HRSE - HR Summit & Expo is Informa Connect's HR conference and exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, running 1–3 November 2027, and billing itself as the region's largest HR festival.
HRSE - HR Summit & Expo, also called HRSE Dubai, is an annual in-person HR conference and exhibition organised by Informa Connect and held in Dubai. The 2027 edition is set for 1–3 November 2027 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, and its programme had not been published as of 2026-10-26. The 2026 edition combined a closed-door HR Leaders Conference, three free seminar streams, an exhibition of HR solution providers, certified workshops and the Future Workplace Awards. The organiser calls it "The Region's Largest HR Festival" and says it is powered by The HR Observer. The 2024 edition was announced as the 22nd edition (Gulf News headline), which makes it a long-running annual.
HRSE runs 1–3 November 2027, at Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (the organiser's page gives DWTC as the venue; the hall had not been stated as of 2026-10-26). The 2027 hours, workshop dates and awards date had not been published as of 2026-10-26. For reference, in 2026 the organiser's Plan Your Visit page gave these hours: Leaders Conference 08:00 to 17:00 and Seminars and Exhibition 09:00 to 17:30 on both days. Around the 2026 main event, certified workshops ran 11 to 13 October 2026 at the Conrad Hotel in Dubai, and the Future Workplace Awards took place on 14 October 2026 at the Conrad Hotel (Awards page: 18:00 to 21:00).
Informa Connect, the events division of Informa, organises HRSE (Informa Connect Limited, registered in England and Wales, company number 01835199). The organiser says the event is powered by The HR Observer, an HR news and insights site. The event director quoted by Khaleej Times on 6 October 2026 is Karim Bawani.
The organiser expected 5,500+ HR professionals in 2026 (organiser figure; Khaleej Times repeated it as an expectation, not a final count). No attendance figure had been published for 2027 as of 2026-10-26. The official site names the audience as CHROs, HR directors, vice presidents and heads of talent, culture and organisational development, plus managers, department heads, consultants and business partners. The closed-door HR Leaders Conference is described as a forum for senior HR leaders and C-suite executives, including senior public-sector leaders working on nationalisation and workforce strategy. The organiser's FAQ lists sectors including government, finance, healthcare, education, retail, energy and technology. No audited breakdown by seniority or country is published for 2026.
What is new for 2027 had not been published as of 2026-10-26; the event is now scheduled for 1–3 November 2027 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. For 2026, Khaleej Times (6 October 2026) named AI-powered one-to-one matchmaking as the new feature, with pre-booked meetings between delegates and HR leaders and innovators. The same article says the premium stage line-up is 90% new voices from C-suite executives and directors (organiser claim, relayed by the newspaper). The 2026 headliners were Mo Gawdat and Stephen M.R. Covey. In 2026 the main event moved to Za'abeel Hall 6 at DWTC and to 14 to 15 October; the 2025 edition ran 22 to 23 October in Halls 3 and 4 of the same centre, according to organiser pages that still carry 2025 dates (unverifiable information, because those pages contradict the current schedule). The 2026 certified workshops sat before the main event (11 to 13 October) rather than around it.
The 2027 programme had not been published as of 2026-10-26. The 2026 programme was published for both main days. Four content streams ran on 14 and 15 October 2026: the Premium Content Stage (HR Leaders Conference) and three free seminar streams, People and Culture, Learning and Talent Development, and Technology and Innovation.
Day-two stream labels on the agenda page are not printed per block, so the mapping of seminar blocks to stream names above follows session titles (unverifiable information).
In 2026 the formats were keynote "guru sessions" with Q&A, panel discussions, closed-door off-record case-study sessions at the HR Leaders Conference, 30 to 40 minute seminar talks on three free seminar streams, one interactive workshop and a networking challenge on the People and Culture stream, certified full-day and half-day workshops, live technology demonstrations on the exhibition floor, curated networking zones and AI-powered one-to-one matchmaking. The organiser advertised 120+ sessions across four content stages for 2026 (organiser figure); the 2027 format had not been published as of 2026-10-26.
Two in 2026, and none announced for 2027 as of 2026-10-26. The certified workshops ran 11 to 13 October 2026 at the Conrad Hotel, and the Future Workplace Awards gala ran on 14 October 2026 at the Conrad Hotel. The 2026 awards had 22 categories and 20+ expert judges (organiser figures); entries closed on 27 August 2026. The price of an awards-evening ticket is not publicly disclosed. The 2026 Platinum, Gold and Silver passes included workshop days; all four 2026 passes included the Future Workplace Awards.
Prices for 2027 had not been published as of 2026-10-26. For 2026, the booking page listed four delegate passes in dollars ($, currency code not stated), plus 5% VAT, with no early-bird deadline shown: Bronze, 2 days, $2,999 plus VAT ($3,148.95 including VAT); Silver, 3 days, $4,299 ($4,513.95 including VAT); Gold, 4 days, $5,399 ($5,668.95 including VAT); Platinum, 5 days, $6,399 ($6,718.95 including VAT). Bronze covered the two main days with no workshop days; Silver added one workshop day, Gold two and Platinum three. Every 2026 pass included the HR Leaders Conference, the Future Workplace Awards, the Delegate Lounge (lunch and refreshments), the two-day exhibition and content stages, and one year of Streamly access to HRSE recordings. Group discounts existed for three or more delegates from one company, requested through hrsummitsales@informa.com. Entry to the 2026 seminars and exhibition alone was listed as free on the Plan Your Visit page, through a separate visitor registration.
No public call for speakers or submission form was found on the 2026 site. The contact page names a Speakers and Content team: Shveta Sethi (Shveta.Sethi@informa.com, +971 4 407 2439) and Saahil Chiragh (Saahil.Chirag@informa.com, +971 4 407 2601). The official roster is largely senior in-house HR executives from UAE and Saudi companies, plus vendor-side speakers who also sponsor.
Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are handled by Karim Bawani (HRSales@informa.com, +971 50 8479796) and Darryl Willey (HRSales@informa.com, +971 55 21 22 410), with Chhavi Kumar (Chhavi.Kumar@informa.com) listed for exhibitor and sponsor relations. The site has a Sponsor or Exhibit menu with Why Sponsor, Past Attendees and LeadInsights pages, but stand prices and package details are not publicly disclosed. The organiser advertised 70+ global exhibitors for 2026 (organiser figure); 29 exhibitors were named on the 2026 list as of 10 October 2026.
The 2027 sponsor roster had not been published as of 2026-10-26. Published roster of 2026 sponsors, exhibitors and partners on the official site, as of 10 October 2026:
The tier labels are the organiser's. The exhibitor-list button on the homepage links to a 2025 URL, so the list above comes from the 2026 section of the homepage.
The roster is mostly employers sending their own HR leaders (Aster DM Healthcare, Bukhatir Group, Al-Futtaim, e&, Emirates NBD, AD Ports Group, Deliveroo, Yum! Brands, Kraft Heinz, TAQA group companies) alongside HR technology, learning and recruitment vendors (Zoho, Keka, Staffbase, PeopleStrong, Remote, iSpring, Pearson, Naukrigulf, ManpowerGroup Middle East). By sector, the speaker list leans to government-linked and Gulf corporate employers, healthcare, financial services, hospitality and food and beverage. The organiser publishes no percentage split of attendees by sector for 2026 (Not publicly disclosed).
Apply by email to the HRSE Dubai PR team: Chhavi Kumar, chhavi.kumar@informa.com (general enquiries MEenquiries@informa.com, +971 55 176 0524). The Media Centre states that complimentary passes go to analysts and journalists who commit to publishing at least one article, blog or insight about HRSE Dubai. Applicants must regularly cover HR, workforce, leadership or workplace topics and show bylined work from the past six months. Reporters need an outlet with more than 1,000 readers a month, two or more reporting staff and at least weekly industry news; association newsletters need 500 registered subscribers. Publishers, marketing, PR and sales roles are excluded, and credentials from past Informa events do not guarantee approval.
Khaleej Times published "The new HR agenda takes centre stage at HRSE Dubai 2026" on 6 October 2026 in its KT Network section, carrying the organiser's figures and quotes from Karim Bawani, Stephen M.R. Covey and Mo Gawdat. The Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported the 2024 opening day ("22nd HR Summit and Expo kicks off in Dubai"), with 4,500+ HR professionals, 124 speakers and 70 solution providers, and Gulf News covered the 2024 line-up. No post-event report for the 2025 edition was found. The organiser lists ten media partners (see the sponsors entry); the Media Centre page lists no press releases.
