RESTART

Problem: Tourism, travel, lodging, recreational activities and F&B have reopened for business, but how can businesses balance safety with building a competitive advantage that sees profits return?

Solution: A strategized roadmap to recovery must include incentives and simultaneously boost visitor confidence by instituting the strictest hygiene and safety protocols.

Panelists: Karan Purohit, Blackspoon Management; Nader Daou, Swif, Marwan Sabb, Opaala, and Leon Surynt, Nightjar; with Arabian Business moderator, Shruthi Nair.

Problem: With social distancing and the possibility of future lockdowns, can Fintech be the solution businesses need to recover?

Solution: Fintech could be a lifeline for companies that have to adjust rapidly to our new contactless reality.

Panelists: Mo Aideed, Commercial VP at Postpay; Abdulaziz Saja, KSA General Manager at Tabby; and Ammar Afif, Founder of Cashew, with moderator Shruthi Nair.

Problem: How can companies address the additional cybersecurity and connectivity issues that come with remote working?

Solution: Businesses have to take an active role in understanding, identifying, and protecting their organization and see security as a business enabler.

Panelists: Mossab Hussein, CSO & Co-founder of SpiderSilk; Dr. Aleksandar Valjarevic, VP Business Development at Help AG; and Tarek Kuzbari, Regional Director for the Middle East and Turkey at Cybereason, with moderator Shruthi Nair.

Problem: Conventional classrooms as we knew them might be gone for the foreseeable future. How will educators, students, and parents adapt, and is edtech the future for schools?

Solution: The education sector may be facing a significant transformation with edtech and distance learning playing a major role.

Panelists: Thea C. Myhrvold, Founder of GetBEE and TeachMeNow, Bader W. Alessa, CEO of MyU Learning Communication, Audrey Nakad, Co-founder of Synkers; Peter Y. Davos, Founder & Managing Director of Hale Education Group; Cody Claver, General Manager of iCademy Middle East, with moderator Shruthi Nair.

Problem: E-commerce has surged while brick-and-mortar retail operations have seen a drastic decrease in sales and a slow recovery. What can retailers do to ease the pain?

Solution: Brands will have to develop a strong brand purpose and online presence to reconnect with consumers.

Panelists: Heba AL Fazari, Founder & CEO of COVETI; Izabella Naessa, Head of Commercial Strategy & Digital Transformation Expert at GetBEE; Kristof Lukovich, Head of Digital, Beauty at Chalhoub Group, with moderator Shruthi Nair.

Problem: Food aggregators have changed the way F&B operates and delivers. Where do we go from here?

Solution: F&B was one sector that quickly pivoted, adapting food mobility to address consumer behavior changes. The quick shift could mean it will be one of the first to recover.

Panelists: Nader Amiri, Founder of el Grocer; and Benjamin Mouflard, Co-Founder of ChatFood, with moderator Shruthi Nair.

Problem: UAE startups used to account for 94% of the country's operating companies, creating 90% of new jobs. What is the post-pandemic plan for these economic drivers?

Solution: The economy needs thriving startups now more than ever, which means clearing the way for launch with streamlined regulations, access to investors, and governmental support.

Panelists: Phil Bahoshy, Founder of MAGNiTT; Amir Hegazi, Global Entrepreneur & Author of Ecosystem Arabia; and Sharif El-Badawi, Managing Partner of 500 Startups, with moderator Shruthi Nair.

Problem: COVID-19 has forced healthcare into a virtual transition, but are these changes here to stay?

Solution: Our future healthcare may be digitized and AI-enabled, but we aren't done with the challenges we'll face as the medical sector finally embraces tech.

Panelists: Ayman Sharaiha, CoFounder & Chief Operating Officer of Altibbi; Dr. Baher Al Hakim, CEO of Medicus AI; and Fadi Hindi, Founder of Algofy.ai, with moderator Shruthi Nair.