ACDC 2025
Speakers, Panelists
Participated
One 2 one
Hear from our happy clients

This year at the Arab Career Development Conference (ACDC) in Egypt 🇪🇬 , I had the honor to speak at the opening, and I shared a simple truth:
“I am here today not just as a co-founder of SkillLab but as a person from this region – returning, not visiting.”
This year’s edition felt like a milestone.
🔹 More countries were represented, bringing us closer to ACDC’s core purpose, creating a space where Arab voices shape the future of career development, together.
🔹 We witnessed the launch of the first Arabic-language Career Development Framework, built for and by the region. A real breakthrough that acknowledges our shared realities and specific needs.
🔹 And as a co-founder of SkillLab, it was deeply meaningful to hear unsolicited feedback from practitioners using our platforms and solutions in the region, a powerful validation from the field.
I was proud to be there with my colleague Arijana Radic, and even prouder to represent SkillLab as a sponsor of this third edition, having stood by this initiative since its very beginning.
And above all, I was proud to be there as a Palestinian woman 🇵🇸, to speak, to be seen, and to carry my identity with me.
As Palestinians, we’re constantly fighting for our right to be recognized, and that makes every moment of representation meaningful.
This region holds so much promise, and it also deserves peace.
Peace rooted in dignity, justice, and the freedom for every voice to be heard.
I carry that hope with me for Palestine, for our region, and for the world. 🕊️✌️☮️
Finally, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to meet so many inspiring people at this year’s ACDC. I learned so much from your work, your perspectives, and your generosity in sharing.

Azza ELHayek

In April, I had the opportunity to attend the Arab Career Development Association Arab Career Development Conference (ACDC) while my amazing colleague Ruth McAteer RCDP also attended the Asia Pacific Career Development Association Conference (APCDA).
So Ruth reached out to see if we could reflect and share stories from our experiences. And together, we decided to capture those insights in the latest Global Educational Travel and Tours Beyond Borders newsletter.
From the inspiring keynotes to informal moments like the Nile dinner cruise, the pyramids, and deep hallway conversations.
It’s in the voices we uplift, the space we create for global careers exchange, and how we honour diverse experiences in our field.
Again, a huge congratulations to the ACDC team, Ahmed Mostafa Kamal,CCSP,CMCS, GCDF,CDFI,JCDC,JCTC, MHF Muath Bin Hussain Randa Helmi, GCDF, CCSP, JCDC, JCTC, FCDI Mostafa Kamal El-Din Esraa Sedeek.
Also, Ladi Mohammed-Chapman🤝, and the entire GETT family for creating platforms that encourage global conversations and keep the spirit of collaboration alive across borders.
If you’ve attended a conference recently that left a mark on you, we’d love to hear what made it special.
Your story could be the inspiration someone else needs.

Raymond Ayinde

في القاهره وفي الحرم اليوناني تم عقد المؤتمر العربي بنسخته الثالثه للتطوير المهني…
لقد تشرفت بالدعوه التي تلقيتها للحضور والمشاركه بهذا المؤتمر ولقائي المهني المتميز مع المهندسه سندس الكسواني من الدكتور احمد مصطفى رئيس المنظمه العربيه للتطوير المهني
لكن بصراحه وبكل وضوح لم اراه مجرد مؤتمر واوراق تحضيريه وحلقات نقاشيه وورشات عمل نوعيه متخصصه
انه لقاء فكري واجتماعي وانساني لقاء مع ملهمين ومؤثرين وصانعي التغيير .. احتضن ثقافات مختلفه ورسم لوحه من التناغم الفكري الذي ارتقى لان يجد نقاط تلاقي بعالم انساني كدت اعتقد انه اقترب للتلاشي ..في لحظات كثيره تشعر بأنك تعرفهم والتقيت بهم في زمن ما ومكان ما رغم انك بالكاد تعرفت عليهم وعلى اسمائهم وبلدانهم وخلفياتهم الثقافيه …تجد نفسك تلتقي باي منهم سواء كان رئيسا او مديرا او منظما او مصورا او موثقا او مهندسا او مرشدا او ميسرا اي كان دوره بالفريق… تجده مؤمنا برسالته ويعرف قيمه ما يتعب من اجله ..وتجد اللوحه تكتمل بمصداقيه كل هذا وشعورك بانك تنتمي لهذا العالم وتصدقه ويحكي بلسان قيمك ويحاكي رؤيتك واهدافك القريبه وبعيده المدى ..
سأعيد ذكر ما قاله لي دكتور احمد مصطفى اثناء لقاء عن بعد يدعوني به لاشارك بالمؤتمر عن التطوير المهني بانه ليس مجرد مؤتمر، بل هو بناء لمنظومه متكامله لتعميق الفكر العربي ولتمكين الرؤيه حول ماهيه الارشاد والتطوير المهني واقعا ومستقبلا وما يترتب عليه مستقبل جيل باكمله يتشبث بهؤلاء الميسرين ومن يحملون امانه المساعده والمسانده باختياراتهم الوظيفيه والسعي لنعيش بمستقبل وظيفي آمن وبرضا وظيفي مستقر ومستدام ومواكب لما هو آت قادر لمواجهه التحديات …
بوركت جهودكم والشكر الجزيل للدكتور الفاضل @ahmad mustafa ولكامل الفريق ولكل من ساهم بانجاح هذا المؤتمر ..
ممتنه لكل من اضاف لي فكرا وانار لي طريقا ويسر لي معرفه.. ..
التقينا بزملاء وزميلات لهم بصمتهم الخاصه اتمنى لقاءهم قريبا

