Arthur Carmazzi to open HR Tech MENA Summit 2026 in Dubai

QnA International has announced the full lineup for the 12th Annual HR Tech MENA Summit, set for 9-10 September 2026 at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah. The event will focus on agentic AI, workforce strategy and human-centered execution, with Arthur Carmazzi delivering the opening international keynote.

Why it matters: - HR Tech MENA is positioning itself as a regional checkpoint for how AI changes HR, leadership and workforce planning. - The 2026 summit is built around a practical question for employers: how to scale AI without weakening the human culture that supports performance. - The event brings together HR and technology leaders from banking, government, hospitality, healthcare and energy.

What happened: - QnA International announced the full lineup for the 12th Annual HR Tech MENA Summit 2026. - The summit will take place on 9-10 September 2026 at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, UAE. - The event theme is "The Era of Execution: Where AI Gets Human." - Arthur Carmazzi will deliver the opening international keynote.

The details: - Carmazzi is ranked for the third consecutive year, in 2024, 2025 and 2026, as the World’s No. 1 Thought Leader in Organizational Culture and among the Top 13 global voices in Leadership. - Carmazzi is a bestselling author, founder of DC Psychology and architect of the Amazon No. 1 bestseller GAME ON: Reinventing Organizational Culture with Gamification. - Carmazzi’s recent work includes The Little AI Book of Organizational Culture Change. - Carmazzi also created the Psychology-Based, AI-Powered Human Resources Metaverse and the "Journey to The Future" organizational AI learning boardgame. - Carmazzi said, "AI will not take your job. Your unwillingness to lead it will." - Carmazzi said the biggest challenge across the GCC is people using AI to become lazy rather than better. - Carmazzi said organizations often bolt AI onto old habits instead of building an AI and human partnership mindset. - Carmazzi said delegates should expect a session focused on giving AI the right human data and leadership, and on using gamification as performance measurement. - Carmazzi said future AI agents will not only execute work but also study people and coach them. - The summit will feature leaders from FAB, Emirates NBD, Elsewedy Electric, United Arab Bank, Hilton, Miral, NEOM, Aster DM Healthcare, Yum! Brands, the Department of Finance, Dubai Government and the UAE Space Agency. - Two agenda streams will focus on "Coding the Future of Work, One Employee at a Time" and "Building a Culture of Learning with AI Mastery." - Topics include agentic AI in HR, ethical AI governance, workforce prediction analytics, generational integration, employee experience and leadership mindset. - HR Tech MENA 2026 is expected to bring together 400+ HR and IT leaders and 30+ HR solution providers and consultants. - The event will span two days of networking for CHROs, CTOs and other C-level speakers.

Between the lines: - The summit’s framing suggests the HR conversation in the region is shifting from AI experimentation to operational adoption. - The emphasis on culture and change alignment reflects a broader view that technology alone does not deliver transformation. - By spotlighting agentic AI, the program is signaling that autonomous systems are becoming a near-term planning issue for HR leaders.

What's next: - Delegates can register at hrtechmena.com. - The summit will unfold over two days in Dubai and is expected to center on how organizations apply AI in ways that improve performance and preserve human judgment. - The agenda will test how far regional employers are willing to move from AI theory to execution.