THE HOT STORY

UAE tech giant G42 launches AI agent recruitment

G42, the Abu Dhabi-based technology firm, has announced the recruitment of AI agents for enterprise roles. The application process is open for agents that can deliver measurable value within approved infrastructure. Successful candidates will undergo a probationary phase to assess their performance. Maymee Kurian, group chief augmented human capital officer at G42, said: “The future of work is being shaped by how intelligently we design the relationship between human talent and intelligent systems. This initiative is not about deploying AI for incremental gains, but about rethinking enterprise workforce design for the AI era. By welcoming AI agents into structured roles, we are augmenting execution capacity while allowing our people to focus on leadership, innovation, and strategic outcomes . . . Our approach ensures that AI operates within clear governance, measurable performance standards, and strong human accountability, enabling us to scale responsibly while continuing to invest in the growth and capability of our workforce.”

Khaleej Times Online

HIRING

New fines for illegal hiring in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has introduced new penalties for employers who violate labour laws. A fine of SR10,000 will be imposed for hiring non-Saudi workers without valid work permits. Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi said: "These amendments reflect our commitment to enhancing the work environment." Other penalties include fines for employing minors and failing to document contracts. The revised schedule aims to improve labour market stability and protect workers' rights, while clarifying categories of violations for better compliance.

Saudi Gazette

Zawya EN

WORKFORCE

Money transfers from workers in Qatar soar during Ramadan

During Ramadan, remittances from Qatar to home countries peak significantly, with increases of 25% to 30% noted compared to other months. Bashar Al Waqfi, chief executive of a money exchange company, said: "The holy month witnesses a remarkable increase in the volume of financial transfers." Digital technology plays a crucial role, facilitating transactions through mobile applications and electronic payments. Dr Mohammed Amjad Moussa, executive vice president of a money exchange company, confirmed that transaction volumes rise annually by 20% to 30% during this period, reflecting residents' commitment to supporting their families.

Zawya EN

STRATEGY

DoorDash to exit four markets

DoorDash will withdraw from Qatar, Singapore, Japan and Uzbekistan, shutting down its Deliveroo and Wolt delivery services in those countries following a review of market conditions. The company said the move reflects its focus on investing in markets with the clearest path to sustainable scale and long-term leadership. DoorDash International head Miki Kuusi said the priority is to support employees and partners through an orderly transition while concentrating resources on stronger-performing geographies. In addition to the market exits, DoorDash is making limited operational changes in select locations, including investment in certain engineering roles in the UK. The company said the decisions will not materially affect its financial outlook or previously issued guidance.

Bloomberg

Wall Street Journal

CYBERSECURITY

Google disrupts hacking group linked to China targeting global organisations

Google has disrupted the operations of a Chinese-linked hacking group known as UNC2814 which had breached at least 53 organisations across 42 countries. The group used Google Sheets to execute their surveillance and data theft, successfully blending their activities into normal network traffic, according to Google Threat Intelligence analysts. John Hultquist from Google's team said: “This was a vast surveillance apparatus used to spy on people and organisations throughout the world.”

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Forty-eight hour strike set to disrupt Germany's public transport

Travellers are preparing for severe disruption to public transport services across Germany starting this morning. Industrial action lasting for 48 hours has been called by the Verdi union, which represents about 100,000 workers employed across 150 transport companies. The union aims to gain leverage in negotiations that cover working conditions, specifically working hours and shift work, allowances for night and weekend work, as well as salaries. "Our colleagues urgently need relief – and employers need a clear signal that we are determined to fight for our demands," Verdi deputy chair Christine Behle said. "Employers still don't seem to understand that public transport services cannot continue to function in the long term if we don't make decisive improvements to working conditions now," she added.

Euronews

Reuters

Amazon opens second-largest Asia office in Bengaluru

Amazon has opened its second-largest office in Asia in Bengaluru, unveiling a 12-storey, 1.1m sq ft campus that will accommodate more than 7,000 employees across e-commerce, operations, payments, technology and seller services in India. The new site forms part of Amazon’s ongoing expansion in the country, where it has already invested over $40bn and committed a further $35bn by 2030. Karnataka’s industries minister MB Patil said the investment highlights India’s growing role as a global technology and innovation hub. Located 15km from Kempegowda International Airport, the campus has been designed to support collaboration and flexible working, with meeting rooms, breakout spaces and event areas for more than 200 people.

Economic Times

New Louvre chief aims to restore trust

Christophe Leribault has been appointed as the new head of the Louvre, succeeding Laurence des Cars, who resigned in the wake of a jewellery heist and ongoing staff strikes. Leribault, an 18th-century art historian, previously directed the Palace of Versailles and has experience at the Louvre's graphic arts department. "Leribault's priority will be to strengthen the safety and security of the building, the collections, and ⁠people, to ⁠restore a climate of ⁠trust, and to carry forward, together with all the teams, the necessary transformations for the museum," the ⁠Culture Ministry said in a statement about President Emmanuel Macron's choice for the job.

U.S. News

Human skills ‘matter even more’ for early consultancy career roles

'The UK’s leading management consultants' Special Report in the Financial Times looks at how traits including curiosity, judgment and resilience have become more important in the increasingly AI-enabled environment at top consultancies. The paper also looks at how, as AI tools become more widely available, firms are refocusing on employees’ skills to set them apart from rivals in the AI era.

Financial Times

OTHER

Qatar's UN Mission holds ‘Mediation and Human Rights' event

During the 61st session of the Human Rights Council, Qatar hosted a high-level event on "Mediation and Human Rights." Dr Hend bint Abdalrahman al-Muftah, Qatar's Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, highlighted the strong nexus between human rights and mediation as pillars for preventing and settling conflicts by addressing their root causes and promoting dignity, equality and participation. She observed that respect for human rights ensures sustainable peace and enhances the effectiveness of mediation efforts.

Gulf Times

The Human Times is designed to help you stay ahead, spark ideas and support innovation, learning and development in your organisation.

The links under articles indicate original news sources. Some links lead directly to the source material. Others lead to paywalls where you may need a subscription. A third category are restricted by copyright rules.

For reaction and insights on any stories covered in the Human Times, join the discussion by becoming a member of our LinkedIn Group or Business Page, or follow us on X.

Online

Advertise

This e-mail has been sent to [[EMAIL_TO]]

Click here to unsubscribe