Sharjah has approved salary increases for government employees alongside a new part-time employment programme for 1,000 senior citizens, combining financial wellbeing, flexible work and wider workforce participation. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific What does a more inclusive workplace look like across different stages of working life? In Sharjah, a new package of employment measures is bringing together higher pay, flexible work and opportunities for senior citizens to remain professionally and socially active. H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, approved salary increases covering government employees alongside a new part-time work system designed to provide opportunities for 1,000 senior citizens across Sharjah Government departments. The measures, announced on September 7, form part of a broader effort to strengthen quality of life while expanding employment opportunities across the emirate. Higher Pay for Government Employees Under the latest decision, 3,270 Sharjah Government employees in senior grades will receive salary increases at an annual cost exceeding AED160 million. The covered grades include third, second, first, Special A and Special B. The changes also extend to employees under the general job system, including engineers, doctors, veterinarians, pharmacists and medical technicians. For each grade under this system, the net increase will reach AED3,375 after insurance deductions, effective from September. The Ruler directed that the increases extend across Sharjah Government employees in centralised and decentralised entities, including universities. The announcement follows another decision earlier in September to raise the emirate's standard of decent living to AED20,000 per month, with support covering government employees, retirees and families receiving social assistance. For employees, the measures place financial wellbeing alongside career and workplace considerations, recognising the role income security can play in overall quality of life. Flexible Work Opens Doors for Senior Citizens Alongside the salary changes, Sharjah is introducing a different approach to participation later in life. The newly approved part-time system will create opportunities for 1,000 senior citizens, with flexible arrangements designed around individual circumstances. Options can include working three days a week or for specific hours, allowing participants to contribute without returning to a conventional full-time schedule. The programme has a wider social purpose as well. Sheikh Dr Sultan explained that the initiative is intended to help older people remain engaged with their communities rather than becoming isolated at home. The framework also covers senior citizens' spouses and retirees, with working arrangements adapted according to what individuals are able to manage. This makes the programme an interesting example of flexible work being used as a tool for inclusion and wellbeing, rather than simply as an alternative working arrangement. For older workers, employment can provide more than income. It can offer routine, social connection, purpose and an opportunity to continue contributing years of accumulated knowledge and experience. More Employment Opportunities Ahead Sharjah is also expanding opportunities for citizens entering and progressing through the workforce. Between January 5 and September 3, 1,800 people were employed across Sharjah Government entities, including 996 men and 804 women. The Ruler has now directed authorities to accelerate recruitment for another 1,200 positions during the remaining months of 2026, supporting the emirate's target of 3,000 new government jobs this year. Taken together, the measures create a workforce agenda spanning several generations: new opportunities for jobseekers, stronger financial support for existing employees and flexible pathways for older people who want to remain active. For workplaces, Sharjah's approach also highlights a broader idea about employee wellbeing. Supporting people at work can involve more than one policy, it can mean considering pay, flexibility, financial security, inclusion and purpose together. Sources: Sharjah Government Media Bureau; Emirates News Agency (WAM); official website of H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi; Sharjah 24.

Dubai’s 100 CHRO Summit brought senior HR and people leaders together to explore how AI, workforce transformation, data-driven decision-making and future-ready talent strategies are reshaping the role of HR. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific What does it take to build a workforce that is ready for a rapidly changing workplace? That question took centre stage in Dubai as senior HR leaders gathered to discuss how technology, talent and people strategy are evolving together. The 3rd Annual 100 CHRO Summit & Awards UAE 2026, held on September 3 at The Ritz-Carlton, JBR in Dubai, brought together CHROs, Chief People Officers and other senior HR decision-makers for conversations around the changing future of work. Rather than treating technology as a standalone HR tool, the summit placed it within a wider conversation about how organisations can combine innovation with human-centred workforce strategies. AI Meets the People Agenda One of the central themes was the growing role of AI in HR and workforce transformation. The summit explored AI-driven talent analytics alongside data-led people decisions, organisational agility and the development of future-ready talent ecosystems. Discussions also considered how organisations can adopt technology while keeping people and workplace culture at the centre of transformation. That balance is becoming particularly relevant for HR teams. As AI takes on a larger role in recruitment, workforce analytics and decision-making, people leaders are increasingly being asked to understand not only what the technology can do, but how it can be introduced responsibly and effectively across the employee experience. Post-event reflections from participants reinforced this message, highlighting the importance of using AI and technology to empower people while retaining the human element. Data-driven HR, adaptable workforces and HR's expanding strategic influence were also among