ETH Riyadh 2023: Empowering Saudi Developers with ChainIDE
On October 11, 2023, the ETH Riyadh 2023 conference successfully took place at the CODE Lab of King Saud University at Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. ETH Riyadh 2023, a highly anticipated Web3 technology summit, was dedicated to the Ethereum ecosystem and blockchain technology, aiming to gather developers and builders from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and other regions in the Middle East. ETH Riyadh emphasized a strong technical focus and aimed to provide insights from industry experts, fostering discussions on blockchain and Web3 cutting-edge technologies.
The ETH Riyadh organizing committee was composed of Tharawat Technology, Studio1727, ChainIDE, Coffee with Crypto, and Mask Network. The event received guidance and support from the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Internet Association, and the KACST Digital Entrepreneurship Center. It was generously sponsored by Ankr (Title Sponsor), with presenting sponsorship from Chiliz, as well as support from Zilliqa, Adaverse, SAO Network, Onekey, Matrix World, and more than ten other Web3 projects.
Key Highlights:
- Over 150 participants attended the event.
- Global representation with participants from 5 continents and 35 countries.
- Technology investors, with a combined valuation of over $6 billion explored projects and opportunities.
- Web3 entrepreneurs on-site viewed Saudi Arabia as a vast opportunity and looked forward to deepening their business and collaborations in the region.
Event Agenda:
1/ Keynote 1:
The ETH Riyadh 2023 conference kicked off with a keynote address by Tim Beiko, a representative of the Ethereum Foundation, who presented “Ethereum Governance Overview.” Tim Beiko eloquently outlined various ways to engage in Ethereum technology development and contributions, along with collaboration opportunities.
2/ Keynote 2:
Following this, Yasser Alobaidan, CEO of Tharawat Technology, delivered a presentation titled “Digital Economy,” introducing the digital economic landscape in Saudi Arabia, an overview of the Vision 2030 plan, and future opportunities in related domains.
3/ Panel 1:
In the first roundtable discussion, Anton Agafonov, Product Lead at Zilliqa, Arpit Sharma, Managing Partner for the Middle East, India, and East Asia at the Near Foundation, and Aqeel Mohammad from the Ethereum Foundation discussed “L1/L2: Web3 Infrastructures and Innovations” from various perspectives, sharing their insights on Web3 infrastructure and innovation.
4/ Keynote 3:
Xiao Wu, the founder of ChainIDE, then spoke on “The Road to Mass Adoption: Web3 Ecosystem in East Asia x Middle East Africa Region.” He shared insights into the development of Web3 ecosystems in East Asia and the Middle East and Africa regions, discussed the digital economy’s opportunities, and analyzed attempts and cases of large-scale applications in different regions.
5/ Special Session:
Dr. Waleed Aloriny, Chairman of the Saudi Internet Association, delivered a welcome address and moderated a special roundtable discussion on “Opportunities of Web3 Technology in Saudi.” Yasser Alobaidan, CEO of Tharawat Technology, Xiao Wu, Founder of ChainIDE, Stanley Wu, CTO of Ankr, and Alex Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz, participated in the discussion. Representatives from various sectors engaged in lively discussions on Saudi’s entrepreneurial environment, policy regulations, Web3 development, digital economic opportunities, and international cooperation. Web3 entrepreneurs present recognized Saudi Arabia as a significant opportunity and expressed their desire to deepen their business and collaborations in the region.
6/ Panel 2:
Following this, a roundtable discussion titled “Unveiling the Cutting-Edge: Exploring the Latest Technologies and Innovations in Web3” featured discussions and analysis of cutting-edge Web3 technologies and innovations by Anish Mohammed, Co-founder of Panther Protocol; Abdou, Senior Smart Contract Engineer at Trust Wallet; Salwa Radwi, Founder of Nuqtah; and Danish Alam, Co-founder of Cusp.
7/ Keynote 4:
Dr. Abeer S. Al-Humaimeedy, Assistant Professor of Software Engineering at King Saud University and Full-Time Advisor to the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Saudi Intellectual Property Department, and Saudi Ministry of Education, delivered a keynote presentation titled “Ethereum and Intellectual Property: Introducing The Future of IP Management Systems.” Dr. Abeer S. Al-Humaimeedy demonstrated an Ethereum-based IP management system supported by various Saudi government departments.
8/ Keynote 5:
In the last session of the morning, Abdulelah Aloshayni, the Web3 Advisor, gave a presentation on “Embrace DeFi for Business Excellence.” He provided a clear understanding of DeFi and discussed potential applications for large companies and government organizations.
