U.S.-Saudi Business Council President and CEO Charles Hallab served as a featured speaker at the 2026 Global Labor Market Conference (GLMC) held in Riyadh on January 26–27, 2026. Mr. Hallab participated in the panel “Speaking Up: How Dialogue Shapes Better Workplaces,” where he addressed issues related to worker productivity, retention, and equity from the perspective of U.S. employers and stakeholders. His remarks were followed by a candid exchange with His Excellency Eng. Ahmed Al Sharqi of the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and the session was moderated by Alasdair Ross of The Economist.
Mr. Hallab’s participation underscored the Council’s engagement in global labor policy dialogue and its interest in topics that influence workforce competitiveness and employer strategy. His involvement at GLMC 2026 complemented the Council’s broader mission to support informed engagement between U.S. stakeholders and Saudi labor market institutions.
The GLMC is a high-level international forum organized by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. Now in its third edition, the conference convenes policymakers, business leaders, labor market experts, and representatives from international organizations to examine structural shifts in labor markets and to foster collaboration on solutions for future workforce challenges.
The Forum featured over 200 speakers and more than 7,000 participants across sessions that explored workforce development, technological transformation, skills alignment, labor market resilience, and other global labor issues. The program also included innovative formats such as policy hackathons and ministerial roundtables aimed at developing practical responses to contemporary labor market needs.