the themes participants took away from the gathering. From HR Function to Strategic Leadership Another important conversation centred on the evolving role of the CHRO. The summit positioned HR leaders increasingly as architects of organisational agility, moving beyond traditional functional responsibilities to play a greater role in business strategy, transformation and resilience. For employees, that shift can have a meaningful impact. Decisions about skills development, workplace culture, technology adoption and career pathways are increasingly connected with wider organisational strategy rather than being treated as separate HR initiatives. The UAE context added another dimension to the discussion. The summit highlighted priorities including talent attraction, Emiratisation, employee mental health and the development of workplace cultures capable of adapting to technological change. Building Skills for What Comes Next Future-ready talent was another recurring theme. As technology changes how jobs are performed, organisations are paying greater attention to workforce adaptability and the skills employees will need next. For HR leaders, this means thinking beyond filling today's vacancies and considering how existing employees can continue developing alongside new technologies. The discussions in Dubai reflected a wider evolution in the workplace: AI transformation and people development do not have to be competing priorities. The opportunity for HR is to connect them. For employees, that can translate into stronger emphasis on learning, adaptability and opportunities to develop skills relevant to an AI-enabled workplace. For employers, it means creating environments where technology strengthens human capability rather than simply adding another layer of digital tools. The 100 CHRO Summit ultimately reflected how quickly the HR agenda is expanding. Talent, culture and employee experience remain central, but they are increasingly intertwined with AI, data and organisational transformation. As those areas continue to converge, HR leaders are gaining an increasingly important role in determining not simply how organisations adopt new technology, but how their people grow alongside it. Sources: 3novex Global; 100 CHRO Summit & Awards UAE 2026; post-event participant insights.

AI is becoming part of Saudi Arabia’s everyday labour-market infrastructure, helping employers accelerate recruitment, verify skills and contracts, and connect jobseekers with opportunities more efficiently. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific What if applying for a job required less repetitive paperwork, employers could identify suitable talent more efficiently and skills could be verified before a worker even entered the country? That is increasingly the direction of Saudi Arabia's digital labour market, where workforce platforms operated by Takamol are integrating artificial intelligence into recruitment, employment compliance and skills verification. Rather than using AI only to analyse labour-market data, Takamol is embedding the technology directly into everyday employment transactions. Dr. Saud Almandil, Chief Information and Digitalization Officer at Takamol, outlined the approach during LEAP 2026 in Riyadh. The result is an interesting example of how AI can work behind the scenes of an employment system, making processes faster for businesses while creating a more streamlined journey for jobseekers. AI Moves Into Everyday Hiring One of the biggest applications is helping employers navigate job creation and employment requirements. Large language models and advanced analytics now review more than 300,000 job-role requests every month, checking requests in real time against an establishment's licensed activity. AI is also being applied to employment contracts. Takamol's contract assistant covers more than 750,000 contracts each month. Employers can add as many as 25 clauses to an individual contract, with the system identifying potential regulatory conflicts and explaining them as the employer prepares the document. For businesses, embedding these checks directly into the process can reduce the time spent navigating compliance requirements. For employees, clearer and more consistent employment documentation can contribute to a more transparent hiring experience. Verifying Skills at Scale Technology is also being used before international workers arrive in Saudi Arabia. Takamol's skills-verification infrastructure spans more than 200 examination centres across over 160 countries. Computer vision and neural networks are being used for rapid identity verification, while intelligent video analytics support the monitoring of more than 100,000 assessment sessions each month. The emphasis is on ensuring that skills and qualifications represented in the labour market correspond with genuine capabilities. Within Saudi Arabia, analytics are also being used to identify fictitious localisation, cases where Saudi employees may be registered on a company's payroll without genuinely working for the organisation. That makes verification important on both sides of the employment equation: confirming the capabilities of incoming workers while helping ensure opportunities created for Saudi nationals represent genuine jobs. Making Job Applications Easier Perhaps the most immediately visible impact for jobseekers comes from smarter job matching. Takamol uses intelligent document understanding to extract information about education, professional experience and skills directly from CVs. Recommendation systems can then use a jobseeker's profile and activity to identify relevant vacancies. Within three months of implementing the technology, 30% of applicants no longer needed to manually re-enter information already contained in their CVs, while engagement with vacancies increased 2.7 times, according to figures shared by Almandil. It is a relatively simple change from the applicant's perspective, but it illustrates an important principle for workplace AI: technology can create value not only through complex automation, but also by removing small barriers that make finding work unnecessarily time-consuming. Technology Supporting Participation Matching an employee with a vacancy is only one part of building an accessible