The inaugural two-day gathering brought together investors, founders and leaders around capital, opportunity and women’s role in shaping wealth, closing with the PLAYBOOK Awards and a new AI-powered chapter for PLAYBOOK’s private global network.
RIYADH, October 2026
The inaugural Women Shaping Wealth Summit, organized by PLAYBOOK, concluded on 29 September at The Garage, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), following two days focused on how women build, deploy and influence wealth.
Hosted by H.E. Deemah Al Yahya and held in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Investment through Invest Saudi, the Summit brought together more than 3,000 investors, founders, executives and leaders, 240+ speakers and participants from more than 20 countries.
The Women Shaping Wealth Summit was supported by Strategic Partners including the Ministry of Investment through Invest Saudi, UBS, Range Rover and Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB).
Additional strategic partners include Vista Equity Partners, Floward, Tarmeez Capital, Vennre, FinBursa, Alpaca, BALINCA, AlHashimi Pearls, Strategy&, the World Bank Group and Andersen.
The Summit is further supported by more than 100 ecosystem, gifting and learning partners, with The Garage at KACST serving as Venue Partner.
The programme moved from conversations around money, leadership and power into capital allocation, investment, founder funding and boardroom influence; before concluding with the Women Shaping Wealth Gala at Kimpton KAFD Riyadh and the 2026 PLAYBOOK Awards.
As part of the programme, attendees also had access to 14 hours of accredited CPD learning through a collaboration with Blenducate Training Courses, accredited by The CPD Standards Office.
The Summit also marked the launch of PLAYBOOK’s new AI-powered app, extending its mission of building wealth with women beyond the physical event.
Where Day One examined women’s changing relationship with money and power, Day Two turned to the theme “From Capital to Intentional Investing”, with conversations around capital allocation, governance, venture investing, family wealth and financial decision-making.
Nora Mohammed Alsarhan, CEO of Saudi Venture Capital, joined Wafa AlObaidat, Founder & CEO of PLAYBOOK, for a fireside chat on the Kingdom’s venture ecosystem.
Investors from Antler, Impact46, Plus VC and Doha Tech Angels also took the stage, alongside sessions exploring women in boardrooms, the infrastructure behind modern finance, health as an economic issue and the future of luxury.
“The first day asked who is in the room. The second day asked what they do once they’re there,” said Wafa AlObaidat, Founder & CEO of PLAYBOOK. “We wanted the conversation to move beyond access and representation into decisions: who gets funded, who gets a seat at the table and where capital moves next.”
That focus on capital was reflected in the Summit’s Power Pitch, which saw 40 women founders pitch their businesses across the two-day program.
Following the preliminary rounds, three founders were selected as the 2026 Power Pitch winners:
- 1st Place: Dr. Amani Abulaban, Founder and CEO, Carevision
- 2nd Place: Nouran Ghanam, CEO, STLLR Network
- 3rd Place: Fatima Abdulghafar, CEO and Co-Founder, Tolun AI
The final pitches were judged by a panel including Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner at 500 Global, and Dr. Hanan El Basha, Founder of The Business Doctor, alongside Hazleen Ahmed, Founder of Neuropower World.
They formed part of a wider group of 28 judges who participated across the two days, evaluating founder pitches and scoring the PLAYBOOK Awards.
“The Power Pitch moved the conversation from talking about women and capital to putting women founders directly in front of the people who allocate it,” said Wafa AlObaidat, Founder & CEO of PLAYBOOK. “Forty founders stood on stage and made the case for what they are building. That is exactly the kind of bridge we want PLAYBOOK to create.”
The Summit also demonstrated how PLAYBOOK is using AI to make its private global network more relevant and actionable. Ahead of the event, Layla, PLAYBOOK’s AI guide, helped match more than 100 mentors and mentees and facilitated more than 330 business matches between Summit participants.
Through the platform, members can connect with PLAYBOOK’s private network of more than 12,000 members across 120+ countries, with a strong focus on the GCC, while accessing learning, events, opportunities and relevant connections. At the center of that experience is Layla, which helps members navigate the platform based on their goals, interests and profile.
“The Summit gives us a concentrated moment where thousands of people come together,” said Wafa AlObaidat, Founder & CEO of PLAYBOOK. “But building wealth does not happen in two days. It happens through the connections you maintain, the knowledge you act on and the opportunities you continue to access.” “That is why the app matters,” added Wafa AlObaidat, Founder & CEO of PLAYBOOK. “We are taking what happens inside Women Shaping Wealth and building an always-on experience around it, one designed to help women connect, learn and access opportunities that support their wealth-building journey.”
The Summit concluded with the Women Shaping Wealth Gala at Kimpton KAFD Riyadh in the King Abdullah Financial District.
The 2026 PLAYBOOK Awards recognized leaders whose work is shaping investment, business, technology, advisory and influence. The awards were scored as part of the Summit’s judging process involving 28 judges across the two days.
The 2026 recipients were:
- Woman of the Year: Lama Alhamawi, Head of Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs, Arab News; Founder and Host, Discussions Media; Chairwoman, SBWN Saudi
- Leadership Excellence Award: Henadi Al-Saleh, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, Agility Global PLC
- Change Catalyst Award: Nadia Ahmad, Associate Professor, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center; Professor of Law, Barry University School of Law
- Angel Investor of the Year: Rupa Popat, Founder and Managing Partner, Araya Ventures
- Advisor of the Year: Amber Ghaddar, Founding Partner, The 200bn Club
- Tech Innovator Award: Mariam Nusrat, Founder and CEO, Breshna
- Rising Star Award: Hania Baramki, Founder and CEO, GoLead
- Influencer of the Year: Majda Ahmed, Life Coach and Content Creator
- Allyship of Change Award: Dorian Hannington, Head of HR Strategy and Governance, Gulf International Bank
“We created the PLAYBOOK Awards to recognise people who are already doing the work, investing, leading companies, advising founders, building technology and opening doors for others,” said Wafa AlObaidat, Founder & CEO of PLAYBOOK. “Visibility matters because the next generation needs to see what leadership, investment and impact look like in practice.”
Women Shaping Wealth will return as an annual gathering, with dates and city for the 2027 edition to be announced.
For PLAYBOOK, the work continues beyond the Summit. The new app is designed to turn the conversations, connections and opportunities created in Riyadh into an ongoing experience for women building wealth through PLAYBOOK’s private global network.
The Summit brought women shaping wealth into one room. PLAYBOOK is building what happens next.
About PLAYBOOK:
PLAYBOOK is a global networking, learning and mentorship platform created to support and connect women leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals. Led by an award-winning, female-founded leadership team, PLAYBOOK has built a growing international community through high-quality masterclasses, mentorship programs, networking opportunities, workshops and events designed to accelerate women’s personal and professional growth.
About Women Spark and the Women Shaping Wealth Summit
Founded in 2011, Women Spark has been at the forefront of supporting women-led innovation, entrepreneurship and investment. Following its acquisition by PLAYBOOK in 2024, Women Spark has become part of a growing global ecosystem connecting more than 11,000 members across 100+ countries.
The Women Shaping Wealth Summit represents the next chapter in that journey, bringing together women leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers and changemakers through a flagship platform designed to advance conversations around wealth, wellbeing, leadership and the power of networks.
By hosting the Summit in Riyadh, Women Spark powered by PLAYBOOK aims to position the Kingdom at the heart of an increasingly important global conversation about women’s economic influence, leadership and long-term prosperity.
