EO MEPA Leadership Summit and Unleashed 2026: Leadership, Connection and Community in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam brought together EO leaders and members from across the Middle East, Pakistan and Africa (MEPA) for four days of leadership development, peer learning and meaningful connection at the 2026 MEPA Leadership Summit (MLS) and Unleashed.

With 17 chapters represented at the Leadership Summit and 18 at Unleashed, the gatherings created opportunities for members to exchange perspectives, strengthen cross-chapter relationships and build connections that extend beyond the events themselves.

Held on 29–30 September at Johari Rotana Dar es Salaam, the MEPA Leadership Summit explored the theme “Untethered Leadership: Lead with Presence.”

Throughout the experience, members were invited into a different pace of thinking—one that allowed space for observation, recalibration, and more deliberate decision-making. The emphasis was on how leadership is experienced in practice: how leaders show up in moments of pressure, hold space for others, and shape outcomes through their presence.

Through facilitated leadership reflection, Compass exercises, Chapter Board Mashups, Expert Breakouts, and Six Thinking Hats, participants explored how they navigate complexity and create more deliberate outcomes. The program also included 90-day commitments, translating insights into practical next steps beyond the summit.

The experience was designed around three dimensions of leadership: Presence, Perspective, and Power. Presence anchors leaders in the moment, Perspective broadens their understanding of the systems around them, and Power shapes how they influence what happens next.

The summit welcomed 111 members representing 17 chapters: EO Bahrain, EO Cape Town, EO Dubai, EO Durban, EO Jeddah, EO Johannesburg, EO Jordan, EO Kenya, EO Lahore, EO MEPA Bridge, EO Morocco, EO Oman, EO Qatar, EO Riyadh, EO Saudi East, EO Tanzania, and EO Uganda.

Unleashed: Strengthening Connections Across MEPA

From 1–2 October, Unleashed continued the momentum, bringing together members from 18 MEPA chapters for further opportunities to connect, exchange experiences and strengthen the regional community.

Across both gatherings, the emphasis extended beyond the formal program. Shared experiences and informal conversations created space for members to build relationships across chapters, deepen their understanding of one another and strengthen the connections that make the EO community valuable.

Bringing the Community Together

Social experiences were an important part of the four-day program, offering members opportunities to connect in a more relaxed setting and experience the warmth of Tanzanian hospitality.

The program opened with a beachside dinner at Bravo Coco, featuring chapter awards to celebrate chapter achievements and recognize Platinum members for their longstanding commitment to the EO community.

The ceremony recognized chapters for their outstanding member renewal rates in FY2025/2026, with EO Kuwait and EO Jordan both achieving 100% renewal. Other recognized chapters included EO Dubai, EO Karachi, EO Islamabad, EO Jeddah, EO Lahore, EO Oman, EO MEPA Bridge, EO Uganda, EO Kenya, EO Tanzania, and EO Saudi East, all achieving renewal rates above 90%.

The MEPA Chapter Growth Excellence Awards recognized chapters for their contributions to strengthening the EO community, with EO Cape Town taking first place, EO Karachi second place, and EO Lahore third place. These recognitions celebrated the commitment of chapter leaders and members to building thriving communities and supporting the continued growth of EO across MEPA.

Looking Ahead

The 2026 MEPA Leadership Summit and Unleashed reinforced the value of bringing EO leaders and members together across chapters and borders. From intentional leadership reflection to peer learning and shared social experiences, the gatherings created opportunities to turn conversations into insights, relationships into stronger connections, and learning into action.