labour market. Takamol also operates initiatives designed to address practical barriers to employment. Qurrah, for example, provides workplace childcare through more than 16 branches, while Mowaamah supports workplace inclusion through employer certification. Together, these programmes broaden the focus from simply identifying suitable candidates to helping more people participate in employment once opportunities become available. Saudi Arabia's experience shows how AI can increasingly become part of the infrastructure connecting people and work. From reviewing job requests and employment contracts to verifying skills and recommending vacancies, the technology is being integrated across different stages of the employee journey. For jobseekers, the most meaningful outcome may ultimately be straightforward: less friction between having the right skills and finding the right opportunity. Sources: Takamol Holding; Arab News; Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

More than 123,000 Emirati women are now working across the UAE private sector, with strong representation in skilled and leadership roles highlighting expanding career opportunities for national female talent. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific What does greater opportunity for women look like when it translates into the workplace? In the UAE, new employment figures show Emirati women building a significant presence across private-sector careers, from skilled professions to leadership positions. More than 123,000 Emirati women are now employed in private companies, according to figures released by the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) for Emirati Women’s Day. Women account for 71% of Emiratis working in the private sector, highlighting the scale of their participation in the country's evolving workforce. The broader Emirati private-sector workforce has also expanded. Around 190,000 UAE nationals are employed across more than 32,000 private companies, representing growth of more than 128% compared with 2023. Careers Are Expanding Beyond Participation The story goes beyond how many women are entering private-sector employment. It is also about the types of careers they are building. MoHRE says Emirati women are increasingly represented across skilled and specialised positions, senior professional levels and executive and leadership roles. Nearly 98% of Emirati women working in the private sector hold skilled positions, while women account for around 70% of Emiratis in senior professional roles and 55% in executive and leadership positions. There is also a strong younger generation entering the workforce, with women representing around 70% of young Emiratis employed in the private sector. More than 26,000 private-sector establishments now employ Emirati women. For employees and employers alike, these figures point towards a workplace in which career development is increasingly extending beyond access to employment and into opportunities for progression, specialisation and leadership. Equal Opportunity Supports Career Growth MoHRE links this progress to a wider framework of empowerment and equal opportunity across the UAE labour market. The country's employment framework has increasingly emphasised gender equality alongside flexible working models and workplace policies intended to help employees balance professional and family responsibilities. Government programmes such as Nafis have also supported Emiratis entering and developing careers within private companies, creating additional pathways connecting national talent with private-sector opportunities. The result is a workforce story that increasingly centres on what women are able to contribute once those opportunities become available. Building the Next Generation of Leaders For employers, the growing participation of Emirati women also expands the national talent pool available for specialist and leadership positions. As more women build experience across private companies, organisations have an opportunity to strengthen that progress through professional development, mentoring, skills programmes and clear pathways into decision-making roles. For employees, meanwhile, the figures demonstrate how private-sector careers are becoming an increasingly established part of the professional journey for Emirati women. The significance is therefore not simply that more women are working. It is that more Emirati women are building skilled careers, progressing professionally and taking their place in leadership. As the UAE continues investing in national talent, that combination of opportunity, capability and career progression is helping create a private-sector workforce in which Emirati women have an increasingly influential role. Sources: UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE); Khaleej Times; Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Singapore employers are approaching 2027 with a more measured workforce strategy, as improving business sentiment is accompanied by stronger focus on talent attraction, AI adoption and employee upskilling. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific What will matter most to employers as they plan their workforce for 2027? In Singapore, the answer is increasingly about finding the right people, developing existing talent and preparing employees for a workplace being reshaped by technology. The Singapore National Employers Federation’s (SNEF) latest Survey on Wage and Employment Outlook 2026/2027 points to a modest improvement in business sentiment. The share of employers expecting uncertain business prospects in the coming financial year fell to 63% from 72%, while 65% of companies expect to perform well, compared with 63% a year earlier. That improving confidence, however, is translating into a more considered approach to workforce planning rather than rapid expansion. Hiring Becomes More Selective More than half of employers surveyed do not intend to increase their headcount in 2027, while many are also planning to keep wage increases measured. Yet the picture is not simply one of restrained hiring: compared with last year's survey, a larger proportion of companies plan to increase headcount in 2027. Singapore's wider labour market also provides an encouraging