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Presented by Emma Jordaan & Sarah Brooks.
Join us for a high-impact morning designed exclusively for HR professionals, L&D leaders, and people-first changemakers who are shaping the future of work across the region.
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Whether you’re looking for practical strategies, fresh thinking, or the chance to connect with like-minded professionals, HR & CQ: Breakfast Bites is your new go-to community event.
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Here’s what to expect:
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You’ll start the morning with the opportunity to connect with fellow HR and people leaders from across the region, building meaningful connections within the GCC’s people-first community.
We’ll then dive into our first HR & CQ Breakfast Bites of 2026, where Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan will focus on the key HR and Cultural Intelligence trends shaping the workplace in the year ahead, with a practical and interactive look at what these shifts really mean for HR leaders.
We’ll explore the major themes influencing organisations in 2026, including:
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ESG and the growing role of HR, in driving people-centered business practices
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AI in the workplace, where technology can add value and where human judgement and Cultural Intelligence remain essential
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Change and flexibility, as organisations adapt to more mobile, hybrid and constantly evolving ways of working
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Wellbeing 2.0, how inclusive approaches help people thrive
Expect insight, energy, and practical takeaways you can immediately apply in your organisation.
Speakers
Emma Jordaan
Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a training consultancy that Cultural Training and coaching. Emma is a thought leader in Cultural Intelligence (CQ), a field dedicated to understanding and improving cross-cultural interactions in global and diverse environments. Emma is a CQ Fellow, part of an elite group of global experts specialising in the application of Cultural Intelligence. Emma is a TedX speaker and also been a keynote speaker at major events such as Gitex, HRSE and the L&D Summit and been featured in numerous Middle East business publications such as Gulf Business Leaders & Middle East Consultant Magazines, along with appearances on DubaiEye 103.8 radio station. Emma is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Plus she has an upcoming Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Strategy book which offers practical insights and strategies to help professionals thrive in a diverse workplace.
Sarah Brooks
Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities