Cairo’s L&D Hub Conference Aims to Reshape MENA Business Strategy

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 11-05-2026

4 min

Cairo hosts the L&D Hub Conference on 13 June at Le Méridien.

It gathers L&D, HR and business leaders to address skill gaps.

Three tracks cover “Back to Basics”, AI-driven impact, and workplace well-being.

Speakers include regional CEOs, consultants and chief people officers.

Organisers aim to reconnect learning with business strategy across MENA.

On 13 June, Cairo will host a new gathering aimed squarely at the people shaping how organisations learn and grow. The L&D Hub Conference is set to take place at Le Méridien Cairo Airport Hotel, organised by The Trainer, bringing together specialists in Learning and Development, Human Resources, and training companies to look at what comes next for the sector.

If you’ve spent any time around startup founders in the region, you’ll know how often the subject of team capability comes up. I remember sitting with an early-stage founder in Cairo last year who told me, half-jokingly, that hiring is the easy part, “getting everyone to actually grow together, that’s the real headache”. Events like this are trying to tackle exactly that kind of challenge, without making it a bit of a faff.

The conference is designed as a strategic platform, not just a series of keynote talks. The goal is to open proper conversations about the realities of today’s workplace, from fast digital shifts to skill gaps, and to connect global expertise with the needs of the local market. For many in the MENA ecosystem, that bridge is long overdue.

This year’s speaker line-up reads like a who’s who of regional business and L&D leadership. Among those scheduled to take part are Kareem ElHennawi, CEO of ESLSCA University; Eslam Sayed, Founder of LearnKhana; Bassem Emad, CEO and Co-founder of ASPIRE Consulting International; and Abdallah Sallam, CEO of Madinet Masr. They will be joined by Ahmed Badr of AB & Associates Middle East, Hesham El Gamal of Quest, Walid Galal, Partner and Board Member at LOGIC, and Hassan Elmiligui, COO of ESLSCA University, among others.

The HR perspective is also well represented. Sally Hussein, CHRO of Hassan Allam Properties, is on the agenda, alongside Kareem Abu Bakr of Miqrah Learning & Development, Khaled Degwy of PracteX – House of Corporate Simulations, Ahmed Amin from Savola Foods Company UAE, and Ahmed Safwat, Regional People and Culture Director at Geidea. It’s a broad mix, which feels spot on given how intertwined L&D and business strategy have become.

The programme is built around three main tracks. The first, titled “L&D – Back to Basics”, aims to strip away buzzwords and revisit the fundamentals. It focuses on reconnecting learning initiatives to real business performance, understanding human behaviour, and applying modern learning science. In my view, that back-to-basics approach is definately needed; sometimes we overcomplicate what should be practical and measurable.

The second track, “AI-Driven Learning Impact”, explores how data and generative AI tools can deliver measurable return on investment. At the same time, it looks at governance and ethics in deploying these technologies. That said, I’m not a fan of adopting AI just because it’s trendy. The real test is whether it improves learning outcomes, not just dashboards.

The third track shifts gears to well-being. Under the theme “Well-being – From Metrics to Mindfulness”, discussions will examine how organisations can build psychologically healthy workplaces, foster resilience, and manage digital stress. Well-being, the organisers argue, should be treated as a strategy for sustainable high performance, not just a tick-box HR initiative. And believe it or not, in high-growth startups this is often the first thing to be ignored.

The conference is backed by several partners across the learning and consulting landscape. ASPIRE Consulting International joins as Strategic L&D Partner, ESLSCA University as Strategic Educational Partner, and LearnKhana as Strategic Digital L&D Ecosystem Partner. Platinum sponsors include AB & Associates Middle East Management Consultants, Mirqah, Quest, PracteX – House of Corporate Simulations, and Quick-Wins, with Logic Training & HR Development as Gold Sponsor.

Support also comes from Beyond Insurance Brokerage as Insurance Partner, mtc Grow Hub as L&D Startup Partner, Influence Group as Communications Partner, 925 Magazine as Media Partner, and Social Specialty Coffee as Specialty Coffee Partner.

For readers of Arageek who follow the region’s entrepreneurship scene, the direction of L&D is more than a corporate talking point. It shapes how startups scale, how talent stays, and how ideas turn into something durable. Whether this new hub becomes a fixture on the calendar remains to be seen, but the intention is clear: to put learning back at the centre of business strategy in the MENA region – and, well… that’s a conversation worth having.

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