About the event
第三届人力能力倡议大会（HCI）——全球首个专注于人力能力发展的国际会议，由沙特王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼殿下赞助。会议由沙特"愿景2030"框架下的人力能力发展计划组织，以 #TheHumanCode 为主题，聚焦技能、未来工作、教育、人工智能与科技。大会汇聚 250 多位思想领袖、政策制定者、首席执行官、投资者及学术专家，预计吸引 30,000 名参观者。英国与北爱尔兰担任本届大会主宾国。
大会在利雅得阿卜杜勒阿齐兹国王国际会议中心举办，占地 40,000 平方米，同期在丽思卡尔顿酒店举办国际教育展（EDGEx）。大会聚焦三大核心主题：深度连接以构建真实社会纽带、分析性思考以理解并探索未知、有意义的创新以在社会中创造切实价值。
大会邀请众多知名演讲嘉宾，包括 Cintana Education 总裁 Douglas Becker、世界银行人类发展副行长 Mamta Murthi 博士、Darahim 首席执行官 Sultan Al-Khayyal、Ramthan 联合创始人 Asim Al-Rajhi、QS Quacquarelli Symonds 首席执行官 Nunzio Quacquarelli、沙特国王大学副教授 Sarah Al-Aqil 博士、以及沙特数据与人工智能管理局（SDAIA）内容总监 Naif Al-Obaidallah。议题涵盖技能发展、未来工作及教育数字化转型。
大会将于 2026 年 5 月 3 日至 4 日在利雅得阿卜杜勒阿齐兹国王国际会议中心举办，由人力能力发展计划组织。免费参会，需提前通过以下链接注册：hci.org.sa/register。
Agenda
36- 09:00–09:30Day 1 | Registration: Registration
- 09:30–09:50Day 1 | Registration: Opening of HCI 2026
- 09:50–10:05Day 1 | Ministerial Keynote: #TheHumanCode - Key Theme of HCI26A ministerial keynote by Yousef Bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Minister of Education outlining the purpose of HCI 2026.
- 10:05–10:35Day 1 | Ministers Panel: Cultivating Human Capabilities for a Resilient and Inclusive SocietyIn this session, Ministers of Education, Social Development, and the Economy explore the human capabilities required for societies to thrive, economically, socially, and ethically, and how capability nurturing must evolve.
- 10:35–11:05Day 1 | Panel: Enhancing Human Creativity in the Intelligent Tech AgeHow to increase opportunities for human contribution and creation in the intelligent age rather than reduce them?
- 11:05–11:15Day 1 | Keynote: Ministerial/ Sponsor Keynote
- 11:15–11:35Day 1 | Experts Talk: Economic Uncertainty, Labor Markets, and the Case for ResilienceGlobal economy is shaped by significant uncertainty. Hear from a leading economist on key drivers, and how they are transforming labor markets and necessitating a focus on economic resilience and upskilling.
- 11:35–12:00Day 1 | Announcements: Large-scale, high-impact Announcements and MoUs
- 12:00–12:15Day 1 | Case Study: Public Private Cooperation: Fueling Capabilities DevelopmentPartnerships and cooperation between the public and private sectors can fuel investment in learning. Hear firsthand examples of successful public-private partnerships.
- 12:15–12:25Day 1 | Fireside Chat: Philanthropy Fuels LearningPhilanthropy plays a critical role in expanding access to learning and skills development. This session explores how philanthropic organizations support learners, educators, and communities.
- 12:25–13:00Day 1 | Panel: Building Capability for EntrepreneurshipThe session reframes entrepreneurship as the ability to sense opportunity and create value - capabilities essential to innovation, job creation, and economic resilience.
- 13:00–14:30Day 1 | Break: Lunch and Networking
- 14:30–15:00Day 1 | CEOs Panel: Steering your Company when Change has Become a NormCEOs from global companies discuss leadership skills required in an increasingly uncertain business environment.
- 15:00–15:10Day 1 | Keynote: Ministerial/ Sponsor Keynote
- 15:10–15:40Day 1 | Panel: Is the Skills Gap Real; or Are We Measuring the Wrong Things?This session challenges the narrative that the skills gap is a failure of education, examining how outdated assumptions about credentials and hiring practices contribute to misalignment between education and work.
- 15:40–16:10Day 1 | Panel: Why Skills Alone Won't Build Inclusive SocietiesDiscussion on whether we also need changes in hiring practices, job quality, economic security, and the systems that determine who gets access to opportunity, including for people with disabilities, neurodiversity & special needs.