backdrop. Ministry of Manpower data showed total employment expanding by 10,700 in the second quarter of 2026, marking the 19th consecutive quarter of employment growth. The proportion of firms expecting to hire over the following three months also rose from 40.6% in May to 43.9% in June. For employees, this suggests a labour market where opportunities remain available, but employers are likely to become increasingly deliberate about the capabilities they recruit. Finding the Right Talent Remains a Priority Talent attraction stands out strongly in SNEF's findings. Attracting suitable talent was the leading HR priority, cited by 59% of respondents. At the same time, concern about shortages of high-skilled local talent eased to 35%, from 42% previously. The combination is significant. Companies may be measured about the number of people they add, but securing employees with the right capabilities continues to command management attention. This also reflects a broader change already visible in Singapore's labour market. The Ministry of Manpower has found that employers are increasingly prioritising skills and competencies over academic qualifications, while demand remains strong for specialised and technical capabilities. AI and Upskilling Move Higher on the Agenda Perhaps the most important signal for employees is where businesses intend to focus next. Nearly half of surveyed employers, 48% identified exploring and adopting artificial intelligence as a priority for 2027, up from 39% for 2026. Upskilling and reskilling employees also remain part of employers' workforce priorities. For workers, this makes continuous learning increasingly relevant to career development. AI adoption does not only create demand for technical specialists; it is also changing how existing roles are performed and the capabilities employers value across their workforce. Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has similarly highlighted the importance of workforce transformation and continuous skills development. Its labour-market assessments point to programmes such as Career Conversion Programmes and other workforce initiatives designed to help businesses and employees adapt as jobs evolve. The outlook for 2027 therefore appears less about widespread hiring and more about purposeful workforce investment. Employers are balancing business confidence with careful decisions around headcount and pay, while placing greater emphasis on attracting suitable talent, building skills and preparing their organisations for AI. For employees, that shift brings a clear takeaway: as Singapore's workplace evolves, adaptability, relevant skills and the ability to work alongside emerging technologies are likely to become increasingly valuable career assets. Source(s): Singapore National Employers Federation Survey on Wage and Employment Outlook 2026/2027; Singapore Ministry of Manpower

Singapore has expanded its Non-Traditional Sources Occupation List with eight roles across food services, social services and air transportation, giving eligible employers access to a broader Work Permit talent pool from September. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific What happens when employers have jobs to fill but struggle to find enough people locally? Singapore is widening one part of its foreign workforce framework from 1 September 2026, giving eligible businesses access to a broader pool of Work Permit holders for eight additional occupations where manpower needs have been identified. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has expanded the country's Non-Traditional Sources Occupation List (NTS-OL) across food services, social services and air transportation. The newly eligible occupations are butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers; food and drink stall assistants; kitchen assistants; waiters; cabin attendants; babysitters and infant caregivers; educarers; and teacher aides. The change gives eligible employers the ability to recruit Work Permit holders for these positions from a wider group of countries, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Bhutan. Previously, businesses in Singapore's Manufacturing and Services sectors could generally recruit Work Permit holders from Malaysia, mainland China and approved North Asian sources, while workers from the additional Non-Traditional Source countries were restricted to a narrower list of occupations. The September expansion therefore gives employers in selected areas access to a more diverse recruitment pool. But it is not an unrestricted opening of the labour market. Employers Still Have to Meet Specific Conditions MOM has placed several safeguards around hiring through the NTS Occupation List. Employers must remain within an 8% sub-Dependency Ratio Ceiling for NTS Work Permit holders employed in listed occupations. Workers must also receive a fixed monthly salary of at least S$2,000 and can perform only the occupation specified on their Work Permit. Additional requirements depend on the role. Food-service businesses recruiting butchers, food and drink stall assistants, kitchen assistants or waiters must have a Work Pass account under the Services sector and hold an appropriate Singapore Food Agency Food Shop or Supermarket licence. Employers recruiting childcare workers must either hold a valid Early Childhood Development Centre licence or be appointed by the Early Childhood Development Agency under its Childminding Pilot. For cabin attendants, the employer must hold a valid Singapore Air Operator Certificate or an eligible Foreign Operator's Permit and operate scheduled services to or from Singapore. These conditions mean the expansion is designed to address particular workforce requirements rather than simply increase foreign-worker numbers across the board. Why These Eight Roles? Singapore's Ministry of Manpower says the occupations were selected in areas where businesses face greater difficulty attracting sufficient local manpower. The expansion is intended to allow companies to recruit workers from more diverse sources while retaining quotas, salary requirements and other controls. For employers in food services, this could mean a larger pool for roles that are essential to day-to-day operations, from kitchen assistants to