#ICYMI 11/18: UAE Tech & Digital News at a Glance

header image for tech & digital news from across the UAE: issue 6

The winds of change are coming to the UAE. With the introduction of the labour law amendments, the country has taken steps to modernise the landscape of the employee work market, further increasing its appeal to potential talent from all over the world. Read about all this and more in the latest edition of our weekly digest of tech & digital news from the UAE.  

  

The UAE issues amendments to labour laws 

In the biggest news of this week, the UAE made sweeping changes to its labour laws, which will come into force on February 2, 2022. The changes cover part-time work, worker protection and support, and paid leave among others.  

  

UAE hiring to rise in 2022

As employment demand heats up amid the UAE’s post-coronavirus economic rebound, employers will go on a hiring spree in 2022 and raise pay by an average of 3.6 per cent. 

 

Let us help you win the talent war

How can companies ensure a positive candidate experience for potential hires? Read our quick guide to find out more. 

 

Dubai-based start-up raises $500K in seed-funding    

Zofeur, a pay-per-minute chauffeur services platform, raised $500K through angel investors in its latest funding rounds.  The tech and personal start-up chauffeur has over 50,000 users in the UAE.  

  

Expect more “unicorn” sightings in the UAE   

The UAE aims to be the home of more than 20 unicorns, or $1 billion start-ups, by 2030, through The Entrepreneurial Nation Programme launched in the 2nd week of this month.   

The UAE will also set up a Dhs.1bn private equity fund for SMEs based in the country. 

 

The UAE set to host a global cyber conference  

Dubai will be hosting The Cybertech Global Conference 2022 from 13th to 14th June 2022. The conference will have sessions and special events highlighting sectors like AI, Advanced IoT, Big Data, Cloud, Blockchain.   

 

Expo pushes Dubai business to new heights   

Business conditions in Dubai have continued to grow in October, with the sharpest improvement seen in 2 years, driven by the success of the ongoing Expo 2020.    

In a survey conducted by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, more than 3 in 4 companies believed that the Expo would boost their business for Q4 2021 

 

Visa opens regional headquarters in the UAE  

Global fintech giant Visa has opened its new regional headquarters, – including an innovation centre and a Visa University campus – in Dubai. Located in Dubai Internet City, the company will serve Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) region. 

 

Is cash going to be extinct in the UAE?  

Research by Boston Consulting Group has said that the UAE’s digital payments sector is forecast to swiftly grow to become a $14 billion industry by 2030.   

 

We asked… 

The verdict on driverless cars is out  

Keeping in mind the introduction of driverless in Dubai’s horizon, we polled our community to find out whether they would like to travel in a driverless car.   

Fifty-two percent voted yes, while the rest voted no. It’s a close poll but looks like people are getting ready to embrace the eventual introduction of driverless technology.