Global Labor Market Conference Brings Together Policymakers and Experts to Shape the Future of Work

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The Global Labor Market Conference (GLMC) has unveiled its speaker lineup for the third edition of the conference, taking place on 26–27 January 2026 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center (KAICC) in Riyadh. The conference will bring together speakers and experts from more than 120 countries, convening more than 200 international experts, including over 40 ministers, heads of international organizations, leading economists, CEOs, and policymakers, reinforcing the conference’s position as a leading global platform for shaping labor market solutions.

Held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, GLMC 2026 returns under the theme “Future in Progress”, reflecting the transformations reshaping the world of work, including technological transformation, skills development, strengthening labor market resilience, and aligning policies with the evolving nature of work.

GLMC 2026 is supported by strategic partnerships with leading international organizations, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), King’s Trust International, UN Tourism, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Mohammed bin Salman Foundation (Misk) – reinforcing its standing as a trusted global platform for collaboration on labor market policy.

The conference will bring together a distinguished lineup of speakers, including:

• His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee

• His Excellency Eng. Ahmad bin Sulaiman AlRajhi, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

• His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications & Information Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• His Excellency Saleh bin Nasser AlJasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim AlAssaf, Minister of State, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• His Excellency Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• His Excellency Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Minister of Education, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• His Excellency Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General, International Labour Organization

• His Excellency Vedat Işıkhan, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Republic of Türkiye

• Honorable Nomakhosazana Meth, Minister of Employment and Labour, Republic of South Africa

• His Excellency Hans Leo Javier Cacdac, Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers, Republic of the Philippines

• His Excellency Mohammed Gebran, Minister of Labour, Arab Republic of Egypt

• Mr. Jérôme Cosandey, Deputy Director and Head of the Labour Directorate, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Swiss Confederation

• Prof. Dr. Robert Holzmann, Former Governor of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Austria's central bank

• Her Excellency Mamta Murthi, Vice President for People, World Bank Group

The GLMC 2026 program will feature a range of specialized sessions examining labor market issues from multiple perspectives, with a strong focus on cross-country experience sharing, policy exchange, and addressing shared global labor market challenges.

Across two days, GLMC 2026 will feature a curated program of high-impact sessions aligned with its six thematic pillars. Among these is a high-level session on Global Trade Shifts and Workforce Competitiveness, examining how evolving supply chains are reshaping jobs and skills across economies. The program also includes a headline discussion on The New Skills Order, focused on accelerating alignment between education, training, and labor market needs, alongside a dedicated session on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work, exploring its impact on job quality, productivity, and equal access to opportunity. Additional in-depth discussions will address Informality and Shadow Economies, as well as strategies for Crisis-Proofing Labor Markets, reinforcing GLMC’s role as a forum for practical and forward-looking solutions.

The conference will also introduce expanded, action-oriented formats that distinguish it from traditional policy forums. The Policy Hub will bring policymakers and experts together to co-develop practical frameworks and recommendations, while Labor market hackathons will challenge participants to design innovative, data-driven solutions to real workforce challenges. In addition, the Passing the Torch format will create a dedicated platform for emerging leaders to engage directly with senior decision-makers, reinforcing GLMC’s commitment to intergenerational dialogue and long-term impact.

A central feature of GLMC 2026 is the Ministerial Roundtable, which will convene more than 40 labor ministers for a closed-door session to discuss labor market policy priorities. The discussion will focus on enabling individuals’ access to employment opportunities and exploring visions and mechanisms that help align policy directions with development objectives, reinforcing GLMC’s position as a high-level annual global forum for labor policy dialogue.

The full GLMC 2026 program is available on the website: https://www.glmc.com/glmc-2026

To attend the event, please complete the registration form on the website:https://registration.glmc.com/request-invitation/media