A review of the statistics for women’s participation in the Construction sector, both in terms of public and private sector involvement and a look at the key initiatives that have promoted change. What are the chief priorities that remain and what are the best and most practical options for delivery?

Wellness is increasingly being seen not only in terms of its importance for the individual but also for its impact on the commercial performance of the organisation. In reality, it’s overturning many of the traditional HR models and priorities. But what exactly does Wellness involve and how can it be measured? How can a business afford to focus on an individual, case-by-case basis and what are the metrics we can use to measure the firm impact on the bottom line?

One of the harsh realities of employment in the GCC is that all too many businesses pay according to an individual’s race and ethnicity, not on the basis of the shared generics of the job being done. How can this be overcome and proper, ethical reforms be put in place? How can a business change its culture and behaviour and do so in a way that is beneficial, not disadvantageous, to commercial performance?

Diversity quotients are a classic way of levelling the gender playing field, but how exactly do they work and what are the best steps in their delivery and implementation? Moreover, they can be notoriously provocative to other workers, so how can they be managed so that employee quality and individual KPIs are always moving ahead of purely gender and Diversity concerns? With ese correct mechanisms in place, what are the benefits to businesses and employees alike?

Sustainability is propelled by scientific study, in which women are significantly under-represented. This presentation follows the passion and commitment of a senior practitioner on breaking the gender bias and helping create one of the world’s most practical and effective energy-saving solutions. The session is founded on the relationship between science and personal ethics and concludes with some of the practical and everyday solutions that have resulted.

How do we best implement equality and diversity in an organisation, in such a way that the speed of change isn’t damaging and confusing to existing staff and unnecessarily disruptive to business culture? Is it best to use diversity quotas and positive discrimination, or to implement an intensive selection campaign that puts key KPIs front and centre of the recruitment process?

It is at Board level that gender and diversity issues are most paramount in the GCC. It’s the region with the world’s lowest percentage of Women Board members in both the public and private sectors, and successive reforms are only very slowly managing to change the picture. So how can we go about creating a mixed talent pool amongst the most senior echelons and what are the practical approaches proven to work?

An international review of the ‘big picture’ of Diversity issues and successful implementation and a comparison with the current status in the GCC. Why are gender issues so paramount in the private sector, for example, where successive initiatives have apparently failed to bite? How successfully have today’s speakers and panelists addressed the real, tangible issues and what are key areas still awaiting discussion and resolution?

An international review of the ‘big picture’ of Diversity issues and successful implementation and a comparison with the current status in the GCC. Why are gender issues so paramount in the private sector, for example, where successive initiatives have apparently failed to bite? How successfully have today’s speakers and panelists addressed the real, tangible issues and what are key areas still awaiting discussion and resolution?