Her Excellency Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, and head of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, emphasized that the United Arab Emirates is committed to leveraging artificial intelligence across various work sectors to enhance productivity, purpose, efficiency, and creativity.
She stated that sustainable growth in the workplace relies on collaboration between the younger generation and artificial intelligence to create innovative models that redefine human resources from merely managing individuals to empowering them.
This message was delivered during her opening speech titled “Crafting the Future of Work: Technology with a Human Touch” at the annual conference and exhibition of the American Society for Human Resource Management – Middle East and North Africa 2025, held in Dubai, under the auspices of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.
The event featured over 400 speakers, including officials, experts, and specialists in talent management, human resources, and technology. During the conference, more than 30 extraordinary Emirati individuals were honored for their participation in training programs organized by the society in various fields, and a partnership was announced between the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the HR management association focusing on talent development and human resources.
Developments
The conference, themed “Shaping the Future of Work: Humanity, Purpose, and Potentials,” aimed to reshape the workforce landscape in a rapidly evolving world and to enable more adaptable organizations ready for the future, with discussions focusing on innovation linked to the human element.
The institutional goal during this transition was emphasized, with over 1,500 leaders from human resources and business sectors, including the public and private domains, top executives, human resource strategy experts, government officials, academics, entrepreneurs, and change-makers from regions including the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe participating.
Her Excellency Al Roumi pointed out that hosting the American Society for Human Resource Management conference in the UAE exemplifies its role as a living laboratory for innovation and advanced technology, showcasing the remarkable potential of human talent in shaping the future.
She further noted that the human resources sector is undergoing fundamental changes in talent acquisition, development, management, and leadership, driven by artificial intelligence, which is becoming the defining force of our era.
This transformation is reshaping industries, redefining services, and fostering innovative work environments. She highlighted that the UAE ranks among the leading countries globally in comprehensive artificial intelligence capabilities, as it adopts advanced AI solutions across vital sectors impacting community life.
Al Roumi added that the world is witnessing a more advanced generation of artificial intelligence known as “agent-based AI,” capable of performing tasks independently, affirming that the impact of this emerging sector will be profoundly transformative.
She mentioned that the UAE government has embarked on its journey to employ artificial intelligence in enhancing the human resources sector by launching the first-of-its-kind human resources assistant, providing over 100 services and procedures, redesigning the human resources landscape in the government.
Systems
The Minister of State for Government Development and the Future confirmed that technology is reshaping systems while the new generation is redefining its perspective on work, noting that “Generation Z” constitutes 25% of the workforce in the UAE federal government.
This generation displays bold expectations that challenge traditional models and human resource systems, necessitating a fresh mindset towards HR culture and leadership concepts.
She emphasized the need for governments to invest in lifelong learning and mentioned that the UAE government has addressed this need by developing and launching the “Ready” platform for future skills, which has developed the skills of over 65,000 government employees across 51 entities, amounting to more than a million learning hours in 200 courses related to AI, data, digitization, and sustainability.
Pioneering
Faisal Bin Batty Al Mehairi, Director General of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, delivered a keynote address during the conference, highlighting that the UAE leadership’s belief in people as the greatest wealth has propelled the nation to advanced regional and global standings.
He noted that the UAE is ranked first in the Arab world in the electronic government development index and fifteenth globally in the United Nations Human Development Index for 2025.
Al Mehairi pointed out that the labor market is changing at an unprecedented pace, with 44% of workers facing skill obsolescence within the next five years. By 2030, millions of new jobs requiring different skills will emerge, with 65% of today’s primary school children likely to be in occupations that do not yet exist.
He further stated that these trends underscore that the role of human resources transcends mere personnel management, extending to the design of the future of work. Al Mehairi highlighted that the authority is focused on cultivating the most future-ready talent by concentrating on three strategic priorities that will shape the human resources future in the UAE, which include designing a workforce ecosystem prepared for the future, establishing an agile, data-driven human resources system, and implementing advanced and innovative transformative governance for human resources.
He noted that the authority has launched an AI-driven human resource assistant, an advanced system that reimagines and delivers human resources services in the federal government.
This AI assistant is expected to yield significant benefits by enhancing productivity, reducing operational costs by over 50% through fewer inquiries to the human resources support center, saving around 55,000 work hours annually, and ensuring compliance while minimizing risks by providing accurate responses to HR and policy inquiries, maintaining alignment with federal human resources law.
Sessions
At the forum, Abdullah Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, and Ashal Khanna, CEO of the HR management association for India, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East, spoke, while Randi Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, delivered a keynote address on reimagining leadership in the age of artificial intelligence and human creativity, with the participation of government officials from various countries.
Simultaneously, the accompanying human resources exhibition featured over 40 exhibitors from leading global companies specializing in human resources and talent management.
During the forum, Her Excellency Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi honored over 30 graduates of the capacity-building and leadership programs organized by the American Society for Human Resource Management, consisting of national professionals working in the federal government, local authorities, and the private sector.
The graduates included participants from the “Preparing People Managers” program from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority.
Partnership
During the forum, Faisal Bin Batty Al Mehairi signed a memorandum of understanding for partnership and cooperation with Ashal Khanna, CEO of the HR management association for India, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East.
Ohood Al Roumi
The future of human resources is reliant on collaboration between youth and artificial intelligence to create innovative work models.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping systems while the new generations are transforming their outlook on work.