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March 03, 2025
Top 7 trends in health and safety for the Middle East in 2025
From upgrades to breakthroughs, 2025 is set to bring new innovations for health and safety across the Middle East and Africa. Discover the trends, tech, and transformations defining the future.
From sustainability to smart PPE, discover the top trends shaping workplace health and safety across the Middle East and Africa in 2025. Credit: patcharee pornsipak/istock
In brief:
Focus shifts: IOSH and NEBOSH prioritise sustainability, leadership and mental health.
Tech innovation: Intersec 2025 highlighted wearables, AI analytics, hydrogen safety and digital twins.
Key insights from NEBOSH Day: Leadership, governance and sustainability as central themes.
In detail:
2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year for health and safety in the Middle East and Africa.
With technological advancements, regulatory developments and evolving risks in high-hazard industries like mining, petrochemicals and construction, health and safety professionals face both challenges and opportunities in safeguarding workers and creating safer workplaces.
Health and Safety Middle East and Africa takes a look.
Policy-driven change
Key changes are set to unfold in health and safety across the region as major players, authorities and training bodies push for top-level action and policy overhauls. Driven by speakers at major events including Intersec 2025 and agendas from global organisations like IOSH and NEBOSH, we are likely to see a strong commitment to safety, both in senior leadership and in putting these goals into practice.
For instance, IOSH showcased its vision for 2025 at the recent Intersec conference in Dubai, where it emphasised global minimum safety standards, sustainability through ESG, and worker wellbeing.
During her keynote, IOSH president Kelly Nicoll envisioned a future prioritising harm reduction and universal worker protection.
NEBOSH hosted a day at Intersec of expert speakers and panellists from the UAE, UK, Australia and New Zealand with discussions exploring leadership, cultural intelligence and sustainability.
Leadership in focus
Strong leadership and relationships are essential not only for setting key messages and expectations but for embedding them within an organisation—ensuring safety is not just a statement but a lived reality.
This will be a core theme for 2025, with a focus on how engagement at all levels can drive lasting cultural change.
At Intersec, IOSH’s presentation, ‘The 3 Cs of Safety: Consultation, Communication & Collaboration,’ underscored the need for stakeholder engagement, clear communication, and teamwork to create holistic safety cultures.
NEBOSH CEO Andy Shenstone highlighted the importance of “talking C-suite language” to gain leadership buy-in for health and safety initiatives during his keynote at Intersec.
He stressed preparation and understanding executive perspectives as keys to securing commitment and alignment on safety objectives.
Sustainability at the forefront
Sustainability is a golden thread for 2025, influencing product design, risk management, road safety, and governance.
As companies adopt more sustainable practices, innovations in renewable energy and green building materials are becoming integral to health and safety planning.
The push for sustainability is transforming traditional risk assessments to include environmental factors, such as climate resilience and energy efficiency.
At Intersec, experts linked ESG principles with health and safety, and the importance of integrating sustainable development into core business planning and management.
This alignment will ensure that health and safety practices support broader organisational goals while addressing long-term environmental concerns.
Cultural intelligence
The human element of health and safety will also be hugely important in 2025.
Discussions on cultural intelligence and inclusion are becoming more common in the industry, encouraging practitioners to leverage cultural intelligence to enhance workplace safety.
Cultural intelligence also plays a critical role in addressing diverse workforce challenges in the Middle East and Africa, where multinational teams often require tailored communication and safety protocols.
By fostering an inclusive approach, organisations can build trust and improve compliance in 2025.
Reflecting on Intersec 2025, NEBOSH chief officer for quality, Dee Arp, told HSMEA: “The health and safety profession is fabulous – and always willing to stand up and share their experiences.
“We are truly stronger together, and coming together at such events reinforces the need to continue the work of getting people home safe, healthy, well and happy every day.”
Innovations in PPE technology
Sustainable protective clothing is advancing, with innovations like dope-dyed modacrylic fibres reducing water usage by up to 92% compared to traditional methods.
