This Year's Speakers

Ahmed Mourad is a talented Egyptian writer born in Cairo in 1978. He studied cinematography at the Higher Institute of Cinema in Cairo, graduating in 2001. His graduation films, The Wanderers, Three Papers and On the Seventh Day garnered accolades for short films at festivals in Britain, France and Ukraine.

In 2007, Mourad published his first novel, Vertigo, which was later translated into English, Italian and French. The novel was adapted into a TV series for Ramadan in 2012. He released his second novel, Diamond Dust, in 2010, which was translated into Italian. Mourad continued his literary success with the publication of The Blue Elephant in October 2012.

His compelling storytelling and narratives have secured him a prominent place in the world of literature.

Ahmed Amin is a talented Egyptian comedian, actor and author with an impressive portfolio, especially in animation. He is most recognised for his work on the TV series, Al-Plateau and for authoring the popular animated series Basant and Diasti, Captain Azouz and Kawkab Karakib. He then went on to star in the well-received TV series Al-Wasiya and several other notable dramas and films. Amin is set to share his experience as the lead actor in the popular Netflix series "Beyond Nature", based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Ahmed Khaled Tawfiq. The series has been translated into 32 languages and aired in 190 countries, selling over 15 million copies.

Matt Ridley is a renowned journalist and scholar with several best-selling books on evolution, genetics and society. He is also an expert speaker on innovation, collaboration, macro-history, human progress and climate change.

In his TEDGlobal 2010 talk, Ridley asserted that human progress is powered by the convergence of ideas to produce new ones and that innovation is a product of human exchange, not government policy or mandates by the elite.

Before becoming an independent writer, speaker and entrepreneur, Ridley worked with The Economist for nine years as a science editor, Washington correspondent and US editor.

Ridley's books have sold over a million copies, been translated into 31 languages and won several prestigious awards.

Carissa Véliz is a technology and ethics expert at the University of Oxford and a best-selling author of critically acclaimed works such as Privacy Is Power, named Book of the Year by The Economist.

Véliz is widely recognised for her ability to provide insightful and accessible commentary on topics connected with philosophy and ethics. She is a highly sought-after speaker for conferences and events due to her knowledge of the moral implications of emerging technologies, the philosophy of artificial intelligence and privacy and ethics in AI. She is also an expert on how data collection affects people's lives.

Véliz is a recipient of the prestigious Herbert A. Simon Award for Outstanding Research in Computing and Philosophy.

Ali Tabrizi is an investigative documentary filmmaker and conservationist known for directing the popular Netflix original documentary Seaspiracy. The documentary generated worldwide debates and quickly climbed up the list of Netflix’s Global Top 10.

Tabrizi originally started the project to showcase ‘how incredible the oceans are’ but changed the narrative after uncovering how the natural world is far from pristine.

To challenge traditional documentary filmmaking and explore complex global issues, Tabrizi founded his media company Disrupt Studios. He is also an inspiring speaker on sustainability, conservation, human and animal rights and the future of food.

Osama Al Mosallam is a novelist born in Al-Ahsa on March 5, 1977. He grew up in the U.S. and then returned to his city, where he finished his studies. He majored in English and graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Department of English Literature at King Faisal University. He is currently working as a lecturer at the Technical College of Al-Ahsa.

Al Mosallam participated in several Arab and foreign cultural forums, including cultural seminars in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Kuwait, Jeddah and Dammam's Eastern Province Literary Club, as well as all annual book fairs in Egypt and the Gulf countries over the past six years. He was also the first Saudi scholar to be hosted at Arab Culture Week at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris at Sorbonne. He also appeared in numerous television interviews on MBC TV, Al-Ekhbariya TV, Sharjah TV, Ajman TV, Al-Wousta TV and Alghad TV.

Al Mosallam led several training courses on novels in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. So far, he has published 26 novels, some of which are now audiobooks on the application Storytel. Some of his works were also adapted into films, one of which will soon be screened on MBC.

Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Fellow at the Washington Institute, specialising in military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran and the Gulf states. He regularly briefs policymakers, congressional committees and U.S. military officers on regional security affairs and has worked extensively with local military and security agencies on the ground.

Knights obtained his PhD from the Department of War Studies at King’s College, London, and served as a historian for military affairs. He regularly writes for academic journals such as Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Journal of Strategic Studies, Sentinel and the journal of the Combating Terrorism Center in West Point, New York. He also writes for international media such as War on the Rocks, the Royal United Service Institute’s This Means War and The Hill.

Khaled Ghattass is an accomplished scholar and intellectual. His academic background is impressive, having completed a BSc in Analytical Chemistry, an MSc in Organic Chemistry and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology, specialising in breast cancer. He later pursued another MBA in Spain.

In addition to his scientific research, Ghattass is passionate about spreading awareness on topics that include human behaviour, positive psychology, decision-making, cultural diversity, poetry, philosophy and art. He uses his Facebook and YouTube accounts to share his knowledge and ideas, delivering his messages in unconventional, humorous and compelling manners.

Ghattass’ first book, Hypocrisy is Beautiful, comprises a collection of short philosophical stories that may seem unrelated at first glance but share a common theme as the stories delve into social and individual dilemmas facing the modern man.

Ahmed Mourad is a talented Egyptian writer born in Cairo in 1978. He studied cinematography at the Higher Institute of Cinema in Cairo, graduating in 2001. His graduation films, The Wanderers, Three Papers and On the Seventh Day garnered accolades for short films at festivals in Britain, France and Ukraine.

In 2007, Mourad published his first novel, Vertigo, which was later translated into English, Italian and French. The novel was adapted into a TV series for Ramadan in 2012. He released his second novel, Diamond Dust, in 2010, which was translated into Italian. Mourad continued his literary success with the publication of The Blue Elephant in October 2012.

His compelling storytelling and narratives have secured him a prominent place in the world of literature.

Ahmed Amin is a talented Egyptian comedian, actor and author with an impressive portfolio, especially in animation. He is most recognised for his work on the TV series, Al-Plateau and for authoring the popular animated series Basant and Diasti, Captain Azouz and Kawkab Karakib. He then went on to star in the well-received TV series Al-Wasiya and several other notable dramas and films. Amin is set to share his experience as the lead actor in the popular Netflix series "Beyond Nature", based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Ahmed Khaled Tawfiq. The series has been translated into 32 languages and aired in 190 countries, selling over 15 million copies.