Four levels apply. Placed coverage: the ten listed media partners, each marked "(media partner)", are placed by the organiser. Independent but promotional: the Khaleej Times piece reads as event promotion built on organiser quotes and figures, and the page does not label it as sponsored or as not sponsored. Predictable but unconfirmed: coverage of the headliners' sessions before the event describes plans, not what was said. Claimed by the organiser without proof: attendance, exhibitor and session counts are the organiser's own, repeated in the newspaper. A post-event audited count was not found for any edition.
Skip it if you work outside HR, learning or HR technology: every stream is about the HR function. Skip the paid passes if you only want the exhibition and seminars, since those are listed as free. Delegates who need the closed-door conference should note that it is a senior-leader forum, so junior HR staff gain little from paying for it, and no vetting rule is published. Speakers hoping to apply through an open call should skip it, since none is published.
HRSE Dubai is an autumn event in Dubai, set for 1–3 November 2027 after 14 to 15 October 2026 (preceded that year by workshops on 11 to 13 October). Informa Connect also runs HRSE KSA at The Arena in Riyadh; its page title lists 1 to 2 September 2026 and its banner now shows 22 to 23 June 2027 (the page is internally inconsistent, unverifiable information). The Dubai edition has moved around the autumn: October 2024 (20 to 25 October announced), 22 to 23 October 2025 in Halls 3 and 4, 14 to 15 October 2026, and 1–3 November 2027. Other regional HR gatherings were not surveyed for this entry.
Yes. HRSE KSA (HR Summit & Expo) is held at The Arena in Riyadh, also by Informa Connect. Its 2025 edition ran 17 to 18 June 2025 with workshops at the Fairmont, Riyadh. For 2026 the page title says 1 to 2 September, and the banner shows 22 to 23 June 2027 for the next edition (unverifiable information on which date applies).
The official site and agenda are in English. The organiser does not state whether interpretation is offered. Not publicly disclosed.
There is no remote or virtual attendance option on the current pages. Every 2026 delegate pass included one year of Streamly access to HRSE and HR community event recordings. The organiser's FAQ page (which still carries 2025 dates) adds on-demand access to selected keynotes and conference sessions through the ConnectMe app (unverifiable information for 2026).
Refund eligibility depends on when you cancel, according to the organiser's FAQ page, and the full terms sit in the Terms and Conditions linked from registration, which could not be retrieved for this entry. Delegate passes are transferable and the registration team can update attendee names. Exact refund thresholds and fees are Not publicly disclosed on the pages checked. The event does not state a postponement or force majeure rule.
Not publicly disclosed. The Plan Your Visit page, the contact page and the FAQ page do not address accessibility; the organiser says its Code of Conduct applies to everyone attending, speaking, exhibiting or sponsoring.
The 2027 edition is at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), with the hall not yet stated as of 2026-10-26. In 2026 the main event was in Za'abeel Hall 6, Dubai World Trade Centre, on Sheikh Zayed Road. The organiser's getting-here page (which still carries 2025 dates) says the Red Line metro stops at World Trade Centre, Emirates Towers and Financial Centre stations a few minutes' walk from the venues, taxis queue outside, and buses 27 and 29 stop near DWTC. Parking is available in the DWTC Multi-Storey Car Park or Za'abeel Parking, first come first served, at AED 20 for the first hour and AED 10 per additional hour. In 2026 the workshops and the awards were at the Conrad Hotel, a short walk away (map pin about 25.2257, 55.2841 against 25.2245, 55.2854 for Za'abeel). No street address is published.
HRSE matters because it puts Gulf employers and the vendors who sell to them in one building across the same days. In 2026 the programme gave HR leaders a closed-door forum with two headline keynotes, while the free seminars and the exhibition (29 named exhibitors, 70+ claimed) cost nothing to enter. The 2026 paid passes, at $2,999 to $6,399 plus VAT, bought the conference, the awards and workshops; 2027 prices had not been published as of 2026-10-26. The 2026 roster of 158 distinct named speakers was dominated by practising HR heads from companies such as Aster DM Healthcare, e&, Emirates NBD and Yum! Brands, which is what a buyer of HR technology or a recruiter needs to meet. Informa Connect says the Dubai event has run for 23 years (its FAQ page, written for 2025) and also holds a sister event in Riyadh, so a vendor can plan two Gulf events with one organiser.
