Here’s the thing. Headlines like this are not just about megaprojects, they reshape how people move, how firms hire, and how teams learn.
A few days ago in NEOM, HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Kuwaiti Prime Minister H.H. Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al‑Ahmad Al‑Sabah aligned on a serious economic and tech play. Reported highlights include a planned Kuwait sovereign investment vehicle at roughly $163 billion, allocations into NEOM and The Line, capital for Eastern Province projects, a $693 million move on Engie assets in Kuwait via ACWA Power, and major utility capacity: 4.61 GW power and 1.11 million m³ per day in desalination.
On the AI front, the Saudi Data and AI Authority’s AIGA initiative and Kuwait’s AIoT ecosystem signalled joint work on governance and education. Three co-funded research centres are on the table for AIoT innovation. There is talk of Kuwait’s direct investments in Oxagon’s AI and smart city stack, and an AI-powered AML and CFT framework between Saudi and Kuwaiti financial intelligence units.
What this really means for business is a rewiring of how the GCC plans, builds, and governs technology. The upside for growth is clear. The talent and compliance complexity is very real.
Why does this matter for ‘Global Mobility‘?
- Cross-border flows are going to rise. Riyadh, NEOM, and Kuwait City will compete and collaborate for engineers, data scientists, compliance specialists, and programme managers.
- Nationalisation targets will tighten. Expect stronger Saudisation and Kuwaitisation rules, stricter headcount ratios, and sharper reporting requirements.
- Mobility policies need to adjust. Faster visa pathways for AI, utility, and smart infrastructure roles, more short-term assignments, and commuter models between Saudi and Kuwait.
- Duty of care gets harder. Desert sites, shift work, and high-spec safety regimes mean better pre-move screening, insurance alignment, and on-site induction.
Talent Management implications
- Skills shift now, not later. AI governance, model risk, AI ethics, data privacy, and AIoT deployment will move from nice-to-have to hard requirements.
- Compliance becomes a team sport. Legal, HR, tech, and operations must share one playbook on AML, CFT, and AI governance.
- Internal marketplaces win. Easy Tiger 360 can map skills, surface internal candidates, and cut time to staff critical roles across Saudi and Kuwait.
Management Training that sticks
- Train managers to lead in regulated AI environments: risk registers, model documentation, and audit trails.
- Build cross-border capability: compensation design for split assignments, policy exceptions, and stakeholder comms.
- Strengthen cultural fluency: Saudi and Kuwaiti working norms, public sector interfaces, and vendor ecosystems linked to Vision 2030.
The 30, 60, 90-day plan
- 30 days: audit your mobility policy against Saudisation and Kuwaitisation, identify AI and AIoT critical roles, update your role taxonomy and salary bands.
- 60 days: launch targeted Management Training on AI governance and cross-border compliance, spin up a mobility centre of excellence, test your visa and onboarding workflows.
- 90 days: deploy Easy Tiger 360 for skills visibility, run an AI ethics and data privacy drill with Legal and IT, lock a regional talent pipeline with Saudi and Kuwait universities.
How does Easy Tiger Group help?
- Global Mobility: policy design, vendor orchestration, visa and immigration coordination, cost modelling, and assignee care.
- Talent Management: workforce planning, skills mapping, internal gigs, and diversity targets aligned to Vision 2030.
- Management Training: AI governance for managers, mobility leadership, compliance playbooks, and culture fluency.
- Easy Tiger 360: one place for roles, skills, assignments, and training across the GCC.
Your move!
- Are you hiring for AI governance, AIoT, or smart infrastructure in Saudi or Kuwait in the next 6 months?
- Do your mobility and training programmes reflect nationalisation targets?
- Want a private workshop for your exec team on Vision 2030 talent strategy?