- 16:10–16:20Day 1 | Keynote: Ministerial/ Sponsor Keynote
- 16:20–16:40Day 1 | Panel: Sectorial SpotlightSpeakers outline specific requirements and outlooks in key national sectors such as: Manufacturing, Media, Travel, Tourism & Logistics, Evolving Technologies.
- 16:40–17:00Day 1 | Debate: Beyond Badges: What Actually Builds Capability?This session examines what actually enables people to develop durable skills and apply them in real-world contexts, drawing on evidence from learning science and practice.
- 17:00–17:10Day 1 | Closing: Wrapping up Day 1
- 10:00–10:30Day 2 | Panel: Fostering an Environment for Capabilities to ThriveIntelligent technology can crowd out moments of connection. How to nurture the relational environments needed for capabilities to thrive?
- 10:30–10:50Day 2 | Experts Talk: Building Life's Launchpad: Why Early Years Matter MostThe session examines the decisive role of early childhood in shaping cognitive, emotional, and social capacity, and confronts barriers that keep access uneven.
- 10:50–11:20Day 2 | Panel: Equitable Access to Education and Economic Opportunity - Will AI Widen or Narrow the Gap?This session examines whether AI will widen inequalities or expand access, exploring policy, design, and choices that determine who benefits and who is left behind.
- 11:20–11:50Day 2 | Panel: Reskilling and Career Guidance in a Non-Linear, Gig EconomyThis session explores how reskilling can better support mobility, resilience, and agency in a global gig economy.
- 11:50–12:10Day 2 | Panel: Vocational Pathways That Work in a Changing EconomyThis session examines how vocational training systems can be strengthened to respond to changing labour markets.
- 12:10–12:30Day 2 | Panel: Leading Universities - When the Old Model No Longer WorksHow to lead institutions built for knowledge transmission through an era that demands human capability such as judgment, adaptability, and lifelong learning?
- 12:30–13:00Day 2 | Panel: How Connections between Nations Enhance Learning?Stakeholders discuss how international cooperation can enhance learning and capability building.
- 13:00–14:30Day 2 | Break: Lunch and Networking
- 14:30–15:00Day 2 | Panel: Making Human Capital InvestableThe session explores new ways to measure impact, share risk, and structure investments so that long-term human development delivers both financial returns and fairer, more resilient economies.
- 15:00–15:20Day 2 | Debate: Decoding the Signals of the Labor MarketA labor economist, CEO, education leader, and employer representative decode the signals and explain how to project capability need far enough in advance to ensure availability.
- 15:20–15:40Day 2 | Panel: Human/ AI Interface: Keeping Humans in ControlThis session explores how people can use AI to enhance insight and efficiency while retaining meaningful control over decisions, values, and outcomes.
- 15:40–16:00Day 2 | Panel: Setting the Boundaries: Safety and Accountability in AI UseThis session explores how organisations can define guardrails for AI, covering transparency, bias, human oversight, and accountability.
- 16:00–16:20Day 2 | Panel: Capabilities and Skills for Green TransitionsClimate change and the shift to renewable energy are creating demand for new green skills. Companies and policy makers discuss how to develop these new skills.
- 16:20–16:30Day 2 | Fireside Chat: Sectorial SpotlightSpeakers outline specific requirements and outlooks in key national sectors: Manufacturing, Media, Travel, Tourism & Logistics, Evolving Technologies.
- 16:30–16:45Day 2 | Keynote: Language, Thought, and What It Means to Be HumanThis session explores how language and culture influence cognition and defines us as humans in an increasingly automated world.
- 16:45–17:00Day 2 | Closing Remarks: When All Is Said and Done: HCI Commits
Speakers
21Adam PortlockPresidentAdrian MesserliPresident of Hotel Operations, EMEAAlex WongSenior Advisor, Office of the Secretary-GeneralDr. Ali Haidar AhmedMinister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills DevelopmentDr. Anđela JakšićMinister of Education, Science and InnovationDr. Athena MichaelidouMinister of Education, Sport and YouthBarry WinnVice-Chancellor & PresidentCharles HopkinsUNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards SustainabilityDouglas BeckerFounder & ChairmanSultan AlkhayalFounder & CEOAsim Al-RajhiCEODr. Sarah Al-AqeelOccupational Therapist & LecturerAbdulaziz Al-MubarakProfessional Esports AthleteYara AlNamlahFounder & CEONaif AlobaidallahCo-founder & COODr. Yousef AlshammariPresidentYousef AlsayedCEO & Co-founderDr. Mamta MurthiVice President, PeopleDr. Hang Chuon NaronDeputy Prime Minister & Minister of Education, Youth and SportNunzio QuacquarelliPresidentPierre Le ManhPresident & CEO
The venue
24.76N 46.74E
King Abdulaziz International Conference Center