waiters. For social-service and early-childhood organisations, the addition of infant caregivers, educarers and teacher aides brings workforce considerations into an area where staffing has a direct relationship with the capacity and quality of services. And in air transportation, adding cabin attendants creates another recruitment channel for eligible airlines operating in Singapore. From an employee perspective, the changes also create new international employment pathways for workers from the nine eligible NTS countries. Someone from India or the Philippines, for example, who previously could not obtain a Singapore Work Permit to work as a waiter under this framework may now become eligible if both the worker and employer meet the applicable requirements. A Broader Workforce, With Local Employment Still in Focus Singapore is balancing the expansion with measures intended to maintain opportunities and wage progression for its local workforce. MOM says the NTS Occupation List is used for roles where there are significant manpower shortages, with occupations selected in consultation with sector agencies and unions. The 8% sub-quota and S$2,000 minimum fixed monthly salary are intended to ensure that access to additional foreign workers does not replace efforts by businesses to improve productivity, redesign jobs and attract local employees. That makes the September change relevant beyond immigration policy. For HR teams, it expands the number of places from which they can recruit for selected roles. For businesses, it may provide greater flexibility in workforce planning. And for overseas workers, it creates employment opportunities in occupations that were previously unavailable to them through this route. The real workplace impact will depend on how employers use that flexibility. The expansion provides access to a larger talent pool, but the challenge remains building workplaces where local and international employees can contribute, develop their skills and progress together. Source(s): Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

New Nafis rules taking effect in September reshape financial support for Emiratis working in the private and banking sectors, introducing revised salary-support levels, an uncapped AED 600 child allowance and new pension responsibilities for employers. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific For Emiratis building their careers in the private sector, September brings a significant update to the financial and family support available through the UAE's Nafis programme. The revised framework introduces new salary-support levels, expands the child allowance and changes how pension contributions are divided between Nafis and employers. One of the most important changes is the standardisation of the minimum monthly salary for Nafis eligibility at AED 6,000 across eligible categories. Under the revised salary-support framework, the maximum monthly Nafis support is set at AED 6,000 for bachelor's degree holders, AED 5,000 for diploma holders and AED 4,000 for secondary-school graduates. For employees educated below secondary-school level, maximum support is AED 4,000 for those who are married or have dependants and AED 3,000 for unmarried employees without dependants. The new framework applies from September 2026 for new beneficiaries, while existing recipients will transition gradually rather than seeing their current support change immediately. For eligible existing beneficiaries receiving support above the revised levels, adjustments will take place in AED 500 increments every six months until their payments align with the new structure. The changes are designed to continue supporting Emiratis pursuing careers outside government while evolving the programme as national participation in the private-sector workforce expands. More Support for Working Families Families are another major focus of the September changes. Eligible Emiratis working in private-sector and banking establishments can now receive AED 600 per month for each eligible child, with the previous limit on the number of children removed. The allowance is available where the beneficiary earns below AED 50,000 per month. For male children, payments continue until they turn 21 or begin working, whichever happens first. For female children, support continues until marriage or employment, whichever comes first. The same child cannot receive the allowance twice, while eligibility conditions also apply where a beneficiary's spouse works for a federal or local government entity. For working parents, removing the numerical cap means the programme can provide support based on the number of eligible children within the family rather than restricting assistance to a set number. The broader Nafis reforms also introduce additional salary-support pathways for certain wives of Emirati nationals and children of Emirati mothers working in the private and banking sectors, subject to specific salary, education and family eligibility requirements. Employers Take Greater Responsibility for Pensions Another important change sits directly with employers and payroll teams. Under the updated Eshtirak pension contribution programme, private-sector employers will now be responsible for paying their legally required share of pension contributions for eligible Emirati employees. Nafis will no longer reimburse the employer's portion. Instead, programme support will be limited to the legally prescribed contribution payable on behalf of eligible Emirati employees earning between AED 6,000 and AED 20,000 per month. Employees must also be registered with an eligible UAE pension authority or fund and meet the programme's other conditions. For HR and finance teams, the change makes September an important point for ensuring payroll systems and pension processes reflect the revised employer responsibility. The updates arrive as Emirati participation in private-sector employment continues to grow. Since Nafis was launched, it has contributed to the employment of more than 176,000 Emiratis, according to the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council. As of the end of March, 152,000 beneficiaries were working across approximately 32,000 establishments, while women represented 74% of private-sector beneficiaries. More than 38,000 children had also benefited from the Child Allowance Scheme. That scale helps explain why the latest Nafis changes extend beyond salary support alone. As more Emiratis establish long-term careers in private businesses, the programme is increasingly addressing the wider employee journey, from earnings and pensions to the financial needs that can accompany raising a family. For employees, September therefore brings new support parameters to understand. For employers, it introduces additional responsibilities to incorporate into payroll and workforce planning. Together, the changes reflect the next stage of a programme increasingly focused not simply on helping Emiratis enter private-sector employment, but on supporting sustainable careers within it. Source(s): Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis); Emirates News Agency (WAM)