Every 2026 headline number is the organiser's: 5,500+ HR professionals, 125+ speakers, 120+ sessions, 70+ exhibitors and four stages. The same 5,500+ appears on the 2025 and 2026 pages, and Informa's own 2025 FAQ also says 4,500+, so the figure is a target rather than a counted result. The official speaker page lists 161 profiles (158 distinct names) against the 125+ banner, and an earlier research note of about 228 speakers is not supported by any official page. The Khaleej Times article repeats the organiser's expectations and is not an audit. No attendance audit, ABC certificate or post-event count was found, and nothing here is verified beyond the organiser's own pages.
The 2027 speakers had not been announced as of 2026-10-26. Published 2026 roster on the official speakers page as of 10 October 2026, covering conference, seminars and workshops (161 profiles, 158 distinct names; three people have two profiles): Mo Gawdat (former Chief Business Officer, Google X); Stephen M.R. Covey (Speed of Trust Global Practice Leader); Abdessamad Sobhi (Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority); Abdulaziz Al-Roomi (Boubyan Bank); Abdulrhman Alanzy (Confidential Government); Afnan Alnajim (Saudi Aramco); Agnes Mouawad (Vanguards Consulting); Ahmed Embaby (Confidential); Ahmed Saied (HRSE Chair); Ali Elsabban (Pearson Enterprise Learning & Skills); Aliaa Alhaj Yahya (Dubai Integrated Economic Zones); Amna Al Hosani (Ethara); Anas Hayel Saeed (HSA Group); Anja Petrovski (Al Nabooda Automobiles); Ankit Aneja (Sporty Group); Arshkiran Sandhu (Platinumlist Tickets); Ashok Gopal (Centena Group); Asmaa Ghalayini (ELECTRA); Avinesh Vinod (Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages); Avtar Gill (Soneva); Aylin Öney Dodanlı (Boehringer Ingelheim); Ayman Alissa (Kelio); Aysha Hamad Alhammadi (Daman); Betul Yalcin Emlek (Yum! Brands); Bron Mileham (Biz Group); Bryan Luro (ManpowerGroup Middle East); Chad Fahlberg (The Human Equation); Charlie Swan (conference chair); Charlotte Harris (Al-Futtaim); Charmaine Elizabeth Klima (Mubadala); Chidambaram Annamalai (Bindasmal Group Investments); Craig Austin (Khatib & Alami); Dalton Perras (MIT Sloan Executive Education); Daniele Galati (Indeed); Darlene Ann Roa (McCoin Virtual Assets); Darren Carrington (YouNique Consulting); David Coakley (GEMS Education); David Kelly (Al Rostamani Group); Dina Roshdy (Gulf Cryo); Donald Schmidt (ETS); Dr David H. Rosmarin (Harvard Medical School); Dr. Abdul Razak Adattil Marakkar (Daman); Dr. Adrian Waite (The GCC CHRO Masterclass); Dr. Don Vimal (Confidential Finance); Dr. Ebrahim Hasan Al Khajeh (Abu Dhabi Customs); Dr. Jassim Alawadi (Emirates NBD); Dr. Mira Zakharia (Rotana Hotels); Dr. Walaa Hindi (Sama Educational Company); Elloise Naidoo (DHL Global Forwarding); Farid Khan (Reckitt); Federica Ceresa (The Human Equation); Frederik Haentjens (Boxology); Gargi Banerjee (Kaplan Professional MENA); Graham Boyle (Iv3 Aqua); Hamad Alkhoori (Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority); Hanan Ibrahim (Al Ahly For Real Estate Development); Harsha Ramseshu (KEKA HR); Hilal Al Jadidi (Omran Group); Hisham ElSaied (CIPD Middle East); Ildiko Haraszi (TAQA Water Solutions); Imane Alaoui Staelen (People & Culture Transformation); Jacob Jacob (Aster DM Healthcare); Jagrity Singh (Smiths Group); Jamila Almur (Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority); Jessyca Joyekurun (MedQuick UAE & Global); Jig Ramji (inD); Jina Awkar (Marble HR Consulting); Jo Bteddini (JBHR Solutions); Karim Helbawi (Remote); Karim Salem (Pearson Enterprise Learning & Skills); Kawthar Aboushaar (AS Health Group); Kevin Hähnlein (Staffbase); Kevin Wippermann (TAQA Water Solutions); Khaled Al Mazrooei (Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement); Khaled R. El Said (Orascom Construction); Khaled S. Fathi (HR expert); Khalid Ahmad Ahli (UAE Space Agency); Layla Yousef Al Hassan (Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority); Louis Prevost (CVing Middle East); Lynne McGarvey (Warehouse Gym); Mahmoud Tayser El Dalaw (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank); Manojj Albert Jeyaraj (Al Futtaim Group); Mari Parian (EuroGulf Mobility Group); Mariia Lytvyn (L'IMAD); Marwan Mostafa (iSpring); Matthew Wilkins (Biz Group); Melitsa Mizrahi (PJP Investments Group); Mercedes Oakley (Deliveroo); Mickael Bomard (Kelio); Milan Makwana (LetterOne); Mohamed Wagdy (SKY Investments Holding); Mohamed Zaher (Parkin); Mohammed Alahmed (The OPEC Fund for International Development); Moutaz Mohammed Othman Mashhour (Neo Space Group); Mumtaz Hussain (e&); Mustafa Dokey (Mastermind & Associates); Mustafa El Rafey (former Mars, Starbucks and Majid Al Futtaim Retail); Myriam Dimitriou (General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority); Namrata Prasad (NOV); Nancy Zakharia Ohanessian (ICF UAE chapter); Natalie Gleeson (Pure Harvest Smart Farms); Natalie Wharton (Wharton Business Consulting); Nauman Janjua (Vinted); Nitin Bansal (Emirates NBD); Noaman Minhas (Bukhatir Group); Oliver Bardoe (HSBC Bank Middle East); Pallavi Singh (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone); Paul McDonagh-Smith (MIT Sloan School of Management); Paul Young (NMC Healthcare); Prem Anand Velumani (Zoho People); Princy Belinda Alexis (Zoho People); Rahul Bharti (EDGE); Rahul Vikram Singh (Zee Entertainment Enterprises); Rania Abdelrahman (Sener); Rawdhah Saleh (Confidential Finance Company); Reem Algasim (Airbus Saudi); Reena Mathew (Crowe UAE); Renu Dalani (Nestle); Rinki Dutta (Hala); Rita Abi Saab (C-level adviser); Sabil Abdulla (Emarat); Saeed Al Mehairi (TAQA Water Solutions); Saima Arfeen (executive coach, ICS Learn facilitator); Saliha Latif (Stronghold Global Capital Group); Samar Elmnhrawy (Red Sea Gateway Terminal); Samar Samy (Gulf Cryo); Sammy Njenga (strategic HR leader); Samuel Garcia-Cebadera (Colgate-Palmolive); Sara Boueri (Confidential); Sarah Abdulsalam (BNP Paribas); Sarah Teixeira Morello (Kraft Heinz); Sarah Young (inD); Sarah Zaman (Philip Morris International); Seema Hallon (Deriv); Seema Nagrath-Menon (HR expert); Selvi Supuriamaniam (Stanley Black & Decker); Sharif ElShater (Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development); Shefa Obaid Al Hammadi (TAQA Transmission); Shirin Bamboat (VFS Global); Shuja Rabbani (Confidential Aviation); Shyam Pandian (PeopleStrong); Sophie Massant (SSH Design); Suhrid Chaudhari (Al Ghurair); Sultan Al Dhaheri (Abu Dhabi Media Company); Sunil Bhatt (AD Ports Group); Tadzmahal Yancha Ulao (People and Culture leader); Tapan Acharya (KEKA HR); Trisha Gulati (Ajmal Perfumes); Unnikrishnan M (Burjeel Holdings); Uzma Chishti (Al Kabeer); Vanitha Nitin (Burjeel Holdings); Vidya Mudaliar (Jordana Restaurant, PizzaExpress UAE); Vincent Bouw (HR expert); Vineet Kumar (Al Rashed Food Company); Wael Bakhaty (Confidential); Walid Ajam (Yum! Brands); Zardasht Banay (Galfar); Zeena Zalamea-Turner (Soundbite).
Official site: https://informaconnect.com/hr-summit-expo/. General enquiries and delegate customer service: MEenquiries@informa.com, +971 55 176 0524. Sales: hrsummitsales@informa.com (Karim Bawani, Darryl Willey). Press registration: Chhavi Kumar, HRSE Dubai PR team (address on the Media Centre page, see the press accreditation entry). Marketing: Reshma Philip (address on the contact page). Certificates: MEcertificates@informa.com. Agenda: https://informaconnect.com/hr-summit-expo/agenda/4/ (day one) and https://informaconnect.com/hr-summit-expo/agenda/5/ (day two). Passes: https://informaconnect.com/hr-summit-expo/purchase/select-package/. Hashtag: #HRSEDubai.