Private Banking Appointments: HSBC Private Bank named Vivek Pandohi head of Middle East for Global India and added senior desk heads across Singapore and offshore China, signaling more GCC coverage and hiring in wealth roles. LIV Golf Job Cuts: LIV Golf told most staff (reportedly 90%) their jobs end next week as Saudi PIF funding ends and the league restructures toward “LIV 2.0,” with a smaller skeleton team likely to remain. Kuwait Power Reliability: Kuwait’s grid reportedly passed summer stress tests despite Iranian attacks on power infrastructure, with emphasis on conservation, interconnection, maintenance, and emergency readiness. Iraq Detentions: Iraqi authorities arrested nine people across operations, including suspects in Dhi Qar and Mosul and border-crossing attempts in Wasit. UNRWA Training Centre Seized: Israel raided and seized UNRWA’s Qalandiya training centre in East Jerusalem, risking education access for hundreds of Palestinian youth and triggering renewed HR/NGO staffing concerns. Syria Sanctions Lift Hope: Syria’s removal from the US terrorism list is raising expectations for investment and jobs, though residents remain cautious about how fast daily improvements arrive. Amazon Crowdsourcing Exit: Amazon will close Mechanical Turk on Sept 30, ending MTurk and SageMaker Ground Truth human review workflows—major impact for data-labeling workforces. Hormuz Shipping Rules: Iran warned military vessels could be barred under an Oman-managed Hormuz framework, a move that could affect maritime staffing and regional logistics hiring.