As Saudi Arabia expands its tourism economy, attention is shifting from creating jobs to building long-term careers. Industry leaders are calling for stronger skills development, clearer progression pathways and leadership opportunities for Saudi talent. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Official Communication What turns a rapidly growing industry into a place where people can build lasting careers? For Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, the answer is increasingly moving beyond the number of jobs created to the quality of career pathways available to the people filling them. The Kingdom already has just over one million employees working in tourism activities, according to the latest tourism-establishment data from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), as cited by Ibrahim Osta, Senior Economic Growth Director and Global Tourism Lead at Chemonics International and Professor of Management at the George Washington University School of Business. Around one-quarter of those employees are Saudi nationals. As Saudi Arabia works towards its ambition of attracting 150 million visitors and creating more than one million tourism jobs by 2030, the conversation is increasingly turning towards how Saudi professionals can enter the industry, develop specialist expertise and progress into leadership. For Osta, simply expanding training opportunities will not be enough. “Training centres alone do not create careers,” he said, arguing that occupational standards, employer demand, recognised qualifications, hiring pathways and opportunities for progression need to work together if talent development is to translate into sustainable careers. That distinction could become particularly important as the tourism sector itself becomes more diverse. A career in tourism is no longer limited to traditional hospitality or guest-facing positions. The next generation of destinations will require professionals across engineering, infrastructure, retail, culture, mobility and technology, alongside established hospitality expertise. Salem Al Shahrani, Chief of Staff at Rua Al Haram Al Makki, King Salman Gate Project, describes the future tourism workforce as an interconnected ecosystem of professions rather than a single workforce. King Salman Gate, for example, is expected to generate more than 300,000 jobs by 2036 across an integrated destination adjacent to AlMasjid AlHaram. Al Shahrani believes the opportunity lies in developing Saudi expertise across these different professions while creating clearer routes into specialist and leadership positions. Tourism Careers Are Becoming More Digital The skills required within those careers are also changing. According to the release, future tourism professionals will increasingly need capabilities spanning AI and data analytics, digital marketing, revenue management, augmented and virtual reality, event operations, crowd management, sustainability, risk and safety, bilingual guest services and cross-cultural intelligence. That creates an interesting shift for employees entering the sector. Tourism growth is opening opportunities not only for people trained specifically in hospitality, but also for professionals with technology, business, engineering, sustainability and creative expertise. It also means learning is likely to remain important well beyond an employee’s first role. As technology changes destination management, operations and the visitor experience, career development will increasingly depend on opportunities to continually build new capabilities. Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director - UAE at RX, believes the talent pipeline will need to develop alongside the physical expansion of Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry. She noted that as new destinations, hospitality developments and visitor experiences come online, investing in people will be important to translating that expansion into lasting economic value. She also highlighted the breadth of opportunities emerging for young Saudi nationals as tourism careers extend beyond conventional hospitality positions. These questions will be explored further during WTM Spotlight Riyadh, taking place from 8-10 September 2026 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center. A dedicated Talent & Leadership panel will bring together representatives from the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, King Salman Gate Project, Red Sea Global, King Saud University, Qiddiya and other organisations to discuss education, career pathways and leadership development. But the larger workplace story extends beyond the event itself. Saudi Arabia has already demonstrated how quickly a new industry can create employment at scale. The next measure of progress will increasingly be whether those jobs develop into careers where people can acquire expertise, move between disciplines and ultimately progress into leadership. For employees entering tourism today, that could mean a much broader career landscape than the industry once offered. And for employers, educators and policymakers, the opportunity is to ensure that as the sector grows, the people working within it have the skills and pathways to grow with it. Source(s): WTM Spotlight Riyadh press release, 26 August 2026; General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) data as cited by Ibrahim Osta.

