WOW! The Ultimate Collision of People, Data, and AI in Dubai
WOW 2026 in Dubai brings together global HR leaders, innovators, and AI experts to explore how people, data, and technology are reshaping the workplace.
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In boardrooms across the world, one question is becoming impossible to ignore: in an era defined by artificial intelligence, automation, and predictive analytics, what happens to the human in Human Resources?
This March, Dubai becomes the arena for that debate.
WOW!HR Global 2026 arrives with an ambitious premise — that HR is no longer a support function operating in the background, but the strategic nerve center of modern business. Held from March 5–7 as part of the Megacampus Summit, one of the world’s largest gatherings of entrepreneurs, the conference positions itself at the intersection of data, people, and AI — where culture meets code, and leadership meets algorithms.
The timing feels deliberate. As organizations accelerate AI adoption, they are discovering that technology alone does not transform companies — people do. Yet the rules governing talent, engagement, and organizational design are shifting rapidly. WOW!HR Global is stepping into that tension, asking how businesses can harness artificial intelligence without losing human intelligence.
The opening day promises bold thinking rather than incremental tweaks. Jamil Shinawi, CEO and Founder of AHOY, is set to provoke the audience with a controversial premise: how to build an efficient business without HR. It’s the kind of topic designed to spark friction — and reflection. Is HR evolving, dissolving, or being redesigned entirely?
Kunal Wadhwani, HR strategist and engagement economist, will shift the conversation from theory to financial reality, dissecting what he calls the “silent drain” of disengagement on corporate performance. In a data-driven economy, engagement is no longer a soft metric — it’s a balance-sheet issue.
Meanwhile, Halyna Kitor, People & Culture Leader at Tabby, will explore what HR looks like inside a modern fintech company where speed, scale, and digital fluency are non-negotiable. In high-growth sectors, culture is often the difference between acceleration and burnout.
Beyond visionary talks, WOW!HR Global leans heavily into case studies — transformation programs from institutions such as the Central Bank of Armenia and NAC Kazatomprom JSC, alongside retention strategies from Wildberries. These sessions move beyond inspiration into implementation, offering measurable frameworks rather than motivational slogans.
One of the most anticipated moments of the conference will be the closed-door executive session with Dave Ulrich, widely regarded as the architect of modern HR strategy. Reserved for select participants, the mastermind format promises direct dialogue with the thinker whose frameworks reshaped how corporations view human capital. In a decade where AI threatens to commoditize tasks, Ulrich’s presence underscores a deeper point: strategy, culture, and leadership remain fundamentally human pursuits.
The final day expands the lens beyond HR, immersing participants in the larger Megacampus Summit experience. Visionary filmmaker James Cameron brings lessons on building worlds and leading high-performance creative teams. Author Robert Greene explores influence and long-term strategic thinking. World chess champion Magnus Carlsen reframes competitive foresight for business leaders. Performance pioneer Wim Hof challenges assumptions about human potential itself.
The juxtaposition is deliberate. HR does not exist in isolation — it sits at the crossroads of leadership psychology, technological disruption, and economic transformation.
Perhaps what makes WOW!HR Global particularly relevant for the region is its location. Dubai has positioned itself as a laboratory for the future of work — blending entrepreneurial ambition with digital infrastructure and global talent flows. Hosting this conversation here signals that the Gulf is not merely adopting global HR trends; it is helping shape them.
Participation, then, is framed not as conference attendance but as strategic investment. High-impact networking, curated mentoring, and cross-border dialogue aim to create more than inspiration — they aim to create alignment between business strategy and human strategy.
As AI continues to rewrite operational playbooks, the companies that thrive will likely be those that master a paradox: embracing automation while amplifying humanity.
In Dubai this March, that paradox takes center stage.
In boardrooms across the world, one question is becoming impossible to ignore: in an era defined by artificial intelligence, automation, and predictive analytics, what happens to the human in Human Resources?
This March, Dubai becomes the arena for that debate.
WOW!HR Global 2026 arrives with an ambitious premise — that HR is no longer a support function operating in the background, but the strategic nerve center of modern business. Held from March 5–7 as part of the Megacampus Summit, one of the world’s largest gatherings of entrepreneurs, the conference positions itself at the intersection of data, people, and AI — where culture meets code, and leadership meets algorithms.
