Riyadh: Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and the Chairman of the Human Capability Development Program (HCDP) Committee, the Human Capability Development Program has announced the third edition of the Human Capability Initiative. Scheduled to be held under the theme "The Human Code," the conference will take place on May 3 and 4, 2026, at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the third edition of the conference will focus on three main pillars: connecting with depth to safeguard human connection, reasoning through complexity to protect human judgment, and creation for value and meaning to preserve human contribution and purpose. These elements are seen as foundations for developing human capabilities and enhancing future readiness amid accelerated technological advancement, aimed at enabling sustainable human capability outcomes in the intelligence age.
The conference aims to attract over 15,000 visitors, including experts and specialists in the human capability development sector, and will host more than 250 local and international speakers, including thought leaders, policymakers, and experts from governments, private sector, non-profit organizations, and global think tanks. The event will provide a platform to share best practices and showcase inspiring global success stories.
Minister of Education and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Human Capability Development Program, Yousef Al-Benyan, affirmed that the patronage of HRH the Crown Prince reflects the leadership's commitment to developing human capabilities in response to global changes. He noted the importance of investing in humans as a critical pillar in building a competitive economy and a knowledge-based society capable of sustained growth and prosperity. The third edition of the conference builds upon the successes of the previous two editions and reflects the Kingdom's dedication to investing in human capability in alignment with the Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.
In a significant step highlighting the partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, the third edition of the conference will host the United Kingdom as the Country of Honor. This underscores efforts to strengthen cooperation in economic and social development and reinforces a partnership based on knowledge exchange and capabilities building.
Minister of Commerce, Member of the Human Capability Development Program Committee, and Chairman of the Economic and Social Committee of the Saudi-British Strategic Partnership Council, Majid Al-Kassabi, welcomed the United Kingdom as the Country of Honor. He stated that this hosting represents a continuation of the strategic cooperation achieved in the previous edition, which witnessed the launch of the 'Skills of the Future' initiative. The initiative aims to strengthen strategic partnerships between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, focusing on advancing economic cooperation, educational exchange, and workforce development. This hosting also highlights the importance of transferring best practices and exchanging specialized knowledge to develop human capabilities in promising sectors, thereby enhancing the Kingdom's global competitiveness.
The HCI conference builds on successes achieved over the past two years, attracting more than 23,000 visitors and featuring over 550 local and international speakers. Additionally, more than 156 launches and agreements with local and international entities were announced during the conference.