The second annual Real Estate Development Fund (REDF)'s Saudi Housing Finance Conference will open its doors on March 6. The opening keynote address will be delivered by Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, Minister of Housing of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Khalid Mohammed Al-Amoudi, General Supervisor and Chairman Deputy of the Board, Real Estate Development Fund (REDF) will also deliver opening remarks. The conference is co-hosted by Euromoney and will bring together leading international, regional, and local finance and investment experts in the Saudi housing market. Saudi Arabia's housing market is undergoing rapid change. Under the government's Vision 2030 scheme home ownership is set to increase to 70%, up from 50% today. This ambitious goal can only be achieved through close cooperation across the public and private sector and is dependent upon all parties involved – government, private sector and Saudi citizens. REDF, working closely with the Ministry of Housing, are working together with the entire housing ecosystem to not only enable a robust housing market for home buyers and renters, but also to create a regulatory framework in which homebuyers, bankers, investors, developers, contractors, government departments and NGOs can work together to create communities where Saudi families can thrive. The conference will bring investors and housing finance experts together under one roof for a full day of keynote sessions, presentations and panel discussions. In addition to the opening speeches, international speakers include: Dr Adel Ahmad Al-Sharkas, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Jordan, and Chairman, Jordan Mortgage Refinance Company; Hans-Joachim (Achim) Dübel, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Finpolconsult.de; Aurelien Vincent, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company; Mark Weinrich, Secretary General, International Union for Housing Finance (IUHF) and Amad Almsaodi, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Aqarmap. During the conference a working session will be held on the role of FinTech in the development of the mortgage market. Case studies will introduce international perspectives and best practices. And there will be panel discussions on building sustainable housing finance sectors and investment opportunities in the Saudi housing sector. — SG
