Riyadh | BETH
January 8, 2026

The International Labour Market Conference has announced the list of keynote speakers for its third edition, scheduled to take place on January 26–27, 2026, at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, under the theme “Shaping the Future.”

The conference will welcome more than 200 international speakers and experts representing over 120 countries, including more than 40 ministers of labour, heads of international organizations, leading economists, chief executives, and policymakers, reinforcing the conference’s position as a leading global platform for developing solutions to labour market challenges.

The 2026 edition will be held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and will address key transformations reshaping the world of work, including technological change, skills development, labour market resilience, and policy alignment with evolving work patterns.

Strong Global Partnerships

The conference’s standing as a trusted international platform for labour market policy cooperation is further strengthened through strategic partnerships with leading global organizations, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), The King’s Trust International, UN Tourism, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Misk Foundation.

High-Level Participation

The third edition will feature prominent speakers and decision-makers, including:

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Minister of Sport

Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology

Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics Services

Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf, Minister of State

Ahmed bin Aqil Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism

Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Minister of Education

Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization

Ministers of labour and senior officials from Turkey, South Africa, the Philippines, Egypt, Switzerland, Austria, alongside senior leaders from the World Bank Group

Agenda Addressing the Transformation of Work

Over two days, the conference will host specialized sessions examining labour market issues from multiple perspectives, with a strong focus on international knowledge exchange, policy experiences, and shared challenges facing global labour markets.

Key sessions include:

A high-level discussion on global trade shifts and workforce competitiveness, examining the impact of changing supply chains on jobs and skills

A dialogue on new skills systems, accelerating alignment between education, training, and labour market needs

A dedicated session on artificial intelligence and the future of work, exploring its impact on job quality, productivity, and equal opportunity

The agenda also includes in-depth discussions on the informal economy, pathways toward more flexible and sustainable work models, and building labour markets resilient to global crises.

Innovative Policy-Making Formats

The conference introduces innovative formats that distinguish it from traditional policy forums, including:

The Policy Platform, bringing policymakers and experts together to co-create policy outcomes

Labour Market Hackathons, encouraging data-driven solutions to real-world labour challenges

The “Passing the Torch” initiative, empowering emerging leaders to engage directly with decision-makers and fostering intergenerational dialogue

Ministerial Meeting

Alongside the conference, a closed ministerial meeting will bring together more than 40 labour ministers to discuss labour market policy priorities, access to employment opportunities, and mechanisms for aligning political direction with development goals, further cementing the conference’s role as a high-level annual forum for global labour policy dialogue.