Mo Gawdat headlines the opening day as 3500 HR professionals, senior people leaders and solution providers gather at Za’abeel Hall 6, DWTC
Dubai, UAE– The HR Summit & Expo (HRSE Dubai), the largest and longest-running HR conference and exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa region, officially opened on October 14 under the patronage of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR). The event brought together a distinguished group of HR leaders and experts from around the world to discuss the key trends shaping the future of work, particularly artificial intelligence, future skills, and modern workplace models, and their impact on attracting, developing, and empowering talent.
On its first day, the summit welcomed 3500 HR professionals from 35 countries, including 200 Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) and senior people leaders, following three days of certified workshops and specialized masterclasses held at the Conrad Dubai Hotel.
The event was officially opened by H.E. Abdullah Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, while the HR Leaders Conference commenced with a keynote address delivered by H.E. Iman Bin Khatem, CEO of Policies and Programs at DGHR, who highlighted the importance of reimagining employee experience and advancing talent attraction and empowerment strategies to keep pace with the rapidly evolving world of work.
Commenting on the occasion, H.E. Abdullah Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, said: “The HR Summit & Expo Dubai serves as a leading global platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange on the future of work, at a time when labour markets are undergoing rapid transformation driven by technology, artificial intelligence, and evolving skills requirements. In Dubai, we firmly believe that investing in human capital is the most valuable investment for achieving sustainable development and enhancing institutional competitiveness.” He added, “This summit aligns with Dubai’s vision of building a more agile and future-ready government workforce through empowering talent, fostering a culture of innovation, and leveraging emerging technologies to enhance employee experience and productivity. It also provides a valuable opportunity to explore international best practices and exchange expertise that contributes to preparing the next generation of leaders capable of driving change and shaping the future.”
Headlining the day, Mo Gawdat, bestselling author and former Chief Business Officer of Google X, took the HR Leaders Conference stage with “AI Disruption: HR’s New Playbook for the Future of Work”. He challenged HR leaders to move beyond managing the fallout of technological change and become the architects of how their organisations adapt to it. His keynote was followed by an exclusive Q&A with HRSE Conference Chair Charlie Swan.
Commenting on the session, Mo Gawdat, Bestselling Author & Former Chief Business Officer, Google X, said, “The question for HR is no longer whether AI will change work. It already has. The question is who shapes that change inside the organisation. When HR leaders sit down with their technology teams, ask what people need to learn next, and treat AI as a way to make everyone more capable, adoption stops being an IT project and becomes part of how the organisation works. The leaders in this room are in a position to decide which way that goes.”
The morning’s main stage programme stayed close to the challenges HR leaders are facing right now. The opening panel on the new mandate for CHROs brought together Jacob Jacob of Aster DM Healthcare, Milan Makwana of LetterOne, Noaman Minhas of Bukhatir Group, Rahul Vikram Singh of Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sophie Massant of SSH Design, to discuss how HR earns board-level credibility by proving its contribution to business outcomes. A keynote from Daniele Galati of Indeed explored the shift towards skills-first hiring and what it means for the way organisations find and keep talent. The programme also emphasized on the human side of the workplace this morning, from supporting parents at every stage of their working lives, with the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and employers including Ethara, TAQA Transmission and Kraft Heinz, to building a cohesive workforce across generations, from Gen Alpha to Baby Boomers. In the afternoon, speakers from Al-Futtaim and Gulf Cryo turn to judging potential consistently and spotting the signs of resignation before employees leave.
Commenting on the day, Karim Bawani, Event Director, inD, said, “What we have seen on day one is a community that wants practical answers. The conversations on the stage and across the exhibition floor have been about AI, skills and how people want to work, and they are being led by people putting these ideas to work inside their own organisations. That is what HRSE Dubai embodies. Tomorrow goes further, with Stephen M.R. Coveyon trust and a closing panel on what workforce strategy looks like towards 2030.”
On the exhibition floor, 70 exhibitors showcased HR technology, learning and talent solutions through live demonstrations, while AI-powered matchmaking connected delegates with pre-booked 1:1 meetings.
The Future Workplace Awards at the Conrad Hotel on Day 1 brings the region’s HR community together to celebrate organisations and individuals building people-first, future-ready workplaces. Shortlisted nominees compete across 20 award categories, from Best Future of Work Strategy and Best Nationalisation Strategy to CHRO of the Year and HR’s Rising Star of the Year, with winners chosen by a 20-member judging panel of senior HR leaders from the region. Shortlisted organisations include DMCC, Daman, Etisalat, Emirates NBD, Almarai, Zain Group and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors.
Day two of HRSE Dubai scheduled for October 15, at Za’abeel Hall 6, will see Stephen M.R. Covey, New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author, present “The Human Advantage: Building High-Trust Leaders in the Age of AI”, followed by an exclusive Q&A. Speaking on the event, he said, “AI will make organisations faster, but speed without trust only gets people to the wrong place sooner. Tomorrow, I want to show HR leaders how to build the kind of trust that lets teams use AI with confidence, share what they are learning and give their best work. Trust is a skill that can be learned and practised, and HR is the function best placed to help leaders do it.”
Paul McDonagh-Smith of MIT Sloan School of Management will introduce a framework for HR leaders to change work, workforce and workplace together as AI is adopted, and Natalie Wharton, Founder & CEO of Wharton Business Consulting, will explore what mergers can teach organisations about de-risking AI transformation.
The day will also look at what boards now expect from the GCC CHRO, in a fireside chat with Sarah Young of inD and Dr. Adrian Waite of The GCC CHRO Masterclass, and at strategic workforce planning for uncertain times in the opening panel. Parallel seminar stages will cover learning and talent development, people and culture, and technology and innovation, while the exhibition and AI-powered matchmaking continue. The programme closes with a panel on a 2030 transformation blueprint for HR and workforce strategy, bringing together leaders from Boehringer Ingelheim, Colgate-Palmolive, Red Sea Gateway Terminal, Al Ghurair and Galfar.
HRSE Dubai is supported by Platinum Sponsors CVing, Daman, FranklinCovey Middle East, Informa Connect Academy, the Parent-friendly Label by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and Zoho; Gold Sponsors Keka and MIT Sloan Executive Education; and Awards Gold Sponsor Frazer Jones, with the ICF UAE Chapter as a Partner. HRSE Dubai is CPD-certified and powered by The HR Observer, offering insights from a global network of HR and talent experts.
HRSE Dubai is the region’s leading event for HR professionals, bringing together the people, ideas and solutions shaping the future of work. Through its conferences, certified workshops, exhibition and networking experiences, HRSE Dubai connects the HR community with global thinkers, industry experts and leading solution providers.
inD is a leading B2B Live Events Group in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With a portfolio of more than 40 major B2B brands, inD serves a range of high-growth market categories including Healthcare, Energy, Aviation, Food, Technology, Information Security, HR and Education. Headquartered in Dubai, with more than 1,000 Colleagues across the region, inD is a partnership between the Informa Group PLC, the world’s leading B2B Live Events Group, and DWTC, the region’s leading business enabler and global events powerhouse. As a subsidiary of Informa PLC, a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange, inD combines international scale and regional expertise with leadership in large-scale B2B event intellectual property to deliver world-class events that spark innovation, stimulate trade and drive economic growth.
SOURCE: MEDIA RELEASE / SUPPLIED CONTENT WITH IMAGES
