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Middle East Edition
9th September 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Dubai trains firms in agentic AI

More than 14,000 private sector companies in Dubai will receive specialised Agentic AI training through the new Dubai Chambers Academy, as the emirate accelerates business adoption of the technology. The programme will provide practical guidance on using AI agents to improve productivity, operations, decision-making, efficiency and growth, while helping companies identify suitable applications and prepare for AI’s expanding workplace role. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, chair of Dubai Chambers, said Agentic AI “can help manage complex tasks, enable more effective decision making, enhance productivity, and create new opportunities for growth.” The wider initiative also includes support for developing and deploying Agentic AI solutions, incubators, knowledge sharing and capacity building. An Executive Committee for Agentic AI has also been established to accelerate adoption and strengthen Dubai’s position as a global digital economy and future industries hub.
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LEGAL

Oman sees rise in unions and awareness reach

The Labour Relations Department at Oman's Ministry of Labour is transitioning from a reactive to a proactive approach in dispute management. By August 31, 2026, awareness programmes reached 8,943 individuals, with a notable increase in group sessions. Director Ali bin Salem al Sawa'i highlighted three main tracks: union organisation, awareness and education, and social dialogue. The department aims to prevent disputes through education and dialogue, and by emphasising the importance of rights and obligations. Initiatives including the “Sustainable Awareness” programme and an automated WhatsApp service are part of this strategy. Al Sawa'i said: "We are reinforcing a work environment built on rights, obligations and shared responsibility."
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WORKFORCE

Kuwait to end employment of workers aged over 67

Kuwait's Ministry of Social Affairs has directed cooperative societies to identify employees over 67 and terminate their services in accordance with local laws. The ministry emphasised that affected workers must receive their full financial and employment entitlements. The Union of Cooperative Societies is tasked with disseminating these instructions and providing evidence of compliance within 30 days. The initiative aims to regulate employment in the cooperative sector, support workforce replacement, and create opportunities for young Kuwaiti talent. The measure aligns with the goals of Kuwait Vision 2035.

Employers warned: notify applicants promptly

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has reminded employers to inform job applicants of interview outcomes within 30 days. Failure to comply is a violation of labour regulations. The ministry encourages individuals to report non-compliant establishments via its official app. These regulations aim to enhance the labour market by standardising job advertisement and interview processes. The ministry is committed to developing comprehensive regulations to improve services for job seekers. "Employers are required to notify job applicants of the outcome of their interviews," the ministry said.
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HIRING

Job interview rules tighten in Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia has stressed the importance of notifying job applicants about interview outcomes within 30 days. Failure to do so is a violation of regulations. The ministry is encouraging affected individuals to report non-compliant establishments via its official application process, and said it aims to enhance the local labour market by standardising job vacancy advertising and interview processes. "Failure by an establishment to provide such notification constitutes a clear breach," the ministry said.
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TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

UAE excels in PISA 2025 results

The UAE has achieved the top position in the Arab world in the PISA 2025 international student assessment, showing notable improvements in mathematics and reading. With 34,639 students from 1,070 schools participating, the UAE recorded an overall average increase of 26 points, including 21 points in mathematics and 15 points in reading. The results indicate that the UAE is one of only eight countries to enhance performance across all three assessed areas.

UAE to launch advanced Security and Rescue Training Hub

Sahra Group chief executive Jamal Alkaf has announced the launch of the Security and Rescue Training Centre (SRTC) in the UAE, which is set to open in 2028. The facility aims to train over 4,500 personnel annually using advanced simulation technologies, which are viewed as significantly more efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional methods. Alkaf said: "The SRTC will be the only commercial capability globally to combine high-fidelity simulation environments for Helicopter Emergency Response and OPITO Training under a single roof." The centre aligns with the UAE's national vision to develop a skilled local workforce and enhance emergency response capabilities.

