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Middle East Edition
2nd April 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
Spending Eid at work
The Oman Observer reports on how, during the Eid holidays, many workers, including media professionals, police officers, and oilfield workers, remain committed to their roles to ensure essential services continue. Abdullah al Abri from the Ministry of Information highlighted the media's role in keeping the public informed, saying: “During Eid Al Fitr, the News Centre at the Ministry of Information keeps pace with local, regional and international events.” Oilfield worker Hisham bin Rashid shared his unique experience, saying: "Eid here differs from anywhere else," as he emphasised the pride in contributing to national production. Issa bin Nasser al Saadi, a private company employee, noted the importance of being present in the workplace during the holiday to monitor technical systems, adding that creating a friendly atmosphere among colleagues helps alleviate the feeling of being away from family.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Eid Al-Fitr celebrations light up Saudi Arabia
Cities and towns across Saudi Arabia are celebrating Eid Al-Fitr with a mix of traditional cultural performances and modern entertainment. In Hail, activities include theatrical performances, the Ardah dance, and popular folklore shows. Baha Municipality has organised 55 community events and distributed 3,000 gifts, while Asir Municipality has prepared over 470 parks for diverse cultural events. The Royal Commission for Makkah City has also hosted programmes at the Hira Cultural District, attracting thousands of families. Taif's parks welcomed over 200,000 attendees with cultural performances and fireworks.
ECONOMY
UAE unveils new digital dirham symbol
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has introduced a new symbol for the UAE's national currency, the Dirham, as part of its Digital Dirham programme. The symbol, inspired by the UAE flag, aims to represent the currency's stability and global reach. The Digital Dirham, which will be issued in late 2025, is designed to enhance financial inclusion and efficiency through blockchain technology. The CBUAE's initiative is part of the Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme, which seeks to position the UAE as a leader in financial innovation. The CBUAE also recently joined the FX Global Code, marking a significant step in establishing the Dirham as an international currency. The Digital Dirham will be available through licensed financial institutions, ensuring its acceptance as legal tender.
LEGAL
Divorce rates are increasing in the UAE
Divorce rates in the UAE are rising. Family lawyers have noted an increase in filings, which is being attributed to easier legal processes and changing societal norms. Byron James, a family law expert, highlights that the civil family law court in Abu Dhabi allows no-fault divorces to be completed in under 30 days. Noura Al Mansouri, a family lawyer, points out that evolving cultural attitudes and social media influence perceptions of marriage, leading to unrealistic expectations. Sangeeta Manglani, a relationship coach, emphasises the importance of effective communication and pre-marital counselling to build strong foundations for marriages.
STRATEGY
Block lets go of 1,000 employees
Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Block, the company which operates payment platforms Square and Afterpay, the money transfer app CashApp, and the music streaming service Tidal, has announced the termination of approximately 1,000 employees via email, saying that the job losses are not due to financial constraints or increased AI usage. Dorsey wrote that the reorganization is about “raising the bar and acting faster on performance, and flattening our org so we can move fast and with less abstraction . . . we need to move faster to stay ahead of the transformational moment our industry is in, so we’re able to continue increasing access, openness and automation.”
TECHNOLOGY
Alibaba offers AI model for phone and laptop image and video processing
Alibaba Group Holding has launched Qwen2.5-Omni-7B, a multimodal AI model capable of processing text, images, audio, and video on smartphones and laptops. With just 7bn parameters, the model is designed to run on mobile phones, tablets, and laptops, making advanced AI capabilities more accessible to everyday users. The model can handle various types of inputs and generate real-time responses as text or audio. Alibaba made the model open-source and it is available on Hugging Face, Microsoft’s GitHub, and Alibaba’s ModelScope. The model's versatility underscores the growing demand for AI systems that go beyond text generation.
INTERNATIONAL
More Dutch employers include religious holiday swaps in CAO
An increasing number of employers in the Netherlands are willing to accommodate workers who wish to swap religious holidays. As Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, many companies are incorporating this flexibility into their collective labour agreements (CAOs). For instance, Muslims can take time off for Eid by offering to work during Christian holidays like Christmas. Civil engineering firm Arcadis has already implemented a holiday swapping system that includes various cultural and religious observances. This initiative allows employees to maintain their holiday entitlements while respecting diverse cultural practices.
Chinese firms target laid-off US workers
Investigations indicate that a network of companies linked to a secretive Chinese tech firm is attempting to recruit recently laid-off US government workers. Max Lesser, a senior analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that such firms are "part of a broader network of fake consulting and headhunting firms targeting former government employees and AI researchers." The companies involved share digital links and have been difficult to trace, with many contact details leading to dead ends. Lesser said that the campaign exploits the financial vulnerabilities of former federal workers affected by mass layoffs. A White House spokesperson warned that China is continuously trying to exploit the US system through espionage. The FBI has also cautioned that Chinese intelligence may pose as consulting firms to target current and former US government employees.
UK workers 'shun apps and video calls'
Research from the UK conciliation service Acas suggests that many employees are unhappy with video calls and messaging apps. A survey of 1,000 workers found that one in three disliked video calls, while one in four found platforms like Teams and Zoom irritating. Ahead of World Autism Day on April 2, Acas has highlighted the need for training line managers to better support neurodiverse staff. Acas interim chief executive Dan Ellis said: "The way we communicate at work can impact us all. Some staff, such as neurodivergent workers, may prefer to communicate in a specific way. We know good communications are really important to business success. Clear communications are not just good for neurodivergent people but for everyone who wants clarity. The key for bosses is talking to staff to find out what works for them as well as the business, and finding solutions that encourage people to talk to each other most effectively."
Mayor's comments spark outrage over wildfires
Kim Doo-gyeom, the mayor of Ulsan in South Korea, has faced significant backlash for his comments during a local wildfire briefing, where he attributed difficulties in firefighting to the presence of female employees. Implying that it was challenging to send women into rugged mountain areas, he said: “There are limitations on the number of public officials we can mobilise when a wildfire breaks out.” His remarks sparked outrage on social media. The wildfires, which began on March 21, have resulted in 28 fatalities and forced 37,800 evacuations, with significant destruction reported.
OTHER
Contactless payments are keeping children out of hospital
Analysis published in The Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England has found a "significant decline" in the number of children in the UK being admitted to hospital to remove objects lodged in their throats, noses, and airways. The analysis attributes the decline to the declining popularity of coins as contactless payments became more common. The study found a "significant decline" in cases from 2,405 in 2012 to 1,716 in 2022.
 


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