The real state of recognition and rewards in the Gulf

A 60-minute conversation between rewards consultant Sandrine Bardot and Abrar Khodari, Head of Human Capital at Xenel Industries, on what Gulf employers are really doing with recognition and rewards.

Watch Sandrine Bardot and Abrar E. Khodari on what is actually working in Gulf reward programs, with audience questions at the end.

Speakers

Sandrine Bardot

Founder and Strategic Adviser, Total Rewards, The Bardot Group

Abrar E. Khodari

Head of Human Capital at Xenel Industries

Introduction

Across the Gulf, HR teams are holding retention and engagement together while nationalization targets move faster than the pipelines behind them.

Rewards consultant Sandrine Bardot and Abrar Khodari, Head of Human Capital at Xenel Industries, compare what they each see from opposite ends of the same market. Sandrine advises reward teams across the GCC. Abrar runs them inside one company.

Recorded 28 September 2026. No slides, and live audience questions in the final twenty minutes.

Key topics

Why a small recognition budget does more than the same money spread thinly
Recognition piled on top of 10th percentile pay will not repair
HR's mandate has moved from payroll and administration to business impact
In Saudi Arabia, connecting contribution to Vision 2030 works as recognition in itself
What happened to AI usage after one employer explained its security position
Why a nationalization allowance is step one rather than the whole answer

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