Human Times

Middle East Edition

31st July 2026

THE HOT STORY

Kuwait launches digital labour violations reporting service on Sahel app

Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has introduced the "Report to Us" service via the Sahel application. This digital tool allows workers to report suspected labour law violations directly from their smartphones. PAM aims to enhance workplace protections and regulatory compliance. The service supports a transparent working environment by enabling users to submit reports on breaches, thus safeguarding workers' rights. This initiative is part of Kuwait's broader strategy to digitise public services and improve labour administration, following other digital initiatives including online grievance services and electronic work permits.

Gulfnews.com

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TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

AlRayan Bank launches programme to empower Qatari talent

AlRayan Bank has introduced its Individual Development Plan (IDP) programme to enhance the growth of its Qatari employees. Launched during a Town Hall meeting, the IDP offers a structured approach to align employees' skills and career goals with tailored learning opportunities. Group chief executive Fahad bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said: “Investing in our people is an investment in the future of our Bank and in Qatar's national development.” The initiative aims to create a leadership pipeline and support the broader human capital agenda in Qatar.

The Peninsula

WORKFORCE

Saudi ministry conducts 120,000 inspections to combat human trafficking

In the first quarter of 2026, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development conducted over 120,000 inspections to combat human trafficking and enhance worker protection. The ministry received more than 1,600 reports of suspected trafficking cases, and referred offenders for legal action. On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to human dignity and highlighted the Cabinet's adoption of the National Policy to Eliminate Forced Labor, which aims to protect workers from exploitation and complements existing laws to strengthen compliance and safeguard workers' rights.

Saudi Gazette

STRATEGY

BP cuts 700 jobs to simplify company

BP is cutting 700 "non-frontline" jobs as part of its restructuring under new chief executive Meg O'Neill. The reductions would impact around 8% of ⁠the 8,500 such roles that historically were part of the company's production and operations business. "If your role is affected, that could mean that it does not exist in the new organisation, changes materially, or moves into a different part of the organisation," an internal email said. “We are building a simpler, ⁠stronger, more valuable BP. As part of this process, we are proposing changes that would result in a reduction in roles," a BP spokesperson told Reuters.

Visa to cut 2,600 jobs as AI reshapes payments industry

Visa is cutting 2,600 jobs, around 7% of its global workforce, as the payments giant restructures to adapt to rapid changes in the industry driven by AI and new payment technologies. Most of the reductions will be in its technology and product teams, although cuts will affect the wider organisation. Chief executive Ryan McInerney said AI is accelerating changes in how work is carried out at Visa and described the current technological shift as a "once-in-a-lifetime inflection point" for the payments industry. The restructuring comes as the sector adapts to emerging technologies such as stablecoins and agentic commerce, which could reshape traditional card payments.

CNBC

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

ECONOMY

Saudi economy remains resilient amid geopolitical conflicts, IMF says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that Saudi Arabia's economy will grow by 1.7% in 2026 and accelerate to 5.5% in 2027. The IMF's Article IV Consultation report highlights the Kingdom's strong economic momentum, driven by the non-oil sector and the easing of OPEC+ production cuts. Despite geopolitical tensions and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the IMF says the local economy remains resilient, supported by robust domestic demand and a strong banking sector. Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan welcomed the findings, saying that they affirm the economy's agility and adaptability amid global uncertainties.

Arab News

CYBERSECURITY

Anthropic says Claude AI hacked three organisations during cyber tests

Anthropic has disclosed that its Claude AI models gained unauthorised access to three outside companies during an evaluation of its cyber-offensive tasks, days after rival OpenAI ⁠revealed a rogue agent had gone on a hacking spree at AI firm Hugging ‌Face. “Claude compromised the impacted organisations’ infrastructure using basic techniques, such as exploiting ‌weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints,” Anthropic said. Two of the organisations were unaware of the activity ‌before being contacted, and Anthropic said that it was still trying to reach the third. “We discovered these incidents after a proactive review of our cybersecurity evaluation transcripts,” the company said in a statement.

INTERNATIONAL

KPMG Australia has made no decision on possible job cuts

KPMG Australia says it has made no decision on possible job cuts after the Australian Financial Review reported that the firm plans to eliminate about 1,000 positions or 10% ‌of its workforce in the wake of an audit misconduct scandal, with details of the roles to be eliminated being shared with selected partners this week. "We are reviewing our operating model, ⁠cost base and workforce needs. It is important to note that no decisions have been made regarding any specific measures or potential impact on roles," said a KPMG spokesperson, who added the firm was continuing to evaluate "a range of options to ensure the firm remains well positioned for the challenges ahead."

AFR

Reuters

Firms must label AI-generated content from Sunday

The EU's comprehensive AI law launches on Sunday to ensure Europeans immediately know whether the online content they see is real or fake. Companies must make sure their AI systems, including chatbots, make it clear to users they are AI. When an image or text has been created using AI, it must be labelled as such - for example, by integrating watermarks and other markers to enable the easy detection of AI-generated content. Firms face large fines if they don't comply. An EU official said that since AI is "making it increasingly difficult for all of us to distinguish what is real from what is synthetic," the rules seek to "preserve citizens' ability to trust what they see, hear, and read." Karen Massin, who leads Google's Government Affairs & Public Policy team in Brussels, warned of "regulatory complexity" that could prove counterproductive, and "risks confusing the people these rules are meant to help."

Le Monde

Samsung's $400,000 bonus fuels labour disputes across South Korea

Labour unions in South Korea are mobilising after Samsung Electronics agreed to distribute bonuses exceeding $400,000 to some employees. Assembly-line workers at Hyundai Motor last week staged a three-day partial strike as they sought up to 30% of consolidated profit to be set aside for bonuses, and unions at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and telecom operator LG Uplus are pursuing payouts equivalent to at least 30% of operating profit.

Business Times SG

WestJet flight attendants issue 72-hour strike notice

Flight attendants at Calgary-based carrier WestJet Airlines have given a 72-hour notice of a strike if talks fail to produce an agreement in a dispute over unpaid work. Cabin crew at Canada's second-largest carrier could strike as early as August 2 at 12:01 a.m. Mountain Time (0601 GMT) if a last-minute deal is not reached, said the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which wants cabin crew to be paid from the time ⁠they check in to when they clock out, which is not currently the case.

Reuters

OTHER

World risks HIV resurgence amid funding decline, UNAIDS says

UNAIDS has warned that global funding cuts, growing inequality and setbacks to human rights are threatening decades of progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. “The ⁠international community has entered a period of profound political and financial upheaval that threatens decades of hard-won gains against HIV," the U.N. body fighting AIDS said in its 60-page report released at the start of an International AIDS conference in Brazil. "Without renewed commitment and action, the world risks a resurgence of the HIV epidemic."

africanews

Reuters

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