & Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at Robert Bosch Academy. Dalay’s research focuses on the question of regionalism, regional order and governance in the Middle East, Turkish politics and foreign policy, Middle Eastern politics, Turkish - Russian relations, history and politics of Turkish - Western/European relations, and history of post-colonial and post-imperial forms of internationalism. His work has appeared on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, Project Syndicate, CNN, the National Interest, Newsweek, Le Monde, Internationale Politik, DW Opinion, Open Democracy, Middle East Eye and The World Politics Review.

Dr Leslie Vinjamuri is director of the US and Americas programme at Chatham House. She is also Professor of International Relations at SOAS University of London. At Chatham House, Leslie leads research on the U.S. and International Order, and a multi partner initiative on Reimagining Multilateralism. Her recent publications include ‘Why Multilateralism Still Matters’ (Foreign Affairs, October 2023, and Building Global Prosperity: Proposals for Sustainable Growth (Chatham House, 2022). The latter was the result of a multi-authored Chatham House initiative supported by the Rockefeller Foundation that looked at G7 proposals for countering China’s influence in the developing world. She is co-editor and contributing author (with Charles A. Kupchan) of Anchoring the World: International Order in the 21st Century, a publication by members of the Lloyd George Study Group on World Order, a joint Centenary project of Chatham House, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, published by Foreign Affairs. Also Human Rights Futures (Cambridge University Press, 2017), US Foreign Policy Priorities (Chatham House, 2020), and ’Trials and Errors: Strategies of International Justice” (with Jack Snyder). She is a regular commentator in the international news media and has contributed pieces in the Financial Times, Guardian, Sunday Times, Telegraph, and the Independent. She is deputy chair of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission and a trustee of the Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs.She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and on the Advisory Board of LSE IDEAS and the LSE Phelan United States Centre, and is vice president of the board for the Institute for Integrated Transitions.From 2014-2016 she was director of the Center on Conflict, Rights and Justice (and previously co-director). She was previously on the academic faculty of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and a fellow of the John M. Olin Institute at Harvard University.She began her career at Congressional Research Service and also worked in the Asia Bureau at USAID. Leslie received a BA from Wesleyan University (Phi Beta Kappa), an MSc (Distinction) from the London School of Economics, and a PhD from Columbia University.