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Middle East Edition
24th March 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
The world's most resilient business environments
Denmark has been identified as having the most resilient business environment among 130 nations and territories, according to an analysis by FM, a global property insurance and risk management company. Eight of the top 10 countries are European, with one United States region placing tenth. The 10 most resilient countries, according to FM, are: Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Belgium, and United States Region 3. Chad ranked bottom. Haiti, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Mali rounded out the bottom five. Ghana rose 17 spots to No. 72, Lebanon has dropped 23 spots since the 2021 edition, and Argentina was down 22. Armenia and Russia each fell nine places.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Eid al Fitr holidays announced in Dubai
Dubai has announced Eid al Fitr holidays for government employees, with time off from Shawwal 1 to Shawwal 3, 1446 AH. Official work will resume on Shawwal 4, 1446 AH, as stated by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department. Similarly, Sharjah has also declared the same holiday dates, with a potential five to six-day break depending on the moon sighting. Sharjah's government employees enjoy a four-day workweek, having switched to a three-day weekend in January 2022. The UAE's Federal Authority for Government Human Resources has also confirmed the holiday for government employees nationwide.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Roche ditches diversity targets following US pressure
Swiss drugmaker Roche has abandoned its global diversity targets in response to recent US executive orders aimed at penalising such initiatives. The company announced that its chief diversity offices in the US and Basel will now focus on "inclusion and belonging," with diversity no longer part of their remit. A memo to global staff stated that these changes were necessary to ensure Roche "can continue to deliver medicines and diagnostic solutions to patients." This shift reflects a broader trend among US companies scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes since the Trump administration's legal challenges. Roche indicated that these changes would also apply globally to maintain compliance with US laws.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Omantel teams up for AI training
Omantel has partnered with TeKnowledge to launch an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and data science skilling programme aimed at enhancing its employees' digital capabilities. The initiative supports Omantel's commitment to digital transformation and economic diversification. Mohammed Ahmed Al-Riyami, general manager of talent management at Omantel, said: "AI and data science are at the core of Omantel’s strategy to lead in AI-driven solutions." The programme combines onsite and virtual training, ensuring an interactive experience for participants. As Oman transitions to a digital economy, Omantel is positioning itself as a leader in AI-powered services, driving sustainable growth and innovation. TeKnowledge, a global partner of Microsoft, will assist in delivering comprehensive training to support the initiative.
TECHNOLOGY
Nvidia CEO tells conference that robots are on the way
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang predicted at the company’s developer conference in San Jose that humanoid robots will be widely used in manufacturing within five years, saying: “This is not five-years-away problem, this is a few-years-away problem.” He introduced new software tools to aid robot navigation and suggested factories would be the first to adopt them due to their controlled environments and clear economic benefits, estimating that “the going rate for renting a human robot is probably $100,000.” Huang’s vision underscores Nvidia’s push to accelerate AI-driven robotics, starting with industrial applications.
WORKPLACE
Side hustles, Zoom waves and the Great Casualisation: how Covid shaped new ways to work
Five years after lockdown, the FT looks at the lasting effects and the forgotten workplace pandemic trends, from how we communicate and manage, to our attitudes to work and health.
ECONOMY
Saudi Arabia aims to fast-track exploration licences
Saudi Arabia is accelerating the exploration and development of its mineral resources, valued at approximately SR9.3tn (£2.4tn). The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has granted exploration licences for 4,788km² in the mineral-rich areas of Jabal Sayid and Al-Hajjar to various local and international mining companies, including Vedanta and a consortium led by Ajlan & Bros and Zijin Mining. The ministry anticipates that miners will invest around SR366m in exploration over the next three years. The initiative aligns with the Saudi Vision 2030, and aims to attract $100bn annually in foreign investment by 2030 and diversify the economy away from fossil fuels. The ministry has also launched the second phase of the Mining Exploration Enablement programme to support exploration activities and mitigate associated risks.
INTERNATIONAL
JPMorgan faces lawsuit over health benefits
JPMorgan Chase is facing a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging mismanagement of employee health benefits. The lawsuit accuses the bank of failing its employees by agreeing to overcharges in prescription drugs by the company's pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), CVS Caremark, which sets the drug prices for JPMorgan Chase's employee health plans. For instance, the multiple sclerosis drug teriflunomide was allegedly bought for $6,229, while it can be purchased for around $30 at retail pharmacies. The lawsuit argues that JPMorgan Chase has abandoned its "fiduciary responsibility" under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) by allowing these overcharges. "No prudent fiduciary would agree or allow for its plan and participants/beneficiaries pay a price that is more than two hundred times higher than the price available to any individual who just walks into a pharmacy and pays out-of-pocket, and five hundred sixty times higher than the price available with just a few clicks online," the lawsuit states. JPMorgan Chase has declined to comment on the matter.
Hungary bans Pride events, escalates crackdown
Hungarian lawmakers have enacted a law prohibiting Pride events and permitting the use of facial recognition technology to identify attendees. The legislation, passed with a 136-27 vote, amends existing assembly laws to penalise participation in events that contravene Hungary's controversial “child protection” law, which restricts the depiction of homosexuality to minors. Fines for attending such events can reach up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($546). Budapest Pride organisers slammed the law, saying: “This is not child protection, this is fascism,” and vowed to fight for the rights of all Hungarians to demonstrate. The law is part of a broader trend of repressive measures against the LGBTQ+ community under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government, which has faced criticism from rights groups and the European Union for its discriminatory policies.
Heineken launches global GenAI lab
Heineken has launched its first global generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) lab in Singapore, aiming to enhance growth, productivity, and customer engagement. Kenneth Choo, Heineken's Asia-Pacific managing director, said: “By harnessing Singapore's exceptional AI ecosystem, skilled talent and supportive government policies, we are excited to drive the development of innovative solutions that will transform the beverage industry for years to come.” The lab will focus on developing scalable GenAI solutions, including automated marketing content creation and financial reporting. Laurence Liew, AI Innovation director at AI Singapore, highlighted the collaboration's potential, saying: “By combining Heineken's industry expertise with our AI capabilities and talent, we are creating a powerful model for how businesses and research institutions can collaborate to create solutions with real-world impact.” Supported by the Economic Development Board, the lab aims to build a core team by the end of 2025.
Keeping British workers healthy with 'carrots and sticks'
Sir Charlie Mayfield, the former John Lewis boss and now the head of a UK review into workplace ill health, wants incentives for companies to retain workers with health problems who might otherwise opt out and sign on. He will today present the first phase of a review ordered by Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, into how to stop workers leaving their jobs because of ill health. Speaking to The Times, Mayfield said "prevention is so much cheaper than cure" when seeking to keep staff with health problems in work. He said he was not yet making recommendations as he continued to consult companies and others about the problem, but said that he wanted "carrots and sticks within the system for both employers and employees." The report praised the example of the Netherlands, where workers who go off sick see a specialist occupational health doctor within a few days.
 


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