Leading government officials, regional and global experts, project managers, professionals, decision-makers, and thought leaders from across the globe are in Riyadh to take part in the third session of Global Project Management Forum (GPMF) which kicked off today (June 1). 

 

A mega industry event, GPMF is being organised by the Project Management Institute (PMI) under the theme 'Achieving the Dream: Leadership, Empowerment, Sustainability.'

 

PMI, the world's leading authority for project professionals, plays an integral role in Saudi Arabia’s vibrant project management landscape. 

 

With the kingdom on an economic overdrive following the announcement of their ambitious Saudi Vision 2030, PMI is tasked with equipping the national Saudi workforce with the requisite skills to envision and successfully implement mega projects crucial to the country’s long-term strategic goals.

 

The event, being held under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, and the minister of Transport, Saleh Al Jasser, will run until June 3.

 

The Forum aims to further empower the economic diversification strategy of the Saudi government by bringing together industry leaders to share the latest trends, emerging technologies, and innovation within the global and local project management ecosystem said the event organisers.

 

The active participation of global experts makes GPMF a vibrant event for the project management ecosystem to support professionals with the successful implementation of the country’s ambitious mega-projects, they stated.

 

During the 2024 GPMF, PMI will take part in masterclasses, keynote addresses, panel discussions and host technical and interactive sessions on an array of topics.

 

Lenka Pincot, Chief of Staff to the CEO of the Project Management Institute and executive leader of PMI’s thought leadership teams, enterprise project management office and transformation management office co-facilitated a workshop on ‘I have a project in Trouble, HELP AI!’  focused on building the business case for both preventive and remedial measures fostered by AI tools.

 

Pincot believes that the transformative power of GenAI presents an unique opportunity to augment human ingenuity with AI innovations to drive the future of project management. 

 

"I’m confident that a collaborative process between the C-suite and project managers to shatter the GenAI adoption barriers will poise GenAI to maximize project success with a positive impact on our world," she stated.

 

Americo Pinto, Managing Director of PMOGA - PMI will lead a workshop on ‘How can Mega Projects Not Fail! Best Practices According to World-Class Organizations’ along with Mohammed Hammad, VP of Training Strategy, PMI-KSA.

 

Americo believes that forums such as GPMF are crucial to drive innovation by bringing together a diverse group of industry experts and government leaders to ensure we are on the same transformative path that will pay rich dividends to the local communities.

 

On June 2, Benjamin Breen, Global Director of Construction at PMI, will take part in a panel discussion on ‘Opportunities and Success Factors in Giga projects’ followed by a keynote address by Pincot, in which she will share insights from the latest PMI research on AI transformation of project management.

 

Ike Nwankwo, Board of Directors, PMI, will be part of a panel discussion on ‘What Got You Here Will Not get You There – An Analogy of AI for PM,’. 

 

Ike believes that project management is undergoing a revolution with technology and AI automating tasks, offering detailed predictive data insights and augmenting the effectiveness of project management activities.  

"While core project management skills, especially power skills, will continue to remain important, success will also depend on embracing these new technologies and on adopting flexible ways of working. This will empower today’s project managers to stay ahead of the curve to deliver exceptional results," he stated.

 

On the final day of the Forum, Abdullah AlQahtani, VP of Training Strategy, PMI KSA Chapter, will be part of a session on ‘Reports on Project Performance, How Impactful is your Organization Transformation.’

 

Americo will conduct a technical session under Projects and Organizational Strategy Coming Together on’ PMOs Reimagined: Emerging Trends and Future Directions’.

 

LuAnn Piccard, Chair, Board of Directors, PMI will be part of a panel on ‘What can Training & Development offer to Enhance Project Success?’ During the panel discussion she will talk about how training and certifications can enhance project success with a huge focus on PMI: Next Strategy.

 

LuAnn pointed out that along with the appropriate tech skills, today a successful project manager needs to have a well-rounded skillset to enable them to integrate risk management and sustainable practices along with timely implementation and execution of a project. 

 

All these skills are crucial especially in the context of mega projects of scale and complexity, he stated.

 

PMI and PMI KSA Chapter will conduct a roundtable discussion on ‘Innovative Solutions for Mena’s Urban and Infrastructure Expansion’ along with organisations such as Public Investment Fund (PIF), Aramco, Qiddiya, PwC among others, to highlight the notable successes of mega construction and infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia, which are significantly contributing to the Kingdom's transformative economic growth and improving quality of life.

 

Engineer Badr M. Burshaid, President, Global Project Management Forum, PMI KSA Chapter said: "We are excited to once again host this prestigious forum that brings the best-in-class practitioners to Saudi Arabia’s vibrant economic ecosystem."

 

"Our commitment to the local project management industry over the years has ensured that we are successfully realizing our futuristic vision," he added.-TradeArabia News Service