Saudi Arabia — October 14, 2026: The International Society of Automation (ISA) Saudi Arabia Section hosted ISA Saudi Automation Conference 2026, held from October 12-14 at the prestigious Kempinski Al Othman Hotel in Al Khobar, concluded with resounding success with 800+ attendees, 33+ exhibition booths, 20+ sponsors, 50+ speakers and 2 industry leaders’ panels, drawing hundreds of industry leaders, engineers, policymakers, and academia from across the region and beyond. Organized by ISA Saudi Arabia Section and led by Dr. Soloman Almadi, ISA Saudi Arabia Section President and Conference Chairman. He is also Principal Scientist at Saudi Aramco. The event is backed by leading industry players, the conference was a landmark event driving dialogue and innovation in the automation and digital transformation sectors.
Held under the theme ‘Autonomous: Vision to Reality’, ISASAC 2026 focused on translating cutting-edge technologies into real-world industrial solutions. The event offered powerful insights across a diverse range of topics such as process measurement, automation and safety, data analytics, and industrial control system security.
Over 50 speakers and panelists—including top executives, researchers, and engineers—shared their expertise, highlighting how the 4th Industrial Revolution is reshaping industry paradigms in Saudi Arabia and globally.
One of the standout segments of the event was the ISA EMEA 2026 Student Games, held from October 11-13, bringing together aspiring engineers and Students from across the Middle East, Europe, US, Asia and more. The Student Games was founded by Dr. Soloman Almadi three years ago as a platform to bring kingdom’s students to another level in competing Locally and Internationally as part of their preparedness to be a stronger workforce of the future. Centered around the theme ‘Where Challenges Meet Opportunities,’ the competition featured two main tracks: the AI/ML & IIoT Challenge and a Best Paper contest for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Student Games offered a dynamic environment for innovation, networking, and mentorship, with winners recognized for excellence in originality, technical complexity, and real-world application.
The conference also featured an expansive exhibition space with 33+ exhibition booths which includes 20 sponsors where companies showcased the latest automation technologies and digital innovations, Cybersecurity technologies, instrumentation products and more. Networking sessions, workshops, and panel discussions provided ample opportunities for collaboration between industry stakeholders.