These fibres also offer enhanced durability, reducing the environmental footprint of protective textiles.
While still relatively niche in some sectors, wearable technology, AI-driven predictive analytics, and digital twin simulations are picking up interest in health and safety due to their effectiveness.
For instance, smart helmets and connected PPE that enable real-time hazard detection are gaining popularity, while digital twins - once a peripheral but expensive option - are more frequently allowing companies to simulate facility operations to identify vulnerabilities.
Emerging technologies will also support compliance and training.
Virtual reality simulations are already being used to recreate hazardous scenarios, allowing workers to practise emergency responses in a controlled environment.
AI-powered tools will help organisations analyse trends and predict risks, enabling proactive safety measures.
Automation and safety in Africa’s mining sector
Africa’s mining sector, one of the region’s most hazardous industries, will see greater use of automation as a way to reduce risks.
Use of remote-controlled machinery, automated drilling, drones and real-time gas monitoring systems are likely to increase in some African countries, to minimise worker exposure and enhance safety.
Renewed efforts to enforce international safety standards in countries such as South Africa, Ghana and Zambia will complement these innovations.
Additionally, partnerships between governments and organisations are focusing on training programmes to equip workers with skills for operating advanced machinery.
This shift will not only improve safety but also address workforce shortages in high-risk industries.
The mental health challenge
Mental health is gaining prominence in the Middle East and Africa region as organisations recognise its link to productivity, business health and workplace safety.
Intersec’s IOSH-led panel explored the unique mental health challenges in the Middle East and the role of tailored approaches.
Employee assistance programmes and manager training are becoming integral to addressing these challenges, particularly in high-stress industries including mining and emergency response.
IOSH’s initiative to promote mental health awareness will include providing resources and support for employers to create open dialogues about mental health.
Encouraging employees to seek help without stigma will be an essential part to building resilient workforces in the Middle East and Africa in 2025.
From upgrades to breakthroughs, 2025 is set to bring new innovations for health and safety across the Middle East and Africa. Discover the trends, tech, and transformations defining the future.
From sustainability to smart PPE, discover the top trends shaping workplace health and safety across the Middle East and Africa in 2025. Credit: patcharee pornsipak/istock
In brief:
Focus shifts: IOSH and NEBOSH prioritise sustainability, leadership and mental health.
Tech innovation: Intersec 2025 highlighted wearables, AI analytics, hydrogen safety and digital twins.
Key insights from NEBOSH Day: Leadership, governance and sustainability as central themes.
In detail:
2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year for health and safety in the Middle East and Africa.
With technological advancements, regulatory developments and evolving risks in high-hazard industries like mining, petrochemicals and construction, health and safety professionals face both challenges and opportunities in safeguarding workers and creating safer workplaces.
Health and Safety Middle East and Africa takes a look.
Policy-driven change
Key changes are set to unfold in health and safety across the region as major players, authorities and training bodies push for top-level action and policy overhauls. Driven by speakers at major events including Intersec 2025 and agendas from global organisations like IOSH and NEBOSH, we are likely to see a strong commitment to safety, both in senior leadership and in putting these goals into practice.
For instance, IOSH showcased its vision for 2025 at the recent Intersec conference in Dubai, where it emphasised global minimum safety standards, sustainability through ESG, and worker wellbeing.
During her keynote, IOSH president Kelly Nicoll envisioned a future prioritising harm reduction and universal worker protection.
NEBOSH hosted a day at Intersec of expert speakers and panellists from the UAE, UK, Australia and New Zealand with discussions exploring leadership, cultural intelligence and sustainability.
Leadership in focus
Strong leadership and relationships are essential not only for setting key messages and expectations but for embedding them within an organisation—ensuring safety is not just a statement but a lived reality.
This will be a core theme for 2025, with a focus on how engagement at all levels can drive lasting cultural change.
