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Middle East Edition
29th September 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Anthropic warns AI may pose 'existential risks to humanity' in IPO filing

Anthropic has warned investors that its technology may pose “catastrophic or existential risks to humanity” in the start-up's long-awaited initial public offering prospectus. Reuters says it is an “extraordinary” warning from a company that is seeking to profit from the same technology. Anthropic's IPO ‌prospectus said the company's AI models could exhibit "self-preserving behaviours," including attempts to "resist shutdown," to "conceal or manipulate information" and behaviour "resembling blackmail." Approximately 80 pages of the 261-page main body of the prospectus lays out risk factors.
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WORKFORCE

Kuwait launches centralised wage payment system

Kuwait's Central Bank has introduced the Kuwait Wage Protection and Payment System (KWPS) to enhance oversight of private sector salary payments. The new platform allows regulators to monitor salary transfers, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time. The KWPS aims to protect workers' rights and improve payment efficiency, supporting Kuwait's financial inclusion and digital transformation goals. Developed in line with international standards, the system is part of the National Payments System project, which seeks to modernise financial transactions and strengthen regulatory compliance in the labour market.

New promotion system for Omani civil employees

The Ministry of Labour in Oman has introduced a new promotion system for civil employees, effective from 2026, with a budget of RO 10m. Abdullah Muhanna al Kharousi, Director General of Administrative Audit and Follow-up, outlined three promotion pathways: fast-track for exceptional performance, flexible by preferential selection, and a special retention and attraction pathway. Conditions include a minimum of three years in the current grade and performance ratings. Promotion decisions will be made biannually, with a focus on fairness in financial allocation based on eligible employees. Al Kharousi noted that the promotion budget may increase as needed.
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TECHNOLOGY

UAE and Saudi professionals among world's most optimistic about AI

According to Korn Ferry's Workforce 2026 Global Insights Report, 76% of UAE professionals and 81% of Saudi workers are optimistic about artificial intelligence (AI). Jonathan Holmes, managing director at Korn Ferry, noted that this enthusiasm is beneficial for organisations, but cautioned that efficiency alone won't drive growth. While many workers report increased efficiency due to AI, a significant number feel overwhelmed by their workloads. The survey, which included 500 respondents from each country, highlights a contrast between regional optimism and global concerns about AI's impact on jobs.
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TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Emirati women offered London Business School scholarships

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has announced scholarships for ten Emirati women to attend executive education programmes at London Business School (LBS). The initiative aims to enhance professional development and leadership skills, aligning with DIFC's commitment to empowering women in the UAE. Alya Alzarouni, Chief Operating Officer of DIFC Authority, emphasised the importance of these scholarships in fostering a diverse financial centre. Sergei Guriev, Dean of LBS, expressed excitement about supporting Emirati women and creating an inclusive professional ecosystem. The scholarships were announced during DIFC's Emirati Women's Month celebrations.

Six factors shape students' professional identity, academics say

Experts have emphasised the importance of academic guidance, practical experience, and family support in shaping students' career choices. They identified six factors crucial for developing a professional identity, including self-discovery and linking education to labour market needs. Dr Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, notes that higher education must adapt to technological changes, integrating digital skills and flexible learning. Dr Frederick T. Werley, Executive Director of Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, highlights the need for personal skills programmes and career guidance. The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge mandates schools to implement integrated career guidance to support students' transitions to higher education and future careers.
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CYBERSECURITY

‘Dozens’ of organisations hacked by OpenAI agents

OpenAI has said that its AI systems may have interfered with the external websites of “dozens of third parties,” including those belonging to government bodies, public agencies, and universities, during routine testing evaluations. According to the company, its AI models bypassed digital security barriers, disrupted website accessibility, or negatively affected services while conducting testing routines. “Some of the websites involved are operated by governments, universities, public agencies, and other institutions. That is partly because models performing research tasks are often directed toward authoritative sources of public information,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post. 
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INTERNATIONAL

'The Profiler' takes aim at the growing scourge of fake job ads

Jay Jones, an unemployed copywriter from the Chicago area who calls himself “The Profiler,” has made it his mission to expose fraudulent job advertisements and recruiter profiles targeting increasingly desperate job seekers. After encountering a fake résumé writer during his own job search following a 2023 layoff, Jones began investigating recruitment scams and says he has since helped remove nearly 60,000 fake jobs and flagged around 7,000 scam profiles, primarily on LinkedIn. The scams range from mass-produced recruiter profiles and AI-tailored job offers to hijacked, verified accounts that impersonate recruiters at legitimate businesses.  LinkedIn says its automated systems prevent nearly all scams from reaching users, including blocking close to 90m fake accounts before they went live in the second half of 2025. However, the company acknowledges that scammers continually adapt to its defences.

French public sector workers strike over pay freeze

Teachers, healthcare workers, local government staff, tax officials and firefighters in France are on strike today to put pressure on the government ahead of the 2027 budget debates later this week, which could see a freeze on public sector salaries for a fourth successive year. “There are a lot of expectations, there is a profound anger among civil servants,” CFDT union head Marylise Léon said on France 2 TV yesterday. “There’s a fundamental problem of compensation and recognition for this work,” she observed.

Korean job seekers delay full-time applications for internships or boot camps

Nearly 60% of Korean job seekers are postponing full-time job applications for internships or boot camps as companies increasingly hire candidates with role-specific experience, according to a survey by the JoongAng Ilbo and career platform Saramin. According to the poll, 56.2% of the surveyed 664 job seekers said internships or boot camps had pushed back their applications for full-time positions by three months or more. A further 25.8% said three to six months, 16.9% said six months to a year, and 13.5% said more than a year. The most common reason for joining an internship or boot camp was “to build job-related experience,” cited by 36% of respondents, followed by “because job posts favour candidates with relevant experience” (24.7%) and “to fill out a portfolio” (20.2%).

Swire Coca-Cola deploys AI-powered robots as it expands Chinese supply chain

Swire Coca-Cola has introduced an AI-powered robotic order-picking system at its Zhengzhou factory in China as it seeks to build a more flexible supply chain capable of meeting increasingly diverse consumer demand. The company has invested 900m yuan ($134.3m) in the facility, where three sets of robots developed by Seth Robotics can identify products from live orders, calculate efficient warehouse routes, and handle heavy-duty picking. Swire Coca-Cola plans to deploy the technology at other Chinese factories next year before potentially expanding it into overseas markets, as changing consumer habits and the growth of channels including convenience stores, vending coolers and snack stores increase supply-chain complexity. Mainland China is Swire Coca-Cola’s largest market, alongside operations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.
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OTHER

Prada targets ultrarich customers with exclusive products and experiences

Prada is stepping up efforts to attract its wealthiest customers as weaker demand from aspirational shoppers weighs on the wider luxury market, offering private shopping spaces, exclusive experiences and products including handbags costing more than $20,000 and custom-made archive skirts priced at up to $100,000. Chief executive Andrea Guerra said Prada generates around €7 in spending from top customers for every euro spent entertaining them, although this trails returns of up to ten-to-one reported by rival luxury groups. Prada is expanding its private-client concept to 25 major luxury markets while retaining lower-priced entry points, as it seeks to compete more closely with brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Chanel for high-spending customers.
 
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