THE HOT STORY

Female representation diminishes further up the corporate ladder

According to the Best Companies for Women in the Gulf 2025 report by Avtar Group, women make up 42% of new hires in top UAE and GCC companies, although only 28% receive promotions. “Why a company should have more women is still not fully understood by many organisations. Because of that, the kind of positions that are filled by women are what we call the ‘easy positions' that you can quickly fill. These are not high positions. This is why only 42% of the entry-level positions are filled by women,” Dr Saundarya Rajesh, founder-president of Avtar Group, told Khaleej Times. However, 95% of companies in the UAE and GCC now offer leadership training for women, and 79% provide formal mentoring and executive coaching to support women's career advancement.

Khaleej Times Online

HR TECHNOLOGY

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HIRING

Commercial Bank adopts Career Day as annual initiative

Commercial Bank has hosted a successful Career Day in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, aiming to connect Qatari nationals and children of Qatari mothers with private sector opportunities. The event attracted numerous candidates, with 53% receiving on-site interview invitations and 42% securing job offers. Attendees explored various career paths beyond banking, including technology and law. Mohammed Juma Al-Kuwari, assistant director of the Department of National Manpower Recruitment, witnessed seven young Qataris sign job offers. Khalifa Al Rayes, chief human capital officer, said: “This is just the beginning, CB Career Day will now become an annual initiative.”

The Peninsula

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Emirates boosts pilot training capacity

Emirates has opened a new flight crew training centre in Dubai, investing US$135m to enhance pilot training capacity by 54%. The facility, spanning 63,318 sq. ft., will support training for the upcoming Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X fleets. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chair and chief executive of Emirates, said: "Our new Emirates Crew Training Centre is a game-changer." The centre features six full flight simulator bays and innovative technology, including a Pilot Support Station, to improve training efficiency. It aims to provide 130,000 training hours annually, training up to 1,000 pilots per simulator.

Gulfnews.com

LEGAL

Qatar and Uganda discuss enhancing labour co-operation

Hamad Faraj Dalmouk, assistant undersecretary for Migrant Labour Affairs in Qatar, met with Aggrey David Kibenge, Uganda's permanent secretary of gender, labour and social development, to enhance bilateral cooperation in labour. The meeting occurred during the "Knowledge Exchange and Consular Cooperation Workshop" organised by the International Organisation for Migration. Dalmouk highlighted the workshop's role in sharing experiences and fostering partnerships in migration governance. He said: "These joint efforts are crucial to reconciling the needs of labour markets with the protection of workers' rights." Qatar says it aims to strengthen cooperative frameworks and share best practices in labour policies.

Gulf Times

Bahraini workers jailed for defrauding SIO and Tamkeen

Ten Bahraini white-collar workers have been convicted of defrauding the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) and the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) out of BD230,000. The defendants faced six charges, including forgery and using falsified documents for personal gain. Four of the accused are siblings. One official observed: "This case serves as a warning against fraudulent activities."

Gdn Online

TECHNOLOGY

How a former junior lawyer created a $5bn AI legal start-up

The Financial Times profiles Winston Weinberg, co-founder of legal AI company Harvey. The business uses large language models (LLMs) to speed up tasks including document review and legal research.

Financial Times

INTERNATIONAL

Novo Nordisk mandates five-day office work

Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk has said that office employees must return to the workplace five days a week, effectively ending remote work. The Danish company said that this new global standard aims to strengthen collaboration among staff. A company spokesperson confirmed that all employees worldwide have been informed of the updated guidelines. The policy marks a significant shift in the company's approach to workplace flexibility. Kim Jung Olsen, the chair of Danish trade union HK Privat, said he was surprised that Novo had discontinued its remote work policy. "Working from home and a vibrant office culture are not necessarily mutually exclusive," he said. "It is unfortunate for the many employees who have enjoyed being able to work from home from time to time that management has not managed to make this work at Novo Nordisk."

Copenhagen Post

Reuters

Intel suddenly goes cold on DEI

Writing for OregonLive, Mike Rogoway observes that in its Corporate Responsibility Report last year, Intel included a 16-page section on making the company “Inclusive” and declared the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion were the company’s “core values,” being essential for innovation and strong business growth. This year, however, Rogoway says Intel "has almost nothing to say about DEI." Referencing the recent government purchase of an interest in the tech giant, Portland State University finance Professor Qin Lian predicts: “With (a) 10% federal stake, Intel will likely follow the federal directives . . . Under the Trump administration, Intel will downplay DEI and focus on cost control and operational discipline.”

OregonLive.com

Japanese employers face challenge of hiring more disabled workers

Companies in Japan face the task of hiring more people with disabilities as the statutory minimum employment rate for the disabled will be lifted to 2.7% next July from 2.5% at present. Prospective employers are required to follow a thorough selection process that takes into account the traits of each candidate. "With the number of new graduates limited, the hike of the statutory minimum employment rate is gradually making it difficult to recruit students," observed an official for Kirin Holdings. The food and beverage maker allows disabled newcomers to choose between a career-track position and an area-restricted post involving no transfer.

Nippon.com

Mexico car tariffs to increase for Asian exporters

Mexico plans to increase tariffs on automobiles from China and other Asian countries to 50%, a move aimed at protecting local jobs and responding to US pressure regarding economic ties with China. The Economy Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said that the tariffs, which will affect $52bn in imports, are necessary to ensure competitiveness in the local market, as Chinese cars are entering at prices below local reference levels. The overhaul of import levies will also impact various sectors, including textiles and steel, and is expected to safeguard approximately 325,000 industrial jobs in Mexico.

Reuters

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