At Intersec, IOSH’s presentation, ‘The 3 Cs of Safety: Consultation, Communication & Collaboration,’ underscored the need for stakeholder engagement, clear communication, and teamwork to create holistic safety cultures.
NEBOSH CEO Andy Shenstone highlighted the importance of “talking C-suite language” to gain leadership buy-in for health and safety initiatives during his keynote at Intersec.
He stressed preparation and understanding executive perspectives as keys to securing commitment and alignment on safety objectives.
Sustainability at the forefront
Sustainability is a golden thread for 2025, influencing product design, risk management, road safety, and governance.
As companies adopt more sustainable practices, innovations in renewable energy and green building materials are becoming integral to health and safety planning.
The push for sustainability is transforming traditional risk assessments to include environmental factors, such as climate resilience and energy efficiency.
At Intersec, experts linked ESG principles with health and safety, and the importance of integrating sustainable development into core business planning and management.
This alignment will ensure that health and safety practices support broader organisational goals while addressing long-term environmental concerns.
Cultural intelligence
The human element of health and safety will also be hugely important in 2025.
Discussions on cultural intelligence and inclusion are becoming more common in the industry, encouraging practitioners to leverage cultural intelligence to enhance workplace safety.
Cultural intelligence also plays a critical role in addressing diverse workforce challenges in the Middle East and Africa, where multinational teams often require tailored communication and safety protocols.
By fostering an inclusive approach, organisations can build trust and improve compliance in 2025.
Reflecting on Intersec 2025, NEBOSH chief officer for quality, Dee Arp, told HSMEA: “The health and safety profession is fabulous – and always willing to stand up and share their experiences.
“We are truly stronger together, and coming together at such events reinforces the need to continue the work of getting people home safe, healthy, well and happy every day.”
Innovations in PPE technology
Sustainable protective clothing is advancing, with innovations like dope-dyed modacrylic fibres reducing water usage by up to 92% compared to traditional methods.
These fibres also offer enhanced durability, reducing the environmental footprint of protective textiles.
While still relatively niche in some sectors, wearable technology, AI-driven predictive analytics, and digital twin simulations are picking up interest in health and safety due to their effectiveness.
For instance, smart helmets and connected PPE that enable real-time hazard detection are gaining popularity, while digital twins - once a peripheral but expensive option - are more frequently allowing companies to simulate facility operations to identify vulnerabilities.
Emerging technologies will also support compliance and training.
Virtual reality simulations are already being used to recreate hazardous scenarios, allowing workers to practise emergency responses in a controlled environment.
AI-powered tools will help organisations analyse trends and predict risks, enabling proactive safety measures.
Automation and safety in Africa’s mining sector
Africa’s mining sector, one of the region’s most hazardous industries, will see greater use of automation as a way to reduce risks.
Use of remote-controlled machinery, automated drilling, drones and real-time gas monitoring systems are likely to increase in some African countries, to minimise worker exposure and enhance safety.
Renewed efforts to enforce international safety standards in countries such as South Africa, Ghana and Zambia will complement these innovations.
Additionally, partnerships between governments and organisations are focusing on training programmes to equip workers with skills for operating advanced machinery.
This shift will not only improve safety but also address workforce shortages in high-risk industries.
The mental health challenge
Mental health is gaining prominence in the Middle East and Africa region as organisations recognise its link to productivity, business health and workplace safety.
Intersec’s IOSH-led panel explored the unique mental health challenges in the Middle East and the role of tailored approaches.
Employee assistance programmes and manager training are becoming integral to addressing these challenges, particularly in high-stress industries including mining and emergency response.
IOSH’s initiative to promote mental health awareness will include providing resources and support for employers to create open dialogues about mental health.
Encouraging employees to seek help without stigma will be an essential part to building resilient workforces in the Middle East and Africa in 2025.
SOURCE:
https://www.healthandsafetyinternational.com/article/1904797/top-7-trends-health-safety-middle-east-2025
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