A Singapore High Court ruling has put the spotlight on how probation clauses are written, reinforcing the importance of clear notice terms for employers, HR teams and employees navigating the early stages of employment. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific Probation may feel like a temporary stage of employment, but does reaching its final day automatically bring the employment relationship to an end? A recent Singapore High Court ruling has provided useful clarity for employers and employees, highlighting just how important the wording of an employment contract can be. In Nanyang Law LLC v Ghui Meng Yang, the High Court dismissed an appeal by Nanyang Law LLC against an Employment Claims Tribunal decision concerning salary in lieu of notice. At the heart of the case was a straightforward question with wider implications for HR teams: if an employer decides not to retain an employee at the end of probation, does the probation period simply expire, or must the notice requirements in the employment contract still be followed? Ghui Meng Yang joined Nanyang Law as a Supporting Officer in April 2023. His employment terms included a three-month probation period ending on 9 July 2023 and provided that either party could terminate the contract during probation by giving one month's prior written notice. Two days before his probation was due to end, Ghui was informed that the firm had decided not to continue his employment beyond the probation period. The firm took the position that his employment would end when probation expired and that the contractual notice requirement therefore did not apply. Ghui subsequently sought one month's salary in lieu of notice. The Employment Claims Tribunal found that he was entitled to notice and awarded him payment for the remaining 20 working days of the one-month notice period, amounting to S$2,857.14. The High Court upheld that decision. Importantly, the court did not establish a blanket rule that every probationary employee must always receive notice pay. Instead, it clarified that simply specifying a probation period in an employment contract does not automatically turn the employment relationship into a fixed-term contract that expires at the end of probation. Whether employment ends automatically depends on the wording and construction of the individual contract. In this case, the court found that the probation clause did not establish a separate fixed-term employment arrangement that would automatically expire on 9 July if Ghui was not confirmed. He was therefore entitled to one month's notice from the date he was informed that his employment would end, or salary in lieu of the remaining notice period. For HR leaders, the decision offers a practical reminder that probation should not be treated as an administrative formality. The way probation, confirmation and termination provisions are drafted can determine what happens when an organisation decides not to continue an employment relationship. Clear communication matters just as much. Employees entering a new role should be able to understand how long probation lasts, what notice period applies during that time and what happens if either party decides not to continue the relationship. Singapore's Ministry of Manpower similarly advises employees to refer to their employment contracts for the notice terms governing probation and confirmation. Where a contract does not specify a different notice period for employees on probation, MOM says the notice period would be the same during probation and after confirmation. The High Court's decision therefore provides a useful lesson beyond the individual dispute. Probation may be designed as a period for employers and employees to assess whether a working relationship is the right fit, but clarity around how that period ends is equally important. For organisations, well-defined employment terms can create greater certainty for managers and HR teams. For employees, they provide transparency at a stage of the employment journey when expectations are still being established. As workplaces continue to place greater emphasis on employee experience, that clarity can make even difficult employment decisions easier to understand and navigate. Source(s): Singapore High Court, Nanyang Law LLC v Ghui Meng Yang [2026] SGHC 171; Singapore Ministry of Manpower; People Matters Global

Electrolux Group has appointed Pallavi Mishra as Vice President, HR & Communications for APAC, effective September 1, 2026. Based in Bangkok, she brings more than two decades of HR experience spanning talent strategy, workforce planning, organizational transformation and employee engagement. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: People Matters Global Electrolux Group is strengthening its people leadership in Asia Pacific with the appointment of Pallavi Mishra as Vice President, HR & Communications for Region APAC, effective September 1, 2026. Based in Bangkok, Mishra will join the company’s APAC leadership team and support its strategic people and culture agenda across the region. The appointment brings together two functions with a significant influence on the employee experience: HR and communications. In her new regional role, Mishra will contribute to Electrolux’s people priorities while supporting how the company connects its workforce, culture and organizational goals across a diverse collection of APAC markets. Mishra joins Electrolux after nearly a decade at Honeywell, where she most recently served as Senior HR Director for Asia Pacific. Her work there included talent strategy, organizational transformation, workforce planning and building people capability in support of the region’s growth ambitions. Her regional experience has extended across Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea and the Pacific. Her earlier Honeywell roles also gave her experience working at considerable scale. People Matters reports that, as Senior Director Human Resources for ASEAN, she supported around 2,800 employees across Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In an earlier Corporate APAC position, her remit covered HR functional effectiveness across 15 countries and more than 25,000 employees. Before Honeywell, Mishra held HR leadership positions with Hewlett Packard, Fidelity, Xerox International and Tata Power, building a career that spans technology, financial services and industrial businesses. Public career information describes her as a senior HR executive with more than two decades of leadership experience. Mishra has also championed inclusive workplaces, ethical leadership and cultures grounded in trust and accountability. Her cross-market experience has involved working with employees and leadership teams representing different countries and cultures throughout APAC, an increasingly relevant capability for a regional people leader. Her arrival comes during an important period for Electrolux’s Asia Pacific organization. APAC became a standalone Electrolux region on January 1, 2026, when the company separated it from the former Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa business area. Electrolux said the new structure was created to strengthen customer focus in Asia Pacific. Source(s): Electrolux Group; Human Resources Online; People Matters; Pallavi Mishra’s public professional profile; Economic Times HRWorld Southeast Asia.

