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Under the leadership of Bassam Seddiq, President of ISPO Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom has officially announced its bid to host the ISPO World Congress 2029. The launch marks a defining moment for the region’s growing rehabilitation and assistive-technology ecosystem—signalling Saudi Arabia’s readiness to join the global stage of orthotics and prosthetics innovation.
An Evening of Innovation and Inspiration
The official ISPO World Congress 2029 Bid Launch will take place at
📍 The Terrace, Radisson Blu Hotel, RICEC, King Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz Road, King Abdullah District, Riyadh
🗓 Tuesday, 11 November 2025 at 7:00 PM
The event promises an engaging and collaborative evening designed to showcase Saudi Arabia’s vision for inclusive and technology-driven rehabilitation.
What to Expect:
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World Congress Bid Intro – ISPO Saudi Arabia leadership will present the Kingdom’s proposal to host the world’s foremost gathering of prosthetic and orthotic experts, innovators, and educators.
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Drinks & Small Plates – Guests will enjoy an evening of networking and cultural exchange with colleagues from across the Saudi Arabia and international ISPO community.
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Prosthetic Technology Demo – Live demonstrations from Ethnocare will spotlight locally focused technology and clinical-alignment solutions that embody the region’s commitment to research-driven care.
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O&P Saudi Networking – A platform for clinicians, engineers, policymakers, and partners to collaborate on the next phase of growth in Saudi Arabia’s O&P and rehabilitation sector.
Featured Speaker: Dr Nachi Chockalingham, Assistive Technology Advisor to WHO
Renowned globally for his work in clinical biomechanics, rehabilitation engineering, and assistive-technology policy, Dr Nachi Chockalingham will address the audience with a keynote presentation titled:
“Translating Innovation into Impact: Advancing Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology in the Gulf Region.”
About the Talk
In his proposed address, Dr Chockalingham will explore how translational research—the process of connecting scientific discovery to practical application—can ensure that innovation delivers real-world impact for people living with disabilities.
Drawing on more than three decades of experience as a Professor of Clinical Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies, and on his ongoing collaboration with the World Health Organization in the field of assistive devices, he will outline how the Saudi's growing engineering capacity can be mobilised to advance rehabilitation and assistive technology across the region.
While highlighting advanced technologies such as robotics and digital systems, Dr Chockalingham will emphasise that true impact is not measured by complexity—but by accessibility, affordability, and design that restores independence, inclusion, and dignity.
He will also examine the Saudi's emerging innovation ecosystem and stress the need for collaboration between engineers, clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and end-users to make assistive technology a basic human right, not a privilege.
Finally, in the context of Saudi Arabia’s bid for the ISPO World Congress 2029, the presentation will reaffirm how the region is uniquely positioned to play a leading global role in advancing rehabilitation engineering through inclusive, evidence-based, and human-centred innovation.
A Vision Aligned with ISPO and Vision 2030
The ISPO World Congress 2029 Bid reflects the Kingdom’s wider Vision 2030 goals: localising health technologies, expanding rehabilitation services, and empowering people of all abilities to thrive.
Under Bassam Seddiq’s presidency, ISPO Saudi Arabia continues to champion this vision—creating a bridge between global knowledge and regional innovation, and ensuring that every advancement in technology translates into a tangible improvement in human life.
For more information:
Follow @ISPOSaudiArabia on LinkedIn and Twitter for updates on the 2029 bid, event highlights, and future collaborations across the global O&P community.
The event has been kindly supported by Ethnocare, Turbomed, Qaadir and IMEA CPO
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