THE HOT STORY

Employers move to make hiring AI-proof

Employers who are concerned about applicants using stolen or fabricated identities to boost their chances of getting a job are verifying applicants' identities throughout the hiring process by taking biometric scans of their faces and scrutinising email histories. More than a third of about 1,230 headhunters and hiring managers surveyed by hiring software firm Greenhouse say they now spend half their time filtering for “spam and junk” job applications. “Technologies are now being used that draw from well-tested, decades-old cybersecurity used in places like airports and voting and military and government applications to the ordinary business of applying to a job,” Greenhouse chief executive Daniel Chait said. Almost a quarter (23%) of US companies polled by background-check provider Checkr said hiring fraud had cost them more than $50,000 in the past year because of delayed projects, compliance issues and rehiring costs.

Bloomberg

HIRING

Flydubai to recruit UAE nationals across aviation and corporate roles

Flydubai will host its UAE National Careers Open Day on August 16 at the flydubai Campus. The event showcases the airline's commitment to developing local talent and supporting national workforce goals. Attendees can meet recruitment teams, learn about training programmes, and explore various career opportunities in aviation. Available programmes include the Engineering Apprentice Programme, Flight Dispatcher Programme, and Pilot Training Programmes. Nasser Binkherbash, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, said: “Investing in people is fundamental to our continued growth.”

Gdn Online

Zawya EN

STRATEGY

Some 9,500 employees laid off from Israeli hi-tech firms in first half of 2026

Career consultant Hayut Yogev says that 9,500 employees were laid off from Israeli hi-tech firms in the first half of 2026. He estimates that 65% of these workers will pursue new roles in the hi-tech sector, while 20% may switch industries. Senior professionals face a tougher job market, with fewer than half likely to find comparable positions. Job searches could take up to a year, especially for senior roles.

The Jerusalem Post

LEGAL

Qatar seeks to boost legal support for trafficking victims

The National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking (NCCHT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Qatar Lawyers Association to enhance legal support for trafficking victims. The agreement aims to improve access to legal counsel and representation, ensuring victims' rights are protected. The MoU includes regular consultations to monitor progress and establish a regulatory framework for legal aid.

The Peninsula

TAX

Egypt's ETA to launch ‘White List' with incentives for compliant taxpayers

The Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) is launching a "White List" to reward compliant taxpayers with various incentives. ETA Head Rasha Abdel Aal said that the initiative aims to enhance voluntary tax compliance through executive reforms. Eligible taxpayers will be automatically selected based on risk-based criteria. Benefits include expedited VAT refunds, priority access to services, and a Tax Excellence Card in Platinum, Gold, or Silver categories. Additionally, a mobile application for real estate transactions will allow electronic tax payments. Abdel Aal said: "This initiative simplifies tax procedures and encourages compliance."

Zawya EN

INTERNATIONAL

Audi workers protest over threatened plant closure

An estimated 6,000 Audi workers have demonstrated against the possible closure of the ‌German automaker's Neckarsulm plant as parent Volkswagen pushes ahead with a group restructuring in the face of increased competition from China and US tariffs. Oliver Blume, Volkswagen's chief executive, has warned Neckarsulm is among four German plants that could close after 2030 if no alternative solution is found. "The staff wants clarity because they're worried about coming to work. Many families are worried, too," Audi trainee Frank Wojko said. Local mayor Steffen Hertwig told Reuters that closing Neckarsulm ⁠"would be a disaster" and have far-reaching consequences for the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, a traditional automaking region.

Daily Sabah

Reuters

Tamil Nadu's outdoor informal workers endure unsafe seat

In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a study has found that nearly 88% of outdoor informal workers face unsafe heat levels, leading to significant productivity losses. Conducted by researchers from Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, the study monitored 1,560 workers from 2021 to 2023. Vidhya Venugopal, the study's corresponding author, said: "The results demonstrate severe productivity and economic losses associated with high [Wet Bulb Globe Temperature] levels."

The Times of India

HSBC hiring spree to boost Singapore hub

HSBC is to hire more than 100 artificial intelligence specialists and 100 wealth managers as the bank moves to launch a new AI centre in Singapore in the second half of 2026. Talent will be recruited across natural language processing, data science, AI governance and human-centred design, HSBC said. The ⁠Singapore centre will initially focus on personalising customer wealth management conversations, introducing agentic treasury solutions, and expanding AI-enabled digital payments.

Reuters

AI startup guaranteed job interviews for people getting a tattoo

The co-founder of AI startup LemonLime has apologised after offering instant job interviews to networking event attendees who agreed to get inked with a company logo. Jordan Zietz, posting on LinkedIn, said the idea was to “meet exceptional people, and find out which of them are just as crazy as we are,” adding that he had brought a tattoo artist along to the event. Seven people, he wrote, took him up on the offer. The Wall Street Journal reports that “online outrage erupted almost instantly.” Mark Pincus, the former chief executive of game company Zynga, observed: “It’s novel, but I don’t like it . . . You’re asking somebody to get the tattoo before we even know if we’re going to hire them - that’s not OK.”

Wall Street Journal

OTHER

Merck, Wellcome venture to make Ebola vaccine for clinical trials

Hilleman Laboratories, a joint venture between Merck and the health research charity Wellcome, is preparing to manufacture doses of an experimental vaccine against the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola responsible for a fast-spreading outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The effort is backed by up to $8.5m in funding from the global partnership Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). "With Bundibugyo virus cases rising at worrying speed, the epidemic is fast becoming a humanitarian crisis,” CEPI chief executive Richard Hatchett said. “No vaccine is currently approved against the virus, so we are urgently advancing vaccine candidates ⁠into testing."

Reuters

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