Riyadh Brings Together Women Influencing Global Capital
Riyadh has emerged as the meeting point for a major conversation around women, wealth and investment, with the inaugural Women Shaping Wealth Summit bringing together more than 3,000 investors, entrepreneurs, executives and business leaders from the Gulf, the wider Arab world and international markets. Held at The Garage at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, the two-day gathering focused on how women are increasingly participating in business creation, investment and financial decision-making.
The summit was organized by PLAYBOOK, a wealth-focused platform for women, in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment through Invest Saudi. Its broader network spans more than 11,000 members across 120 countries, creating a platform that connects financial education, professional networks, investment opportunities and entrepreneurship.
The scale of the event reflects a broader shift in the global wealth landscape. Women are expected to gain control over an increasingly large share of financial assets in the coming years, creating greater opportunities for them to become investors, business owners, wealth managers and participants in institutional capital allocation.
From Financial Knowledge to Investment and Ownership
The summit was structured around the idea that women’s relationship with wealth is moving beyond earning and saving toward actively deploying capital. More than 80 sessions and 12 workshops examined investment strategies, entrepreneurship, financial opportunity, leadership, networks, wellbeing and long-term wealth creation.
A dedicated Power Pitch platform added a practical investment dimension, giving 39 women-led startups an opportunity to present their businesses to investors and industry leaders. The program was designed to connect founders with potential sources of capital while encouraging broader conversations about how investment decisions are made.
The event also addressed the importance of relationships and access. Mentorship and peer programs brought experienced executives, investors and entrepreneurs together with participants seeking practical guidance, while the summit’s three central themes—Money in Motion, Power in Networks and Wealth in Wellbeing—expanded the discussion beyond conventional financial education.
That focus is particularly relevant across the Gulf, where female entrepreneurship is expanding while access to investment capital remains uneven. Recent regional funding data has highlighted a significant gap between male- and female-founded startups, making stronger networks between women entrepreneurs and capital providers an important part of the ecosystem’s development.
Building a Longer-Term Women and Wealth Ecosystem
The summit’s ambitions extend beyond a single two-day event. PLAYBOOK plans to make Women Shaping Wealth an annual gathering, with the broader objective of creating an ongoing ecosystem around women, investment, entrepreneurship and financial leadership.
The initiative also reflects Riyadh’s growing role as a regional center for investment and business activity. By bringing together investors, founders, policymakers and corporate leaders in one setting, the summit creates opportunities for conversations that can translate into partnerships, financing, mentorship and new business ventures.
The event’s international reach was reinforced by a speaker lineup representing more than 20 countries, while partnerships involving financial institutions, investment firms, technology companies and development organizations added depth to the program.
With women increasingly becoming entrepreneurs, investors and stewards of family and institutional wealth, the conversation is shifting from representation in financial markets toward participation in the decisions that determine where capital goes. Riyadh’s Women Shaping Wealth Summit is positioning itself around that transition, connecting women to the knowledge, networks and opportunities needed to play a larger role in the future of global finance.
