This panel session will examine the immediate risk management, duty-of-care and workforce welfare challenges facing construction project owners and contractors as the ongoing Middle East conflict creates heightened uncertainty across the region.

Designed for senior risk and insurance leaders alongside HR, wellbeing, and safety managers, the discussion will explore how organisations are assessing and protecting staff deployed on complex project sites, including international personnel on secondment who may not be easily evacuated.

Drawing on practical experiences from major infrastructure and energy developments, panelists will discuss crisis response coordination between risk, HR, and site leadership; evacuation thresholds and contingency planning; contractor workforce protection; and communication strategies for geographically dispersed teams. The session will also address the mental health, wellbeing, and safety implications for employees operating under heightened geopolitical tension, offering practical insights into strengthening duty-of-care frameworks, contractor oversight, and workforce resilience.