Singapore’s public healthcare professionals have created more than 12,000 AI agents through AgentSea, giving employees the ability to design digital tools around the workflows they understand best. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific What if employees did not simply receive new workplace technology, but could build the tools they actually wanted to use? That idea is taking shape across Singapore’s public healthcare system. Healthcare professionals can now create and customise their own AI agents through AgentSea, a sector-wide platform developed by national HealthTech agency Synapxe. And employees are already experimenting at scale. More than 12,000 AI agents have been created by public healthcare professionals, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Health, opening new possibilities for employees to use AI around the practical needs they encounter in their everyday work. AgentSea is designed so that healthcare professionals can build agents using natural language with little or no coding knowledge. Potential applications range from summarising information and supporting administrative workflows to helping with staff rostering and other productivity tasks. One example shows what that can mean in practice. Dr Kenneth Chew, Consultant at the Department of Cardiology at National Heart Centre Singapore, developed an agent that prepares customised patient summaries ahead of consultations. The agent brings together relevant information including a patient’s background, clinical issues, care plans and outstanding follow-ups. The aim is straightforward: reduce preparation work so that more attention can be directed towards the consultation itself. That employee-led element makes AgentSea particularly relevant from a workplace perspective. Healthcare professionals understand the repetitive tasks, information gaps and small inefficiencies within their own workflows better than almost anyone else. Giving them tools to experiment with possible solutions turns employees from users of workplace AI into participants in designing how it is used. AgentSea also builds on Singapore’s existing healthcare AI infrastructure. Synapxe previously developed Tandem, a secure generative AI platform through which healthcare professionals can explore and test AI applications. Among the tools already developed is Note Buddy, which can transcribe and summarise doctor-patient conversations across Singapore’s four main languages. For Singapore’s public healthcare workforce, the next stage of workplace AI may therefore be less about learning how to use another piece of software and more about having the opportunity to shape technology around the work employees already know best. With more than 12,000 agents created, that experiment is already well underway. Source(s): Singapore Ministry of Health; Synapxe

DBS is pairing AI-powered career tools with more than 100 trained Career Advisors, giving employees personalised support to explore opportunities, build relevant skills and navigate evolving career paths. | Written by Palak Kataria Image Courtesy: Magnific AI might be able to suggest the skills an employee needs next. But deciding where they want their career to go can still benefit from a human conversation. DBS is bringing those two sides together through a new Career Advisory Service, designed to help employees explore career opportunities as technology changes roles and skills across banking. More than 100 DBS employees have been trained as Career Advisors, providing colleagues with one-to-one guidance alongside the bank’s existing AI-powered career development tools, including iGrow and iCoach. The combination is what makes the initiative interesting. Digital tools can help an employee identify skills gaps or discover a role they might not previously have considered. A Career Advisor can then help turn those possibilities into a conversation about strengths, ambitions and practical next steps. It comes as DBS expands its broader investment in preparing employees for an AI-enabled workplace. The bank says it has equipped approximately 40,000 employees globally, including 14,800 in Singapore with foundational AI skills. More than 11,000 employees working in roles significantly reshaped by AI have also received upskilling support. DBS is now working with the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore (IBF) on further workforce development, spanning foundational AI capabilities, reskilling and the development of future talent. The approach also places emphasis on skills that remain distinctly human. As technology takes on more routine activities, capabilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, judgement and relationship-building can become increasingly valuable. Early-career employees are part of the picture too. DBS plans to welcome more than 500 young local talents in 2026 through management associate, internship and traineeship programmes. For employees, the result is a different approach to AI-led workplace change. Instead of career development being something that happens only during an annual review or when someone applies for another role, guidance can become more continuous. And perhaps that is the more interesting workplace story here: as career technology becomes more intelligent, DBS is adding more human guidance alongside it. Source(s): DBS; Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore; Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry.