IT spending in the Middle East and Africa grew by 8 per cent in 2014 to reach over $211 billion in 2014, said the organisers of the upcoming HR Tech Mena Summit in Dubai, UAE.

The IT spending was buoyed by investments in mobility, smart government, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT), added Sidh NC, Director of QnA International, quoting a Gartner forecast.

HR Tech Mena initiative, dedicated to leveraging technology for human capital development, will be held from May 13 to 14 at the Taj Towers Dubai.

The summit will cast light on how smart innovation has been transforming human capital management.

Companies worldwide are redirecting their IT investments in HR technology as they embrace talent management solution, HCM, big data, software-as-a-service (SaaS) systems and mobile applications, said Sidh NC.

“In the days of mobile gadgets and ever changing expectations of employees, technology has emerged as the key driver of this Smart HR evolution. Companies in the region are recognising that HR technology is no longer just about supporting business processes, but more about supporting people and enabling human resources to transform so it can play a more strategic role in the business,” Sidh NC said.

The agenda is carefully designed to meet the dynamic needs of the Mena region’s HR functions. On the first day of the summit, speakers from both the public and private sectors will discuss the macroscopic view of HR technology in the region. It will put a spotlight on the need to implement technologies to meet employee expectations and allow the region to get ahead of the global talent race.

Many of the leaders in technology solutions have taken this opportunity to directly meet with these decision makers and address their concerns at the HR Tech Mena initiative. SAP is supporting the summit as a Platinum sponsor, followed by Towers Watson and Halogen software supporting as Gold sponsors. SABA and Deloitte Middle East are Silver sponsors for the summit and Arago Consulting, ITS and Kaar technologies are the Bronze sponsors. – TradeArabia News Service