Maisaa Mustafa

تشرفت اليوم بحضور المؤتمر السنوي للمنظمة العربية للتطوير المهني
المؤتمر جمع نخبة من المتخصصين في التطوير المهني وريادة الأعمال من مختلف أنحاء العالم، وقدم فرصة حقيقية للاطلاع على أحدث الاتجاهات والممارسات في هذا المجال
خلال الفعاليات، شهدت مجموعة متنوعة من الجلسات والنقاشات التي ركزت على تطوير الكفاءات، تعزيز المهارات القيادية، ودعم الابتكار في بيئات العمل العربية
التفاعل مع هذا المجتمع من الخبراء كان تجربة ملهمة، وأتاح لي فرصة لتوسيع شبكة علاقاتي المهنية، والاستفادة من خبرات وتجارب متنوعة تعزز من تطلعاتي للتطوير المستمر
مصر والعالم العربي بحاجة اليوم أكثر من أي وقت مضى إلى استثمار حقيقي في التطوير المهني، لتمكين الكوادر وبناء أجيال قادرة على المنافسة العالمية

د. عماد عبدالسلام

It was not only a conference, it was also a family reunion… at least this is how I see it.
I am talking about the 3rd Arab Career Development Conference.
What happened there? I am not going to post about it because if you were not there, then you missed it. But I will tell you how I feel.
A family reunion with great people who are shaping and impacting the field of Career Development in the MENA region and the whole world.
As always, I have learned new things, gained new insights, and understood myself better.
It goes without saying: Thanks to my sensi, mentor, teacher, and friend Ahmed Mostafa Kamal, CCSP,CMCS, GCDF,CDFI,JCDC,JCTC, MHF. Who until this moment, I do not know how he can tolerate my personality. He has been pushing me to do more and more, with him leading everything, and waiting for me to catch up with him..
And to my dear friend Dr. Brian Hutchison aka Global Career Guy ~ PhD, LPC, CCCE, Thank you for being there with us. Thank you for teaching me and educating me whenever we meet. It is always a happy journey and so valuable when you are there. Whenever we meet after a long time, it feels like we just met a week ago because of your lovely and inspiring personality. Your impact stays with me for a very long time.
The great Marty Apodaca, LPCC-S, CCC, NCC and his wife and mother. The vibe you bring with you, the kindness, the impact, and everything that is tangible (like great gifts) and the intangible (like your spirit and energy), we all thank you for that. You are our family as well. Thank you and thank you.
Azza ELHayek & Arijana Radic, the ones who make us become “The cool kids”. With the great speeches and presentations of SkillLab, it is no doubt, the conference is massively more valuable. You are an essential part of it.
Raymond Ayinde 🌻, how amazing to see you for the first time and everyone there felt they knew you for a very long time ago? Tell us. Teach us. How ? It was a wonderful time with you.
Esraa Sedeek you are a hero, you deserve the best, you proved that you are exceptional.
Rehab Sedeek, Omar Moussa, Ahmed Nagah, my sister and brothers. The hackathon, the conference, the trips, the preperation, the coordination, the problem-sloving, the pressure handling, the late-night work, these all tell us how great you will become in the future, I cannot wait to see how you will evolve.
My Fellow Freinds and Colleagues:
Randa Helmi, GCDF, CCSP, JCDC, JCTC, FCDI
Dalia Hamada
Amira Ezzat Moussa, GCDF®, MA in HRM
محمد الحربي GCDF
Essam Osman FCDI, MBA , CCSP , GCDF , LVE
Mohamed Hani Ismail 🇪🇬
Amira Shaheen
Abdulla Omar Ali
Fatma Seddik
Sarah Alsaleem
I am grateful to know you and see you at the conference. Everyone of you made an impact on me and on the conference. I mean it.. it is not just a linkedin post. It is a deep appreciation of what you have done..
To this conference, to the reunion, and many more to come.
Thank you all.

