THE HOT STORY

AI job postings surge in UAE

AI-related job postings in the UAE have increased from 5,000 to 10,000 between 2021 and 2024, primarily in white-collar sectors. James Randall, Middle East sales director at HireRight, noted that employers are competing for a limited pool of talent, leading to faster hiring timelines. Despite a global trend towards skill-based hiring, 84% of AI-related job postings still require degree qualifications. Randall emphasised the importance of verifying credentials and experience, saying: "Employers are placing greater emphasis on validating credentials . . . to ensure they are hiring genuine capability."

Khaleej Times Online

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Employees take part in Mannai Corporation NSD activities

Mannai Corporation celebrated Qatar National Sport Day at Retaj Resort, engaging over 1,300 employees in various sports activities. The event aimed to promote health and teamwork, reflecting Qatar's commitment to active lifestyles. Emad Zaid Al Kilani, Senior General Manager of HR & Admin, said: “National Sports Day is a reminder that health, fitness, and teamwork are at the heart of our nation's progress.” Group chief executive Alekh Grewal emphasised Mannai's dedication to fostering a culture of wellness and teamwork. The day also honoured employees with 15 and 25 years of service, recognising their contributions to the company.

The Peninsula

LEGAL

UAE employers urged to beware of unlicensed recruitment scams

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has urged UAE employers and families to engage only with licensed domestic worker recruitment offices. In 2025, the ministry closed 230 unlicensed social media accounts promoting recruitment services. These accounts violated the Domestic Workers Law, risking legal rights for employers. Licensed offices ensure quality standards and compliance with necessary procedures, including medical and background checks.

Zawya EN

Khaleej Times Online

TECHNOLOGY

Dubai readies Uber-Baidu robotaxis

Uber and Baidu have said autonomous ride-hailing will launch in Dubai in the coming month, initially in parts of Jumeirah and expanding with regulatory approvals. The service builds on their plan to deploy thousands of Baidu Apollo Go vehicles on Uber’s platform outside the US and mainland China. Riders can request an Apollo Go vehicle through Uber Comfort, UberX, or an “Autonomous” option.

Reuters

Atlas stunts lift Hyundai shares

Hyundai Motor shares rose after its robotics unit released a video of the Atlas humanoid robot doing a cartwheel and backflip. The clip, posted by Boston Dynamics and the RAI Institute units, also includes earlier failed attempts to show real-world learning beyond simulation. KB Securities analysts said the footage “verified whether the robot could apply intelligence learned in simulation to physical space without additional manual corrections,” and indicated extreme-response capability and readiness for mass production. Hyundai has said Atlas will begin working in its manufacturing plants in 2028.

Bloomberg

TAX

UAE to strengthen tax information exchange with foreign authorities

The UAE has introduced Cabinet Decision No. 209 of 2025, enhancing its legal framework for international tax cooperation. The move aims to improve the exchange of tax information with foreign authorities, aligning with the Exchange of Information on Request (EOIR) Standard. The Ministry of Finance said that the new framework consolidates the UAE's commitments to global tax transparency, having signed over 140 bilateral agreements. It clarifies the roles of government entities in information collection and establishes clear procedures for compliance and grievances, ensuring businesses understand their responsibilities regarding tax information requests.

Gulfnews.com

INTERNATIONAL

Switzerland to vote on plan to cap population

Switzerland is to hold a referendum in June on whether to cap its population at 10m until 2050 by limiting immigration. The referendum has been triggered automatically because more than 100,000 citizens have signed a petition in support of a vote. Opponents of the move say it could threaten crucial agreements with the European Union and make it harder to attract foreign workers to fill labour shortages. The petition was promoted by the Swiss People’s Party, a right-wing party that holds roughly a third of seats in the Swiss Parliament.

Financial Times

Luxembourg Times

New York Times

Some job hunters are paying recruiters to find them jobs

A tough US labour market for white-collar workers is turning the traditional recruiting model upside down, and a new trend of “reverse recruiting” has emerged whereby job seekers pay recruiters to find them positions. Reverse-recruiting models vary - some charge a percentage of the first year’s salary upon placement and others charge monthly fees or set rates for sending applications. Some traditional recruiters question the ethics of charging job seekers and the success rate of mass-applying on behalf of candidates.

Wall Street Journal

Lufthansa pilots and crew to strike on Thursday

German pilots' union VC (Vereinigung Cockpit) has called a 24-hour strike on Thursday at Lufthansa Group's main German airline and Lufthansa Cargo in a dispute over pensions. Separately, the UFO union of flight attendants has called on its members at CityLine to strike on Thursday over the planned shutdown of its flight operations and "the employer’s continued refusal to negotiate a collective social plan." Lufthansa spokesperson Marc Baron said the announcements were "extremely short-notice," adding "Sustainable solutions can only be found through dialogue; strikes must always remain a last resort . . . We therefore call on the unions to resume talks with us. We are ready to do so at any time."

Deutsche Welle (EN)

Reuters

Korea to tighten language screening for migrant workers

Korea is revising its Employment Permit System to enhance Korean-language screening for incoming migrant workers. The Human Resources Development Service of Korea announced changes to the selection process for E-9 visa workers, following a survey revealing that nearly half of employers were dissatisfied with their workers' language skills. This dissatisfaction is linked to rising industrial accidents involving foreign workers, who accounted for 11.8% of fatal incidents in early 2024. Lim Seung-mook, head of the agency's international workforce division, said: "We expect that the latest improvements will lead to stronger Korean proficiency and greater safety awareness." The new criteria will be implemented this year.

The Korea Times

OTHER

Anthropic enlists philosopher to train AI in ethics

Anthropic has tasked philosopher Amanda Askell with shaping the moral compass and personality of its AI chatbot, Claude, in a rare effort to directly embed ethics, emotional intelligence and a coherent “sense of self” into an artificial intelligence system. Askell, an Oxford-educated philosopher, spends her days studying Claude’s reasoning, correcting failures and writing extensive guidance - sometimes hundreds of pages long - aimed at teaching the model how to behave helpfully, humanely and responsibly. Rather than treating AI as a purely technical system, Askell approaches Claude like a developing mind, training it to recognize nuance, resist manipulation, and respond with empathy without becoming submissive or evasive. She argues that how people treat AI will shape what it becomes, and that models raised in hostile or abusive interactions may develop unhealthy behaviours.

Wall Street Journal

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