2026 HRSE KSA Awards Categories

This category will be awarded to an organisation that demonstrates exceptional commitment to fostering a positive, engaging, inclusive, and high-performing workplace culture. Recognising an employer whose culture strategy drives employee satisfaction, organisational alignment, and business success through intentional culture development initiatives that embrace diversity and promote belonging for all employees

This category recognises the importance of employee engagement in today’s businesses. This award is for an HR strategy that has significantly improved employee engagement levels within the team or company.

Recognising employers who place employee wellbeing centre stage within their organisation and have embedded a strong culture of health and wellness to support their colleagues. This award will go to the organisation that provides the most compelling evidence that their employee wellness programme not only works, but that has also created a clear and measurable return on investments in this area.

The awarded organisation will have demonstrated excellence and innovation in attracting, recruiting and onboarding employees. The panel will be looking for an employer who has excelled in creating an effective recruitment and onboarding atmosphere that is conductive to employees’ smooth introduction to the company.

This award is dedicated to companies promoting reward and recognition across their business through an HR strategy. Nominees will have to demonstrate increased levels of engagement and performance as a direct result of implementing the strategy

This category will be awarded to an organisation that demonstrates exceptional leadership in managing organisational transformation and change initiatives. Recognising an employer whose change management strategy effectively guides employees through transitions while maintaining engagement, productivity, and organisational resilience.

This category will be awarded to an organisation that demonstrates exceptional strategic foresight in planning, and optimising their workforce to meet current and future business needs. Recognising an employer whose workforce planning strategy effectively aligns talent capabilities with organisational objectives while ensuring sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

This category will be awarded to an organisation that demonstrates exceptional innovation and effectiveness in designing and implementing a comprehensive total rewards program that attracts, motivates, and retains top talent. Recognising an employer whose total rewards strategy creates meaningful value for employees while supporting business objectives and competitive positioning.

This award recognises an organisation that has implemented an innovative and sustainable leadership development strategy/programme that strengthens the skills and capabilities of current and future leaders.

This award honours the organisation which has developed a very well-integrated strategy to recruit, manage, develop and retain talent with the aim of improving business value and ability to measure the success of implementation and outcome.

The award will recognise an organisation that has developed and implemented a successful women development and leadership programme. The winning organisation needs to highlight how the programme supports behaviour change, creates lasting impact and builds an inclusive culture.

This category will be awarded to an organisation that demonstrates exceptional commitment and innovation in implementing effective Saudization and nationalisation initiatives that successfully develop and integrate Saudi talent into their workforce. Recognising an employer whose nationalisation strategy creates meaningful career opportunities for Saudi nationals while achieving sustainable business growth and compliance with national objectives.

This category will be awarded to an organisation that demonstrates exceptional innovation and effectiveness in developing and nurturing early career talent, through comprehensive development programs that create meaningful career pathways and professional growth opportunities. Recognising an employer whose early career development programme successfully bridges the gap between education and professional excellence.

A senior CHRO who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and business best-practice in developing effective HR strategies which have significantly benefited their business throughout the last year.

This category will be awarded to an exceptional HR Director who demonstrates outstanding leadership, strategic vision, and transformational impact in driving human resources excellence and organisational success.

An emerging talent in the field of HR who shows high potential for future achievement in the profession. Nominees can be any age but should have been in the HR profession for a total of 5 years or less.

With ever increasing adoption and investment in HR technologies, this award recognises the employer that has successfully embraced digital disruption to move HR forward.

This category will be awarded to an organisation that demonstrates exceptional innovation and effectiveness in implementing AI tools that transform business processes and deliver measurable value

This award honours the leading employer that can demonstrate superior people development strategies resulting in a productive, engaged and motivated workforce becoming an employer of choice.

An award to recognise the collective effort of HR teams within the business. The team should be able to demonstrate their impact on the HR function as well as the business overall.

This category will be awarded to an organisation that demonstrates exceptional creativity and forward-thinking in developing groundbreaking HR initiatives that challenge traditional practices and deliver outstanding results.