9/ Keynote 6:
The afternoon’s first keynote speech was delivered by Kev Silk, Senior Product Manager at Ankr, who spoke on “Ankr Blockchain Infrastructure-Powering Saudi Arabia’s Digital Economy,” detailing Ankr’s innovations and explorations in the Saudi region.
10/ Panel 3:
Julia Bainiaksina, Co-founder of Networky and Sygnal XYZ; Sharene Lee, Co-founder of TAKADAO; Yannick Myson Van Draanen, Co-founder of Delysium AI; Majid Almansouri, Professor and Co-founder of Nuqtah, participated in a roundtable discussion titled “Unlocking Synergy: Exploring the Potential of Blockchain and AI for Disruptive Innovation,” exploring opportunities and challenges in the intersection of blockchain and AI.
11/ Keynote 7:
The final keynote speech was delivered by Alex Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz, who spoke on “SportFi by Chiliz: Building a Global Decentralized Playing Field.” He showcased Chiliz’s collaborations with renowned clubs and leagues, such as Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan, in the Web3 space.
12/ Panel 4:
The “Mass Adoption of Web3 Innovations” roundtable forum, moderated by SEEDAO founder Tang Han, featured participants such as Ludwig Schroedl, CEO of Nealthy; Hamzan Khan, Head of Polygon DeFi; Mehmet Sait GÜMÜŞ, Founder of Web3 Kas; Ethan Zhao, Co-founder of SAO Network, who discussed large-scale Web3 applications, cases, and potential growth in East Asia and the Middle East and Africa.
13/ Fireside Chat with Polygon
After an intermission break, Xiao Wu, Founder of ChainIDE, engaged in a fireside conversation with Sanket Shah, Head of Polygon Growth, discussing Polygon’s technology and innovations.
14/ Panel 5:
Subsequently, Yaodong Li, Head of Web3 Business at Alibaba Cloud Middle East and Africa, and co-organizer of Coffee with Crypto, led a roundtable discussion titled “Global Innovations and Opportunities in Web3.” Web3 representatives from around the world engaged in an open conversation, exploring global innovations and opportunities in Web3.
15/ Fireside Chat with Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands
Tess Hau, Founder of Tess Venture and Gaia Lab, and Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brand, participated in a 40-minute fireside conversation, delving into Animoca Brands’ long-term innovations, ecosystem development, and technological advancements in the Web3 space.
16/ Panel 6:
In the final roundtable discussion, moderated by Daria, former Head of Business Development at 0x Protocol and co-organizer of Coffee with Crypto, participants such as Ali from Sushiswap, Paul Laloich, Co-founder of SyntheticEquity, Vlad Protasevich, CEO of Ezil.me, Danish Alam, Co-founder of Cusp, Ahmed Al-Balaghi, Co-founder and CEO of Biconomy, and Kori Leon, CEO of AMZ Ventures, explored “Navigating the Future: Exploring the Growth and Challenges of Web3 Technologies”.
ETH Riyadh 2023 marked a significant milestone as the first dedicated Web3 developer and blockchain technology summit in the Saudi Arabian region, particularly in Riyadh. This event represents a major advancement in the Web3 developer ecosystem of Saudi Arabia. ETH Riyadh has contributed to the flourishing of the local blockchain developer community, providing a platform for learning and networking for local developers and entrepreneurs.
The event has not only attracted local participants but also garnered attention from experts and investors from around the world. It serves as a crucial role in driving the development of blockchain technology in Saudi Arabia, offering a pivotal opportunity for exploring and shaping the future of the blockchain field. Furthermore, it plays a role in promoting digital innovation and economic growth in Saudi Arabia.
Xiao Wu, Founder of ChainIDE and a member of the ETH Riyadh organizing committee, expressed, “ETH Riyadh is the first summit in the Saudi region that focuses on blockchain technology and Web3 developers. It serves as a superhub for the local technology community and ecosystem development. Saudi Arabia is currently experiencing a pivotal period of rapid growth in the digital economy, and blockchain and Web3 technologies are integral components of the next generation of digital economies. We look forward to ETH Riyadh 2024, expecting to attract more builders in blockchain technology and facilitate increased collaboration and exchange among developers in the East Asia and Middle East and Africa regions.”
ETH Riyadh 2023 Official Website 👉 https://ethriyadh.com/
ETH Riyadh X (Formerly Twitter) 👉 https://twitter.com/0xETHRiyadh
