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Middle East Edition
17th February 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

AI threatens millions of office jobs, says Microsoft boss

Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's AI chief, predicts that most white-collar jobs could be fully automated within 12 to 18 months. He said that AI is nearing "human-level performance" in tasks including law, accounting, and project management. Suleyman noted that AI-assisted coding is already common in software engineering. The potential job losses could be severe, with estimates suggesting up to 80% of entry-level positions might be at risk.
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WORKFORCE

Future of Work Summit in Dubai

InsuranceMarket.ae and Gulf News will host the Future of Work Summit in Dubai on 15 April 2026. The event aims to address key issues such as workforce transformation, AI-driven innovation, and employee experience. Avinash Babur, founder and chief executive of InsuranceMarket.ae, emphasised the importance of the summit, saying: “The world of work in the UAE is undergoing structural transformation.” The summit will gather thought leaders and industry experts to discuss practical solutions for the evolving workplace landscape in the UAE. Registration for the event is free via the Gulf News website.

Egypt's unemployment rate falls to 6.2% in Q4 of 2025

Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) reported a decrease in the unemployment rate to 6.2% by the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 6.4% in the third. The number of unemployed individuals fell to approximately 2.15m, including 1.02m men and 1.13m women. However, there was a slight annual increase of 22,000 unemployed compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Male unemployment decreased to 3.8%, while female unemployment dropped to 14.3%. Urban unemployment reached 9.7%, and rural unemployment fell to 3.4%. CAPMAS noted that 82.1% of the unemployed hold intermediate or higher qualifications.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Government staff in Umm Al Quwain to get three-day weekend for Ramadan

Umm Al Quwain government employees will enjoy a three-day weekend during Ramadan, as per an official circular from the Amiri Diwan. The new schedule allows employees to work from Monday to Thursday, with Friday to Sunday designated as the weekend. The change aims to enhance work-life balance during the holy month, providing more time for family and worship. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, the Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, issued the directive, which aligns with the UAE's broader strategy to adjust working hours during Ramadan.
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LEGAL

New service allows legal termination for absent domestic workers

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has introduced a work interruption service on the Musaned platform to enhance contractual relationships. The service allows employers to terminate contracts legally when a domestic worker is absent, ensuring clarity for both parties. It includes procedures for contract termination and labour mobility. The ministry said: "Workers must complete exit procedures within 60 days if their contract is terminated within two years." Those in the Kingdom for over two years must regularise their status or face violations. The initiative aims to improve recruitment sector regulations and protect rights.
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TECHNOLOGY

Cadence unveils 'virtual chip engineer'

Cadence has rolled out the ChipStack AI Super Agent to help automate and speed chip design work, where teams can spend up to 70% of their time writing and testing code. The AI agent builds a “mental model” of a design, then tests and fixes issues using Cadence tools. Cadence said some tasks are up to 10x faster, with early users including Nvidia, Altera and Tenstorrent. Cadence's Paul Cunningham said the company aims to “rent you virtual engineers.”
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RISK

Dollar uncertainty threatens world economy

Zhu Min, an ex-deputy director of the International Monetary Fund and former deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, has warned that dwindling trust in the US dollar poses significant risks to the global economy. Zhu, who noted that the dollar's share of global foreign exchange reserves has dropped from 70% to 57%, said the global economy has consistently seen low growth as structural damage brought by geopolitical conflict, the pandemic and the global financial crisis of 2008 has not yet been repaired.
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INTERNATIONAL

Uber enters seven new European markets in food delivery push

Uber is expanding its food delivery arm into seven new European markets in 2026 - Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Greece and Romania - as it intensifies competition in the multibillion-euro sector and targets an additional $1bn in gross bookings over the next three years. The move pits Uber against DoorDash-owned Wolt in several core markets and comes amid broader consolidation, including Prosus’s €4.1bn takeover of Just Eat Takeaway and DoorDash’s £2.9bn acquisition of Deliveroo. Uber is also acquiring Getir’s food delivery business in Turkey to strengthen its position there. The company has grown market share in key European countries, with UK share rising from 28% in January 2022 to 38% in December last year and Germany increasing from 10% to 26%, according to one estimate. Uber attributes this growth to cross-selling from its ride-hailing platform and its Uber One membership scheme, while also investing in automation through drones, robots and autonomous vehicles to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Ford boosts bonuses to 130% amid quality gains

Ford Motor chief executive Jim Farley announced a companywide bonus of 130% during a recent town hall, attributing the increase to improved vehicle quality metrics. The bonuses apply to Ford's global salaried workforce of about 75,000 employees and are based on annual performance metrics. Farley described the bonuses as an investment in workers. Despite recent challenges, including recalls and missed earnings expectations, Ford's stock has risen 47% over the past year.

BASF shifts services hub to India

BASF has said it plans to relocate several service functions to a new global hub in India, citing cost efficiency and a goal to make its Global Business Services more competitive. The move will affect jobs at its Berlin site, though BASF said planning is at an early stage and the shift would occur gradually by the end of 2028. The chemicals union IGBCE criticised the decision, with chair Michael Vassiliadis calling it “a blow to employment policy.” BASF’s services unit has about 8,500 staff, including 2,800 in Berlin, as the company continues broader cost-cutting amid weak demand.

Cambodia crafts online scam law

Cambodia is drafting a law aimed at online scams as pressure mounts to curb scam compounds operating in the country. Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said the law “will develop an important and clearer legal framework” for prevention and crackdowns, though provisions have not been disclosed. Cambodia has expanded enforcement, reporting at least 190 raids and more than 9,000 deportations since the start of the year, and citing the arrest and extradition of alleged kingpin Chen Zhi. Analysts warn syndicates adapt quickly. Officials said: “Cambodia is not a safe haven for online criminals.”
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OTHER

UK leads the world in concern about migration

People in the UK are far more concerned about immigration than people in other countries with similar levels of migrants, according to a Gallup poll. According to Gallup's inaugural World’s Most Important Problem report, just over one in five Britons (21%) named immigration as their No. 1 concern, statistically tied with mentions of the economy (23%). In only six other countries, including the Netherlands (13%), Portugal (12%) and Ireland (11%) do at least one in 10 adults name immigration as the most important national problem. Nevertheless, the poll found that despite high levels of national concern, most Britons said immigration is a good thing - a sentiment that grew over time between 2016 and 2023.
 
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