Interviewer & Publisher: Dr. Mahmoud Mansi
The HR Summit & Expo (HRSE) is one of the largest and most well-known events for human resources, business, and tech professionals especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The event brings together HR leaders, innovators, and industry experts to share ideas and shape the future of the workplace. HR Revolution Middle East Magazine has been a media partner with HRSE and Informa Connect since 2015, and we are pleased to feature HRSE Senior Conference Producer Saahil Chiragh sharing with us valuable and exclusive insights.
“Successful transformation isn’t just about implementing new tools. It’s about bringing people with you, helping leaders adapt and giving employees the confidence and skills to embrace change.”
— Saahil Chiragh, HRSE
1. HR Revolution Middle East: The HR Summit & Expo has become one of the region’s most anticipated gatherings for HR professionals. From your perspective, what is the core purpose of the summit beyond simply bringing people together for a conference?
Saahil Chiragh: I think the biggest purpose is creating conversations that simply wouldn’t happen otherwise. The content is obviously important, but what makes HRSE different is bringing together HR leaders, CEOs, government representatives and solution providers who are all trying to solve similar challenges. If someone leaves with a new idea they can implement, a valuable connection, or a different way of thinking about their people strategy, then we’ve done our job. It’s about creating impact that lasts well beyond the event itself.
2. HR Revolution Middle East: The summit now serves HR communities across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. While these markets share many similarities, they also have distinct workforce priorities. How do you ensure each edition remains locally relevant while maintaining a consistent regional identity?
Saahil Chiragh: Every market has its own priorities, so we never take a one size fits all approach. We spend a lot of time speaking with HR leaders in each country, understanding what’s happening locally and building agendas around those conversations. The overall HRSE brand stays consistent because we’re focused on delivering high quality learning and networking, but the discussions themselves are tailored to reflect the challenges and opportunities in each market.
3. HR Revolution Middle East: The HR landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace with artificial intelligence, skills-based organizations, employee wellbeing, workforce transformation, and changing leadership expectations. How do you decide which themes deserve a place on the summit agenda each year?
Saahil Chiragh: The starting point is always listening to the market. We speak with CHROs, CEOs, practitioners and our advisory board throughout the year to understand what’s genuinely keeping them awake at night. AI is obviously a huge topic at the moment, but we’re careful not to chase headlines. We focus on themes that organisations are actively trying to solve, whether that’s AI adoption, leadership, skills, wellbeing or workforce transformation, and we make sure every session offers practical, implementable and actionable value rather than just theory.
4. HR Revolution Middle East: Every successful event leaves a lasting legacy. Looking back at previous editions, what achievements or success stories make you feel the HR Summit & Expo is creating genuine impact within the HR profession?
Saahil Chiragh: The biggest success for me is hearing that conversations started at HRSE have turned into real initiatives back in the workplace. Whether that’s partnerships, new strategies or ideas that have improved employee experience, that’s where the real value is. We’ve also built a community that comes back year after year because people genuinely trust the content and the quality of the conversations. That loyalty is something we’re really proud of.
5. HR Revolution Middle East: Let’s talk about the person behind the event. Your role goes far beyond logistics—it involves researching emerging trends, curating content, engaging world-class speakers, and collaborating with industry leaders. Which part of that journey do you find most rewarding, and what continues to motivate you?
Saahil Chiragh: For me, it’s a combination of the research and the relationships. I really enjoy understanding where the industry is heading, identifying the conversations that matter most, and finding speakers who are genuinely driving those conversations forward. Working closely with our speakers is one of the most rewarding parts of the role because it’s not just about inviting them to speak, it’s about building long term relationships and creating content that delivers real value for the audience. Over time, that’s helped us build a strong community of HR leaders who come back year after year to share ideas, challenge one another and contribute to the profession. Seeing an idea that started as a conversation months earlier become a packed session with people still discussing it afterwards is incredibly rewarding. That’s what keeps me motivated because every event is an opportunity to strengthen that community and help move the industry forward.
6. HR Revolution Middle East: As someone who spends countless hours speaking with CHROs, CEOs, learning leaders, and HR innovators across the region, what common challenge do you believe organizations are still underestimating today?
Saahil Chiragh: I think many organisations still underestimate how difficult change management really is. Technology, especially AI, is moving incredibly quickly, but successful transformation isn’t just about implementing new tools. It’s about bringing people with you, helping leaders adapt and giving employees the confidence and skills to embrace change. The organisations getting that balance right are the ones seeing the greatest long term success.
7. HR Revolution Middle East: Attendees often remember keynote sessions, but they may not see the months of planning behind them. Could you share a behind-the-scenes insight into what it really takes to produce an HR Summit & Expo that delivers meaningful value for every stakeholder?
Saahil Chiragh: People often think producing a conference is about finding speakers and building an agenda, but that’s probably only a small part of it. The real work starts months in advance through hundreds of conversations with HR leaders, partners and industry experts to understand what’s actually happening in the market. We challenge ourselves constantly by asking, “If someone gives us two days of their time, what will they leave with that they couldn’t get anywhere else?” Every session, every speaker and every discussion is chosen with that in mind. It’s a huge team effort, but seeing thousands of people engaging with the content makes it worthwhile.
8. HR Revolution Middle East: Artificial intelligence is reshaping not only the workplace but also the events industry itself. How has AI influenced both the design of the HR Summit & Expo and your vision for the future conference experience?
Saahil Chiragh: AI has definitely influenced how we think about both content and the attendee experience. From a programme perspective, it’s become one of the biggest conversations in HR, so we make sure we’re looking beyond the hype and focusing on practical use cases and responsible adoption. Internally, AI also helps us work more efficiently by supporting research and identifying emerging trends, but it doesn’t replace the human side of conference production. Relationships, creativity and understanding what the audience really wants are still things that require people.
9. HR Revolution Middle East: Looking ahead, what can HR professionals, learning and development leaders, and business executives expect from the upcoming editions of the HR Summit & Expo? Are there any new experiences or innovations that particularly excite you?
Saahil Chiragh: Our goal is to keep raising the bar every year. Attendees can expect more interactive sessions, more opportunities to network with peers, and more practical case studies from organisations that are leading the way. I’m particularly excited about creating experiences that encourage discussion rather than just presentations. The challenges organisations are facing are becoming more complex, so we want HRSE to be a place where people don’t just listen to ideas, they actively share solutions.
10. HR Revolution Middle East: Finally, after producing conferences that influence thousands of HR professionals across the Middle East, what message would you like to share with our readers at HR Revolution Middle East about the future of the HR profession—and what role do you hope the HR Summit & Expo will continue to play in shaping it?
Saahil Chiragh: HR has never been more important than it is today. It’s no longer just about managing people; it’s about shaping business strategy, driving transformation and building organisations where people can succeed. My hope is that HR Summit & Expo continues to be the place where those conversations happen, where ideas become action and where the HR community comes together to learn from one another. If we can continue helping organisations prepare for what’s next while building a stronger HR community across the region, then we’re doing exactly what we set out to achieve.