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Dubai/Lucerne – On 20 November 2025, the GCC GRC Day 2025 in Dubai brought together governance, risk and compliance (GRC) professionals from across the region at Address Sky View Dubai. Organized by Swiss GRC in collaboration with Khaleej Times Events, the one day conference addressed a broad range of topics – from corporate governance and internal controls (ICS) to cybersecurity, ESG, AI governance, compliance automation and business continuity.
The annual conference continues to build on its strong foundation as a premier platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange across the GCC. It event convened board members, C-suite executives, compliance officers and regulators to address pressing priorities in the evolving risk landscape. Keynote speeches set the tone for the day. Schneider Electric’s Senior VP- Programs & Transformation Dallal Slimani opened with a presentation on operational and organizational resilience. Swiss GRC’s MEA/APAC General Manager Rajeev Dutt followed with insights on «GRC in Transition: Building Resilience in Uncertain Times». Google’s Akshay Dalal Head of Risk & Compliance, MEA/TA delivered a keynote on AI Governance & Ethical Risk Management, underscoring the need to balance innovation with accountability. Other speakers included Adnan Ibrahim Alhashmi Senior Associate Operations Manager, Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement on enterprise-wide assurance, and Fadi Bouz Director of Internal Audit & Risk Department,Sunbulah Group on the transformative role of internal audit.
Interactive panels and forums were highlights of the agenda. The «Guardians of Trust: Security, Regulation & Privacy by Design» panel brought together security and privacy experts – including Faisal Khan Associate Director – Information Security & Compliance,Dubai World Trade Centre and Hessa Al Humaid Almatrooshi information Security Leader, Free Zones Authority of Ajman to discuss how organizations can build trust and resilience into their digital systems. Another major session, «Bridging Academia & Practice: Elevating GRC Dialogue in the GCC» featured Nikolai Tsenov Head Solutions & Innovation, Swiss GRCalongside academic and government figures. They explored how universities and industry can collaborate on GRC education and research, helping to close skills gaps and align curricula with market needs. According to organizers, these panels and others on topics like supply-chain risk and regulatory technology – emphasized practical frameworks over theory, giving delegates actionable insights for their organizations.
At the GCC GRC Day, experts and participants underscored several key outcomes from the conference. One clear takeaway was the rising importance of AI and advanced analytics in GRC. Speakers noted that artificial intelligence is transforming risk management, making its governance more critical than ever. As Swiss GRC CEO Besfort Kuqi observed, the GCC is experiencing «an impressive pace of transformation» with «AI and automation accelerating rapidly, and regulatory expectations, increasing at a remarkable pace».
Another major theme was strengthening the culture of compliance and risk awareness. Panellists emphasized that effective GRC must be driven from the top and rooted in organizational culture. Rajeev Dutt General Manager MEA & APAC, Swiss GRC stressed that many GRC initiatives «fail because they’re not driven from the top down,» making leadership commitment and clear tone-at-the-top critical. This echoed industry research showing the payoff of a trust infused culture: organizations with «trusted GRC cultures move faster, adapt more easily, and earn the confidence of regulators, partners and customers». In practice, experts encouraged reframing GRC as a shared language and value system rather than a mere checkbox exercise.
Participants at GCC GRC DAY also highlighted the value of integrated risk-management tools and automation. Modern GRC platforms that link audit, risk, compliance and IT systems can create a «single source of truth» streamlining processes and eliminating duplicate tasks. Swiss GRC demonstrated that such solutions take a holistic, integrated approach – combining risk management, internal controls (ICS), information security, data protection, business continuity management, third-party risk and other disciplines into one unified system. With these tools, organizations can gain 360° visibility of their risk exposures and rapidly respond to issues. As one panel noted, connecting people, data and processes makes it possible to «see risk from all angles» align risk indicators to strategic objectives, and take smarter, more timely decisions.
On behalf of Swiss GRC, CEO Besfort Kuqi emphasized the strategic significance of the new platform. «The GCC GRC Day reflects our commitment to advancing the regional GRC agenda through meaningful dialogue and shared expertise» he said. Kuqi noted that partnering with Khaleej Times Events has allowed these important conversations to reach a broader professional audience across the Gulf. Looking ahead, organizers intend to maintain the event as an annual fixture: Swiss GRC affirmed that the GCC GRC Day will build on the legacy of its established Swiss GRC conferences, ensuring the company’s continued engagement in the region’s GRC community.
The GCC GRC Day 2025 was covered by multiple media outlets and is expected to be a recurring highlight in the regional GRC calendar. By blending expert keynotes, practitioner panels and networking opportunities, the conference showcased the latest thought leadership and best practices. Executives and regulators in attendance valued the mix of high-level strategy and practical guidance concluding that the forum has set a strong precedent for future events focused on governance, risk and compliance in the Gulf