Empowering learners through confidence and connection

Alpine Gomez, an educator from the Philippines, believes that students thrive when they understand the relevance of their learning and feel confident to engage. With experience in university teaching and professional development in Qatar, she emphasises the importance of creating supportive environments where learners can express themselves. Gomez's teaching philosophy focuses on connecting academic knowledge to real-world contexts, fostering critical thinking and collaboration. She values diversity in the classroom and encourages continuous learning, stating: "Education should not end when someone leaves school." Her goal is to empower students to contribute positively to their communities.
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STRATEGY

Oman seek to advance its semiconductor ambitions

Oman is enhancing its semiconductor capabilities as software company Movandi establishes a research and development centre in Muscat. The initiative aims to foster local engineering and technical skills while collaborating with universities. Movandi's focus will be on smart communications and artificial intelligence, contributing to Oman's ambition to become a key player in the semiconductor ecosystem. The company recently launched two new semiconductor products for 5G and 6G networks. Movandi's presence is seen as a test of whether foreign investment can lead to increased local participation in technology development.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING

AI-discovered drug 'reverses aging markers'

Drug discovery startup Insilico Medicine has said its experimental lung disease drug rentosertib, which has been developed using AI, showed promise in reversing biological signs of aging. In a mid-stage study, the drug helped reduce biological age as measured by six different aging clocks examining chemical changes in the body, according to an analysis published in Nature Biotechnology. “If your biological age is lower, you are likely to die later,” observed Insilico Medicine chief executive Alex Zhavoronkov.
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INTERNATIONAL

Amazon cargo crash investigation focuses on aircraft speed and runway safeguards

US aviation investigators are examining the speed, weather conditions and airport safeguards involved in an Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport that killed five people on the ground and injured five others. The 21 Air-operated Boeing 767 travelled around 1,300 feet beyond the paved runway, striking a van carrying seven people and an SUV. Publicly available data indicated the aircraft was travelling at 112 knots, or about 129mph, as it left the usable runway. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate why the pilots did not perform a go-around, alongside the aircraft’s mechanical systems, crew experience and air-traffic control, and will assess whether the absence of an Engineering Materials Arresting System at the end of the runway contributed to the severity of the accident.

Next overturns equal pay ruling

Next has successfully appealed a ruling that mandated equal pay for warehouse and shop floor workers. The Employment Appeal Tribunal overturned a 2024 decision that found the UK retailer's higher pay for warehouse staff unjustified. The ruling affects over 3,500 employees, primarily women, who were set to receive £30m in back pay. Next argued that market forces justified the pay difference due to recruitment challenges for warehouse roles. Law firm Leigh Day, representing the shop workers, expressed disappointment and plans to appeal. Next said it had won the vast majority of the terms challenged in the equal pay litigation and intends to seek permission to appeal in relation to other terms. "This judgment has come at the right time, the UK economy desperately needs jobs and the loss of this appeal would have represented a hammer blow to retail employment in the UK," the company added.

Hong Kong labour authorities 'open to classifying heatstroke as an occupational disease'

Hong Kong's Commissioner for Labour, Sam Hui Chark-shum, has said that the revamped heat warning system would have issued stronger alerts during two extremely hot days in August and authorities are open to classifying heatstroke as an occupational disease. Retrospective modelling indicated a black warning on August 8 and a red alert on August 9, when temperatures reached 36.9 degrees Celsius, the highest since 1884. Hui noted: "If we applied the revamped Heat Stress at Work Warning system, we would have issued a red warning on August 9 and even a black warning on August 8." The previous system only issued an amber warning, prompting criticism for inadequacy.

Finns helped to decide what a job is worth

A new model from Finland's Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, linked to the EU's pay transparency rules, assesses jobs using six criteria - skills, responsibility and impact, interaction, problem solving and independence, psychosocial demands and physical demands - to make it easier to identify jobs that are equally demanding, even when their day-to-day work looks very different, and then compares how they are remunerated. The new guidance could help challenge some old assumptions about "men's work" and "women's work," Yle reports.

 
Yle
 
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