Holocaust survivor Lola Mandelkier Sztrum, 101, in a nursing home in Buenos Aires. In the world of care giving, while AI might excel at processing medical data or monitoring vital signs, the human elements of such work – empathy, cultural understanding, and physical assistance – will remain crucial and thus still need people. AFP
Holocaust survivor Lola Mandelkier Sztrum, 101, in a nursing home in Buenos Aires. In the world of care giving, while AI might excel at processing medical data or monitoring vital signs, the human elements of such work – empathy, cultural understanding, and physical assistance – will remain crucial and thus still need people. AFP
Holocaust survivor Lola Mandelkier Sztrum, 101, in a nursing home in Buenos Aires. In the world of care giving, while AI might excel at processing medical data or monitoring vital signs, the human ele
Alejandro Martin Sposato is an assistant professor in the College of Business at Zayed University in Dubai
January 08, 2025
The rapid development of AI has created unprecedented fears and anxieties about the future of work and employment. While I am not in the business of predicting the future, as an academic studying these transitions, I believe historical patterns can offer valuable insights into our current situation.
Many people are understandably concerned about the changing job market, but historically, technological advancements have consistently led to increased productivity, greater wealth creation and the emergence of new jobs and industries.
Consider the city of Blackpool in the UK, which rose to prominence as a significant tourist destination in the early 20th century. This transformation was a direct spill-over effect from the Industrial Revolution’s wealth creation in Manchester and Liverpool, where newly affluent workers sought leisure activities, spawning an entirely new industry in Blackpool.
This example offers a compelling parallel to the current situation. Just as the Industrial Revolution created unforeseen opportunities, it could be argued that AI’s impact on the economy won’t merely eliminate jobs but will create new ones through generated wealth. This leads to two key considerations.
First, where will these new jobs emerge, both in terms of industries and geographical locations? And second, will humans have the ability to adapt and retrain to remain relevant in the job market?
The challenge isn't simply about identifying which jobs will or won't be automated. It's about understanding how human skills and AI capabilities can complement each other
The varying susceptibility of different jobs to automation presents a fascinating paradox in the AI-driven future. Some roles, particularly those involving routine, data-driven tasks, are prime candidates for automation.
Customer support, for instance, has already seen significant AI integration through chatbots that can handle increasingly complex queries. Similarly, data entry, basic accounting functions and routine administrative tasks are being rapidly transformed by automation.
However, other professions present far more formidable challenges to automation, particularly those requiring complex human interaction and emotional intelligence.
Care for the aged stands as a compelling example of this complexity. With ageing populations in developed nations, the demand for caregivers continues to rise, yet these roles resist simple automation due to their multifaceted nature.
A man gives a massage to an elderly person in China's central Hubei province. AFP
A caregiver’s job encompasses medical knowledge (medication management and health monitoring), emotional intelligence (providing companionship and emotional support), and physical capabilities (assistance with daily activities and personal care). While AI might assist with certain aspects, such as medication scheduling or health monitoring, it cannot replicate the human touch that makes caregiving so essential.
This automation resistance extends to many other professions that require complex human interaction – from mental health counsellors to teachers, social workers to physical therapists. These roles share common elements that current AI technology struggles to replicate: contextual decision-making, emotional intelligence and the ability to respond to unpredictable human needs.
The demographic dimensions of this challenge add another layer of complexity. Demographers project that Western Europe, Japan and North America will face increasingly ageing populations, creating a surge in demand for health care and care services for the aged. Meanwhile, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world’s demographic outlier, with a growing young population.
This global demographic disparity creates intriguing possibilities for workforce migration and specialisation. Could there be a future where younger workers from Africa help fill the caregiving gap in ageing societies? How might this influence global economic patterns and immigration policies?
A newly arrived migrant prepares to board a bus in La Restinga, on the Canarian island of El Hierro, Spain. EPA
While considering these demographic shifts, new opportunities emerge in unexpected places. In developed nations with ageing populations, new industries could emerge that are centred around active ageing, preventive health care and social engagement for seniors.
These sectors could combine human care with technological assistance, creating new job categories that blend traditional caregiving skills with technical expertise. The challenge, therefore, isn’t simply about identifying which jobs will or won’t be automated. Instead, it is about understanding how human skills and AI capabilities can complement each other to address pressing societal needs.
While AI might excel at processing medical data or monitoring vital signs, the human elements of care work – empathy, cultural understanding and physical assistance – will remain crucial. Looking at historical precedents, workforce adaptation presents a complex and sobering challenge.
While technological advances have consistently generated new employment opportunities, transition periods have often left entire communities behind – from skilled craftsmen during the Industrial Revolution to manufacturing workers in the automation age. Today’s AI revolution moves at an unprecedented pace, making adaptation even more crucial.
An American Airlines ticket agent in Arlington, Virginia. Society needs to build frameworks to support workforce transformation. EPA
Consider the evolving stories of bank tellers and travel agents. When ATMs and online booking platforms emerged, many predicted these professions would vanish. Instead, successful workers transformed their roles by focusing on higher-value services, demonstrating how adaptation can work.
However, not everyone managed this transition successfully, highlighting the need for comprehensive support systems. The key to navigating future transitions lies in a three-pronged approach: individual initiative, institutional support and policy frameworks.
Today’s landscape offers unique opportunities through online learning platforms, flexible degree programmes and corporate retraining initiatives. However, these tools must be paired with robust social support systems and policies that protect workers during transition periods.
Success will require not just personal resilience and motivation, but a fundamental shift in how careers are viewed – moving from a linear progression to a model of continuous learning and adaptation. Without such comprehensive measures, there is a risk of repeating historical patterns where technological progress creates winners and losers rather than advancing society as a whole.
The question isn’t just whether individuals can adapt, but whether society can build the necessary frameworks to support this unprecedented scale of workforce transformation. Our response to this challenge will largely determine whether AI’s impact on employment becomes a story of displacement or one of collective progress.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
Join parent networks
Look beyond school fees
Keep an open mind
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films Director: Remo D’Souza Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem Rating: 2.5 stars
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
4.15pm: The Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m; Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
4.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: Al Jazi, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
