H.E Ohood Al Roumi Opens Annual Conference for the SHRM

Her Excellency Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, and Chairwoman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR), affirmed the UAE’s commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence across sectors to boost productivity, efficiency, creativity, and sustainable growth in the workplace. She emphasized that the future of human resources lies in collaboration between younger generations and AI to create new models that go beyond managing people to truly empowering them.

This came in a keynote address titled “Shaping the Future of Work: Technology with a Human Spirit”, with which Her Excellency inaugurated the annual conference and exhibition of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Middle East & North Africa 2025, held in Dubai under the patronage of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.

The event brought together more than 400 speakers, including officials, experts, and specialists in the fields of talent, human resources, and technology. During the conference, over 30 distinguished Emirati professionals – graduates of SHRM’s training programs across various disciplines – were honored. The event also witnessed the announcement of a new partnership between FAHR and SHRM in areas related to talent and human capital development.

The conference, held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Work: Humanity, Purpose, and Potential”, aimed to reimagine the contours of the labor sector in a world undergoing rapid transformation, and to empower institutions to become more agile and future-ready. Its sessions focused on themes such as human-centered innovation, institutional purpose in business transformation, and organizational adaptability.

More than 1,500 participants took part in the event, including leaders in human resources and business from the public and private sectors, senior executives, HR strategy experts, government officials, academics, entrepreneurs, and change makers from across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and beyond.

H.E. Al Roumi noted that hosting the 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Society for Human Resource Management Middle East and North Africa in the United Arab Emirates reflects the nation’s role as a living laboratory for innovation and advanced technologies, and underscores the power of human talent in shaping the future.

Her Excellency stressed that the human resources sector is undergoing profound transformations in recruitment practices, talent development, and institutional leadership and management, driven by artificial intelligence – the defining force of the present era, reshaping industries, reimagining services, and innovating workplace environments. She noted that the United Arab Emirates occupies a leading position globally in comprehensive AI capabilities, adopting advanced solutions across vital sectors that touch every aspect of community life.

She added that the world is now witnessing the advent of a more advanced generation of artificial intelligence – HR AI Agent – systems capable of executing tasks autonomously. She affirmed that the impact of this emerging sector will be profoundly transformative. Pointing to the UAE government’s early steps in this direction, she noted that the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources has launched the region’s first HR AI Agent, offering more than 100 services and procedures, reshaping and redefining the human resources sector within government.

The Minister of State for Government Development and the Future emphasized that while technology is reshaping systems, the new generations are redefining their approach to work. She noted that within the UAE federal government, Generation Z accounts for 25% of employees. This cohort brings bold expectations that challenge traditional models and human resources frameworks, necessitating a fresh mindset in HR culture and leadership concepts.

She stated that the mission is to build a work environment in which all generations can thrive. In the UAE, young voices play a direct and strategic role in shaping the future of work. The Human Resources Youth Council has established a national policy outlining mechanisms to identify promising talents, develop and engage them, prepare them for leadership, and entrust them with impactful projects.

She added that governments must invest in lifelong learning, noting that the UAE has embraced this reality by developing and launching the “Jahiz” platform for future skills. The platform has enhanced the capabilities of over 65,000 government employees across 51 entities, providing more than one million hours of learning through 200 courses in the fields of artificial intelligence, data, digitalization, and sustainability.

Faisal Al Mheiri: UAE Leadership’s Belief in Human Capital Strengthens the Nation’s Regional and Global Leadership

In a keynote address at the conference, His Excellency Faisal Binbuti AL Mheiri, Director General of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, emphasized that the UAE leadership’s conviction that human beings are the nation’s greatest asset has reinforced the country’s pioneering role, positioning it prominently on both regional and global stages. He highlighted that the UAE ranks first in the Arab world on the E-Government Development Index and fifteenth globally on the United Nations Human Development Index for 2025.

