Salalah – Artificial intelligence, digital governance and climate resilience took centre stage in Salalah on Tuesday as policymakers and experts examined how governments can prepare institutions and workforces for rapid technological, economic and environmental change.

The two-day 25th Annual General Conference on Government Readiness for a Sustainable Future is being organised by Oman’s Ministry of Labour and the Arab Organization for Administrative Development of the League of Arab States as part of the 2026 Labour Forum in Dhofar.

H E Dr Mahad bin Saeed Baawain, Minister of Labour, presided over the opening.

The conference is focusing on building more flexible and efficient public institutions, using data and emerging technologies to improve decision-making and public services, and strengthening governments’ ability to anticipate future risks.

Nasser bin Salem Al Hadhrami, Director General of Labour in Dhofar, said the gathering would examine sustainable government policies, strategic foresight, digital governance, artificial intelligence and the development of public-sector competencies.

He highlighted several Ministry of Labour initiatives, including strategic workforce planning for the government sector, a national framework for job competencies, an institutional innovation and change-management system and the use of AI in government workplaces.

“These initiatives contribute to developing institutional performance and building government capabilities capable of keeping pace with the future,” Al Hadhrami said.

Dr Nasser Al Hatlan Al Qahtani, Director General of the Arab Organization for Administrative Development, said accelerating technological, economic and climate shifts demanded new models of public administration.

“Government readiness is not limited to technical infrastructure,” Al Qahtani said, stressing the need for qualified leadership, flexible institutions, advanced digital systems and effective governance.

He cited Oman Vision 2040 as an example of long-term planning based on sustainability, governance and national capacity-building.

The opening session examined government preparedness for sustainable development, with speakers including Hatem Nabil, head of Egypt’s Central Agency for Organization and Administration, and Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Syria’s Minister of Administrative Development Mohammed Hassan Al Sakaf addressed institutional transformation, while H E Saeed bin Abdullah Al Balushi, Undersecretary for Human Resources Development at Oman’s Ministry of Labour, presented Oman’s experience in modernising government administration.

Other discussions covered emissions reduction, legal governance of digital transformation, climate-related risks to government planning and Mauritania’s digital transformation experience.

Wednesday’s sessions will focus on international partnerships, future government leadership and developing public-sector competencies in the age of AI, before concluding with recommendations from the conference.