THE HOT STORY

Jordan unemployment falls to 16.1% in Q2

Jordan's unemployment rate decreased to 16.1% in the second quarter, down 0.4% from the previous year, according to the Department of Statistics. Unemployment among Jordanians fell to 21%, with a notable decline among women, whose rate dropped to 19.9%. In May, Jordan and the International Labour Organization launched a Decent Work Country Program for 2026-27 focused on creating more and better jobs, improving productivity and expanding employment opportunities for young people and women.

Arab News

WORKFORCE

Women make up 54.7 % of Emirati workforce in Dubai Government entities

On Emirati Women's Day, the Dubai Government Human Resources Department highlighted the significant role of Emirati women in the workforce. Currently, 12,571 Emirati women work in Dubai Government entities, making up 54.7% of all Emirati employees. Notably, 2,289 hold leadership positions. Emirati women also represent 43.8% of the workforce in key sectors such as healthcare and energy. Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, director general of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, said: "This year's theme reflects a new chapter in the journey of Emirati women." The department said it aims to enhance leadership pathways for women in various fields.

Zawya EN

LEADERSHIP

Saudi Arabia shakes up flagship real estate project

Saudi Arabia has replaced New Murabba chief Michael Dyke with Sabah Barakat amid a wider PIF shake-up, as the sovereign fund reassesses costly mega-projects following delays and overruns.

Financial Times

TECHNOLOGY

New Anthropic framework allows AI agents to operate physical devices

Anthropic has launched a research preview of "Model Hardware Standard", a framework for AI agents ‌to operate physical devices in scientific research and advanced manufacturing. The company said it aims to help companies reduce the amount of time it takes to set up and integrate their hardware; companies will be able to integrate AI into their equipment in “hours or minutes,” whereas such a process would typically take “weeks, if not months,” and require specialists to do a custom build, Anthropic said. The standard works on any device that ⁠has a programmable interface and allows devices and agents to communicate across networks, according to the company.

CNBC

Fortune

Reuters

SUSTAINABILITY

UAE hospitality groups partner to tackle environmental challenges

The Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) has established the Emirates Hospitality Sustainability Alliance (EHSA) to enhance environmental practices within the UAE hospitality sector. Launched on August 31, the alliance aims to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among hospitality leaders and sustainability professionals. Dr Habiba Al Mar'ashi, co-founder and chairperson of EEG, emphasised the need for measurable progress in sustainability efforts. The alliance will develop a sustainability standard and engage various stakeholders to ensure that sustainable practices become integral to daily operations, rather than isolated initiatives.

Gulfnews.com

CORPORATE

Consultants head for an AI showdown - with their own clients

Consultants are coming under pressure as companies leverage AI to reduce costs, demanding lower fees or shifting work in-house, and impacting traditional consulting roles and revenues.

Financial Times

RISK

Visa and Mastercard launch Syria payments after US takes it off ‘terror’ list

Visa and Mastercard have begun processing international card transactions in Syria, days after the US removed the country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, marking a significant step in Syria’s return to the global financial system. Mastercard said international cards can now be accepted at hotels, restaurants, and government entities through Qatar National Bank terminals, while Visa is working with Lebanon’s Fransabank and Syrian payments company Paymera.

Financial Times

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

FIFO workers prioritise the 'simple things'

A survey by MPI Recruitment of more than 420 fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers in Australia's mining sector suggests that pay plays a marginal role when luring them to the industry. “What surprised us most about this research wasn't what FIFO workers wanted, but how consistent their responses were,” said Mark Pearce, MPI's marketing and workforce insights manager. Leadership, culture, team and job satisfaction were FIFO's leading drivers, according to MPI. “More than 90% of workers selected one of four simple things. I believe it reinforces the idea that while most employers still think high salaries attract people to mining jobs, it's the everyday experience that shapes how people feel about their employer and whether they stay.” Pearce added: “It's a reminder [for employers] that if they want to attract and keep the right people, they'd do well to understand what people care most about first.”

West Australian

Unions warn of massive opposition in turnaround dispute with Volkswagen

Germany's IG Metall union has warned that its members will resist attempts by Volkswagen to undo a previously agreed restructuring package, although it stopped short of threatening strikes ahead of a critical board meeting scheduled for the end of this week that will see a vote on what currently are three rival restructuring proposals. The automaker's biggest overhaul to date could include plant closures, the carve-out of some units and 50,000 further ⁠layoffs. "I can only warn you: If the board tries to call this agreement into question again, then the factory floors will be up in arms at all our sites," Thorsten Groeger told workers in Hanover, one of the sites that faces closure. "We will oppose it with all our might," said the representative for Germany's largest union.

Reuters

Labour survey 2026 to track digital, platform workers

India's upcoming Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2026 will for the first time collect data on gig and platform-based workers. The initiative aims to provide a clearer picture of the growing gig economy, which includes food delivery executives and home service providers. "In PLFS 2026, data on digital platform workers . . . is being collected among the workers classified in the existing PLFS framework as self-employed, regular wage/salaried or casual workers on an experimental basis. All such workers will be included in the broader self-employed category," a government official said. The survey results are expected in March 2027.

The Times of India

FamilyMart relaxes dress code to attract more diverse workforce

FamilyMart has relaxed its employee dress code in an effort to attract a more diverse workforce, allowing staff to choose their hair colour freely and permitting Muslim women to wear hijabs. The Japanese convenience store chain is also introducing its first uniform redesign in a decade, including a T-shirt option, while expanding recruitment through recorded and online interviews.

The Japan Times

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