Speakers of the 9th edition (2024)

On 19 October 2017, Her Excellency Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development was handed over her duties to begin a comprehensive diversified community under the umbrella of happiness and wellbeing for all the members of the community: family, childhood, young people and adolescents, senior citizens, people of determination and transit from welfare to empowerment.

Prior to this, Buhumaid was Assistant Director General for Government Services in the Prime Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and Future. Her Excellency oversaw the Emirates Government Services Excellence Program aiming to raise the efficiency of government services delivery.

Her Excellency supervised Government Services Factory launch focusing on training government authorities on how to implement services design mechanism. She also supervised Customers’ Satisfaction and Happiness Project about all government services.

She was the General Coordinator of Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Program, Executive Director of Excellence Sector, Executive Director for Institutional Support Sector, Assistant Director General for Government Services Sector and Supervisor of UAE Government Leadership Program to sustain government premium leaders at the first and second levels.

Her Excellency Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid is a graduate of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Young Leadership Program and a two-time winner of Sheikh Rashid Award for Scientific Excellence, she also won the Arabian Gulf National Olympic Committee Award for Outstanding Youth in 2013, and the best distinguished newly appointed employee at Dubai Government Excellence Program in 2003.

Her Excellency holds an honor Masters’ degree in Business Administration from the American University of Sharjah, an honor Bachelor’s Degree in Business Sciences from Zayed University. She also holds an Executive Diploma in Public Administration from Lee Kuwan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

Her Excellency Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, occupied several designations: Membership of Supreme National Committee for the Year of Tolerance 2019, Membership of Education & Human Resources Council and Chairman of Community & International Games Heritage Committee during 9th Regional Olympics 2018 & International Games of Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi 2019.

Her Excellency currently holds several memberships: Cabinet Member, Chairman Board of Directors of Zakat Fund, Chairman of Wellbeing Council and Vice Chairman of Digital Wellbeing Council, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors at General Pensions & Social Security Authority, Member of Ministerial Development Council, Member Board of Directors at Federal Youth Authority, Member of Federal Demographic Council, Member of Board of Directors at Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, Member Board of Trustees at Dubai Future Foundation, Member of Early Childhood Committee in Abu Dhabi, Member of Supreme Committee for Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Excellence and Community Intelligence Program, Member Board of Directors at Emirates Competitiveness Council (ECC) and Member Board of Directors in Emirates Council for Balanced Development.