Al Mheiri noted that the labor sector is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with 44% of the workforce expected to face skills obsolescence over the next five years. By 2030, millions of new jobs requiring entirely different skill sets will emerge, and 65% of today’s primary school children are anticipated to work in roles that do not yet exist.

He added that these trends underscore that human resources’ role extends beyond mere personnel management to shaping the future of work. The Authority is focused on developing highly future-ready talent by prioritizing three strategic pillars that will define the UAE’s HR landscape: designing a workforce prepared for the future, establishing an agile, data-driven human resources system, and implementing advanced, transformative HR governance.

He noted that the Authority has launched the HR AI Agent, an advanced system that redesigns and delivers HR services across the federal government. Al Mheiri emphasized that the HR Assistant will generate tangible impact by boosting productivity, reducing operational costs by cutting HR support center inquiries by more than 50%, saving approximately 55,000 work hours annually, and enhancing compliance while mitigating risks through precise responses to HR and policy questions, ensuring alignment with the Federal Human Resources Law.

Faisal Al AL Mheiri stressed that the potential of artificial intelligence is limitless, asserting that the UAE government’s mission is to continue developing ethical, human-centered, safe, and genuinely valuable solutions. He underlined that AI is not a replacement for human talent but a catalyst that amplifies productivity and makes services smarter and more seamless.

Keynote Sessions and Interactive DialoguesThe forum featured addresses by H.E. Abdullah Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, and Achal Khanna, CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in India, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. In a keynote, Randi Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, explored reimagining leadership in the era of artificial intelligence, creativity, and human potential, with the attendance of government officials from several countries.

The forum’s program included interactive dialogues and keynote sessions that examined emerging and future trends in the workforce and human resources sector. It addressed AI-augmented workforce strategies, AI-driven recruitment and career path engineering, the future of work, talent management in a changing world, and readiness for an AI-enhanced environment.

Running in parallel with the conference, the accompanying Human Resources Exhibition saw wide participation from more than 40 leading global companies specializing in HR and talent solutions. Over 250 sector professionals attended a series of executive sessions and panel discussions that explored the future of HR-related fields. Key themes included AI-powered recruitment, the future of work and skills in the digital transformation era, leadership in a complex and multi-challenged world, artificial intelligence and HR strategies, managing human resources in a changing environment, AI-driven leadership, and workforce planning in the age of artificial intelligence.

Honoring Emirati Graduates of SHRM ProgramsAs part of the forum’s proceedings, Her Excellency Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi honored more than 30 graduates of capacity-building and leadership development programs organized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The honorees represented national talent from the UAE’s federal government, local authorities, and the private sector.

The honoring included graduates of the People Managers Qualification Program from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, in the presence of His Excellency Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director-General of the Authority; participants of the Future Executive Leadership Program from the Government of Ras Al Khaimah, attended by Her Excellency Sheikha Ali Al Habsi, Deputy Director-General of Ras Al Khaimah’s Human Resources Department; graduates of the Emirati Talent Development Program from Dubai Islamic Bank, with Ms. Rafeea Mohammed Issa Al Abar, Senior Vice President – Head of Human Resources, in attendance; and graduates of the HR Certification Program from Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority, honored in the presence of Majid Hussein Al Mutawa, Director of Legal Affairs and Human Resources of the Authority.

Partnership for DevelopmentAs part of the forum’s activities, His Excellency Faisal bin Binbuti AL Mheiri, Director General of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Achal Khanna, CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in India, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.

The MoU aims to foster mutual benefit and knowledge-sharing between FAHR and SHRM, supporting the Authority’s efforts to advance the UAE government’s talent ecosystem, while highlighting the country’s global leadership and competitiveness in this field.

The MoU covers collaboration in professional development and educational programs, joint participation in conferences and events organized by both parties, as well as other areas related to human capital development.

It is worth noting that SHRM MENA is the regional arm of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest HR professional association, with over 340,000 members across 183 countries. The organization equips HR professionals and business leaders with the tools, resources, and global networks necessary to build better workplaces and accelerate organizational transformation.