Dealmakers Dialogues Riyadh: M&A Headwinds and Horizons in 2026

Bassel Azmeh is a senior executive and board director with 25 years of experience governing joint ventures and leading complex M&A for global industry leaders such as SABIC and Shell. He has led over 35 deals valued at $100B+ across 46 countries, including the $3.5B divestiture of Hadeed and the establishment of multi-billion-dollar petrochemical and other JVs. Renowned for creating value and optimizing performance, Bassel redesigned SABIC's JV governance framework, propelling it to a #1 petrochemicals global ranking in JV governance. He is a strategic advisor to C-suite executives and boards, specializing in deadlock resolution, turnaround strategies, and portfolio transformation. Bassel holds an LLB, an MBA from Vanderbilt University, and a Board Director Certificate.

LinkedIn: Fikry Younis

LinkedIn: Philip Kotsis

Dr. Christopher Kummer is the founder and CEO of the Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA) - a global leader in M&A education and coaching empowering organizations to realize better transactions. He previously worked at a Big Four firm and continues to serve as a trusted advisor.

Christopher has served as a Professor, Lecturer and Researcher for Strategy and Finance at leading business schools, including IMD and The Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School. His work has been cited in the media, including Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal; the Financial Times featured him as "Professor of the Week".

Christopher holds a lic. oec. HSG (MBA equivalent) from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and a PhD from the
Technical University of Berlin, Germany. He is a member and an Accredited Director (SID-AD) by the Singapore Institute of Directors.