E-Commerce for Middle-East Executives

The "E-Commerce for Middle East Executives" seminar marked a stride in understanding and applying emerging technologies in digital commerce, especially within the Middle East context. This virtual event, targeting executives, was featured an assembly of experts from academia and industry as lecturers, providing a multi-dimensional perspective on e-commerce technologies.

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The seminar commenced with Dr. Paolo Barucca (UCL), laying the groundwork with an introductory session on AI. His presentation set the tone for the workshop, highlighting AI's evolving role in e-commerce. Building upon this, Gabriel Borrageiro (UCL) elaborated further, contextualising AI in business and e-commerce environments.

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A Focus in DLT and Financial Technologies

The subsequent session focused on blockchain technology with an exploration by Dr. Silvia Bartolucci (UCL) and thereafter a discussion on its commercial implications of DLT, by Lodovica Marchesi (University of Cagliari), underscoring its potential in modern business practices. The seminar also explored the intricacies of fintech, with an introduction by Dr. Jiahua Xu and an in-depth analysis of real-world applications by Dr. Geoffrey Goodell, thereby bridging theory and practice.

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The executives also got the chance to learn about the legal dimensions surrounding these emerging technologies, as well as best practices within the Middle Eastern e-commerce landscape, with presentations by Prof. Andrew Murray (LSE Law School) and Mohannad A. Alshehri (Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority), respectively.

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The seminar culminated in a dynamic panel discussion featuring Prof. Tomaso Aste and Anahi Rodriguez (UCL). This session provided an overview of the trajectory of digital commerce in the Middle East, integrating the diverse themes explored throughout the seminar.

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With a focused audience of 20 executives, the seminar offered deep insights into the current state and future prospects of e-commerce technologies and facilitated meaningful dialogue between experts and practitioners. This interaction fostered a better understanding of the practical challenges and opportunities in implementing these technologies in the Middle Eastern market.

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