Muath Bin Hussain

This year’s Arab Career and Development Conference, at The GrEEK Campus, was truly inspiring!
Beyond the insightful lectures, dynamic one-on-one sessions, and exciting new partnerships, in line with the hashtag#UNSDGs, I was particularly energized by the opportunity to connect with and guide the next generation of talent.
My session on Career Sustainable Growth was full of insightful discussions about today’s job market challenges and, more importantly, for coaching and empowering young professionals to become tomorrow’s game-changers. Collaborating with key career development advocates fuels my optimism for a more impactful future, driven by talented and passionate youth.
Special thanks to Dr. Ahmed Mostafa Kamal, CCSP,CMCS, GCDF,CDFI,JCDC,JCTC, MHF, for this opportunity and the continuous efforts to empower young leaders in career development worldwide.
Thanks to Mr. Muath Bin Hussain, for his impressive support to entrepreneurs in the Arab Region, enabling a good growth environment for them to thrive.
Thanks also and gratitude to all my friends, colleagues, and esteemed speakers, sharing the same commitment, to support and help people in a voluntary way

Ahmed Assem

It was an honor to participate in the 3rd Arab Career Development Conference. Yet, what stayed with me most were the insights shared and the spirit of connection, collaboration, and genuine care that filled every corner of the conference.
This gathering reminded us all that career development is not just a set of strategies or systems—it’s a human journey. It’s about recognizing potential, embracing diversity, supporting one another, and building inclusive paths forward.
I was amazed by the Youth who made up the majority of the audience—their passion, ambition, and thoughtful engagement added immense value and inspired me personally.
My heartfelt thanks to Ahmed Mostafa Kamal,CCSP,CMCS, GCDF,CDFI,JCDC,JCTC, MHF and Muath Bin Hussain for making this vision a reality. Your dedication to every detail made this extraordinary experience possible.
Thanks to Dr. Brian Hutchison aka Global Career Guy ~ PhD, LPC, CCCE and Marty Apodaca, LPCC-S, CCC, NCC for your unwavering support and embodiment of the values you teach. Your humility inspire us all.
To the outstanding operations team, led by the great Esraa Sedeek —thank you for your tireless efforts and the warmth you showed us. You made us feel like family.
And to the wonderful colleagues and friends I met along the way—your insights, conversations, and presence were truly a treasure. You’ve each added so much to my journey, and I carry that forward with deep appreciation

Sarah Alsaleem

As I reflect on my journey through the last three Arab Career Development Conferences (ACDC), I feel a deep sense of pride and gratitude!
These conferences have been so much more than just gatherings; they have been pivotal moments in my professional and personal growth. Each year, I’ve had the privilege to learn from incredible speakers who have shared their wisdom and experiences, igniting my passion for career development and pushing me to explore new avenues I never considered before.
The friendships and professional relationships I’ve built at ACDC are invaluable. I remember striking up conversations with fellow attendees that turned into collaborations and mentorships, creating a supportive network I can rely on.
Beyond career development, ACDC has encouraged me to reflect on my aspirations and values, inspiring me to set ambitious goals and pursue them with confidence.
Over the past three years, I’ve had the honor of facilitating four workshops, participating in a panel discussion with Dr. Brian Hutchison aka Global Career Guy ~ PhD, LPC, CCCE and conducting several one-on-one sessions.
Additionally, I’m proud to share that this year I’ve been certified as an ACDF Instructor under the accreditation of the Arab Career Development Association.
These experiences have not only enriched my own journey but have also allowed me to give back to the community that has supported me.
I owe a special thanks to my mentor Ahmed Mostafa Kamal, CCSP,CMCS, GCDF,CDFI,JCDC,JCTC, MHF , your guidance and vision have been instrumental in shaping my path and inspiring countless others in the field.
As we look forward to ACDC 2026, I want to celebrate not just the milestones we’ve achieved but the community we’ve built together. Each conference has been a unique chapter in our stories, filled with resilience, innovation, and shared dreams.
I’m excited about what lies ahead and can’t wait to see how we continue to inspire and uplift each other.

Mona Khaled Mostafa

Heart is full 🥹 and too many people to tag for fear of missing anyone! Loved every single moment and everyone there 🥰
Tagging Arab Career Development Association and everyone on the team. You know who you are…hope everyone had as much fun as I did 💃 I can’t begin to thank you enough!
Congratulations on all the accomplishments from the extraordinary successful conference to the new certifications and so much more…I can’t wait to see what’s next 💪
Thank you National Career Development Association for all your support 👏 Seeing you there on screen was a testament to the work you did for the MENA region.
One more gratitude to GROWAT for all your hard work 😓
Let’s keep going strong and increase career literacy 🤓
Photo credit: Thank you to the conference photographers for this amazing photo 🤩 You truly captured the essence of my sentiments!
