When and where is the conference held?

From 13 to 15 October 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai. The first two days are the conference and 15 October is the post-conference workshop.

Board secretaries, company secretaries, general counsel, chief legal officers and governance, risk and compliance leaders working with boards in the GCC.

Does it carry CPD hours?

Yes. In partnership with CGI UK and Ireland it provides 12.5 CPD hours for the two conference days and 4 additional hours for the workshop.

Registration is handled by marcus evans through the Enquire Now form on the official conference page.

17th Annual Board Secretary and General Counsel 2026

Name: 17th Annual Board Secretary and General Counsel 2026
Start: 2026-10-13T09:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-15T16:30:00+00:00
Location: The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai (Jumeirah Beach Residence)

About this event

Now in its 17th year, marcus evans' Board Secretary and General Counsel conference brings together the people who keep GCC boards accountable: company secretaries, chief legal officers and governance heads. The 2026 theme, "Leading the Next: Bridging Strategy, AI and the New Era of Governance", focuses on how boards are judged today, from enforcement and personal liability to AI governance and shifting fiduciary duties.

What's covered

Two conference days of case studies and panels led by in-house practitioners from across the Gulf, followed by a hands-on workshop day.

Escalating enforcement and personal liability for directors and advisers
AI governance and digital risk oversight at board level
Updates to UAE companies law
The working relationship between the general counsel and the board secretary
ESG, carbon transparency and modern fiduciary duty
Crisis preparedness and board diversity

Post-conference workshop

On 15 October (09:00 to 16:30), Richard Winfield of Brefi Group runs a one-day masterclass, "New Governance Reality - Digital Risk, AI Oversight and Crisis Defense", in four 90-minute sessions on building a joined-up AI and digital governance approach.

Professional development

The programme is run in partnership with CGI UK and Ireland and supported by Hawkamah and the GCC Board Directors Institute. It carries 12.5 CPD hours for the two conference days and a further 4 hours for the workshop.

17th Annual Board Secretary and General Counsel 2026 is a Business & Management event taking place 13-15 Oct 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai (Jumeirah Beach Residence), Dubai, United Arab Emirates.