Tech News
Talent wars in tech: Building skills pipelines instead of poaching

Poaching might win a headline, but it rarely builds a team. In the middle of the ongoing talent wars in tech, smart leaders are shifting from bidding wars to building skills pipelines. Instead of chasing the same senior engineers, they are cultivating early-career talent, partnering with universities, and opening internal routes to progress. The payoff is durability: lower churn, stronger culture, and capabilities that match the roadmap.
Talent wars in tech need a new playbook
Raiding competitors is costly and noisy. It also risks morale, because internal colleagues see higher-paid roles filled from outside. Meanwhile, non-compete clauses and premium salaries inflate hiring budgets. Therefore, the strategic move is clear: design a pipeline that brings people in earlier, develops them faster, and keeps them longer.
Work with universities to make pipelines real
Universities are ready partners, especially when collaboration benefits everyone—organisations, academics, and students. Big brands already attract graduates; however, smaller or fast-growing firms often fly under the radar. Consequently, they should amplify their presence through Careers Fairs, guest lectures, and campus projects. University Careers Services can help match lesser-known employers to motivated talent.
Go beyond long internships
Classic internships help, yet they touch only a few students and depend heavily on individual performance. Instead, consider shorter, sharper formats: one-week immersions, structured job shadowing, and skills sprints. These options are easier to resource, still deliver insight, and widen access.
Use “real play,” not role play
Students learn fastest through authentic problems. Co-create real challenges with faculty, then invite student teams to propose solutions. Add a small prize and showcase the winning ideas. You gain fresh thinking and free consultancy; students gain experience that translates to the workplace. As a result, your brand becomes memorable before recruitment begins.
Bring academics into industry
The exchange should flow both ways. Invite lecturers for short “industry residencies” so they can refresh their teaching with live examples and current constraints. Their updated courses, in turn, produce graduates who arrive job-ready.
Join advisory boards and co-design curricula
At a strategic level, apply to a University Advisory Board. Share what skills gaps you see, and help shape course content. Run gap-analysis workshops together; prioritise the capabilities your teams will need in 12–24 months. Include alumni voices, because they bridge the classroom and the shop floor.
Explore knowledge exchange and emerging tech
Universities often house labs, computing resources, or data expertise that can accelerate your R&D. In fast-moving fields—artificial intelligence, for instance—structured knowledge exchange lets both sides move quicker, with clearer ethics and better governance.
Encourage and advance the talent you already have
Pipelines are not only external. Internal mobility keeps knowledge in the building and sends a powerful signal: grow here. Start by identifying high-potential employees through reviews or a simple talent program. Then, provide transparent routes to new roles, including cross-functional projects that expand networks and skills.
Next, offer stretch assignments with visible outcomes. Pair emerging talent with mentors who have navigated similar steps. Crucially, highlight success stories—people need to “see it to be it.” When employees believe progress is possible, retention improves and recruitment spend falls.
Moreover, consider executive education with university partners. Short, targeted programmes can upskill cohorts in data fluency, product thinking, or AI literacy. Because the content is tailored, the impact lands quickly on live projects.
A practical roadmap to start this quarter
First, map your most repeatable entry-level roles and the skills that matter. Second, pick two universities and propose a challenge brief and a one-week immersion. Third, create a lightweight internal mobility guide that spells out pathways, application windows, and evaluation criteria. Finally, name ten mentors and match them to early-career employees.
Within one cycle, you will have a visible pipeline, a stronger campus presence, and early wins that compound over time. Importantly, you will rely less on the churn and noise of the market.
The bottom line
The talent wars in tech won’t disappear. However, companies that build skills pipelines—through genuine university partnerships and deliberate internal growth—will spend less fighting fires and more delivering products. That edge compounds. And so does loyalty.
Check out our previous post, AI facility management: PROVEN Robotics at SFMA 2025
Tech News
FVC and SearchInform Join Forces to Boost Insider Threat Prevention and Data Protection in MENA
FVC, a prominent distributor specialising in innovative technology solutions, is pleased to announce its strategic partnership with SearchInform, a leader in information security and insider threat prevention solutions. Together, they are committed to strengthening organizations’ defenses against data leaks, corporate fraud, human-factor related risks.
K.S. Parag, Managing Director, FVC:
“We are excited to welcome SearchInform to our cybersecurity portfolio. The company offers the most powerful and localized DLP on the MENA market. SearchInform solution stands out from the competition due to a number of advantages. The system can be deployed within a few hours, protects the maximum number of data transfer channels, provides smart content-based blocking for all controlled channels and also use digital watermarks to trace the source of potential leaks. SearchInform DLP supports analysis of data in Arabic and has security policies, tailored for requirements of local organizations, enabling timely detection and prevention of confidential data leaks. The solution leverages AI to monitor atypical data transfer channels, recognize graphic elements, transcribe audio into text, detect attempts to photograph PC screens with smartphones.”
SearchInform offers a range of products, including DCAP, DLP, and SIEM. All the tools are seamlessly integrated. Technical support is provided through a specialist assigned to the company, who has extensive experience thanks to clients from various fields.
Commenting on the Partnership, Artem Volodin, CEO SearchInform MENA, stated:
“We are proud to collaborate with FVC, whose expertise in the Middle Eastern market will strengthen our efforts to combat insider threats and data leaks. The region needs a comprehensive solution that will enable organizations to meet regulatory standards, including SAMA, PDPL, DCC, ECC, UAE Information Assurance (IA) Regulation etc. and global ones, such as GDPR, PCI DSS. SearchInform delivers tools for data protection and risk mitigation across all levels: FileAuditor secures file systems, DLP covers workstations and human risks, Risk Monitor addresses corporate fraud, and SIEM protects IT infrastructure.”
The partners are currently conducting expert training, partner enablement sessions, and are also negotiating the implementation of SearchInform products in local companies.
Tech News
Etihad Salam and AFR-IX telecom Join Forces to Boost Intercontinental Digital Links Across Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Etihad Salam, a premier telecommunications and digital infrastructure company in Saudi Arabia, has entered into a strategic with AFR-IX telecom, an infrastructure and telecom operator and the developer and operator of the Medusa Submarine Cable System.
This collaboration aims to elevate digital connectivity spanning Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and Asia. Through this agreement, Etihad Salam becomes the primary landing and interconnection hub for the Medusa system within Saudi Arabia through Aqaba (Jordan), solidifying the Kingdom’s position as a pivotal digital gateway connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.
The partnership introduces resilient, high-bandwidth, and low-latency pathways from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula, fostering expansion for hyperscale data centers, cloud service providers, and digital operators throughout the region.
With this partnership, Etihad Salam will deliver terrestrial backhaul services and capacity swapping to seamlessly incorporate Medusa’s network into Saudi Arabia and the broader GCC, and onward to Asia. This initiative represents a significant advancement in Etihad Salam’s global cable strategies and underscores its dedication to Saudi Vision 2030’s goals for digital innovation and economic diversification.
Medusa Submarine Cable System is an 8,760 km undersea cable network linking critical points in the Mediterranean, such as Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Engineered for high-speed, reliable data transfer between Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, Medusa delivers up to 480 Tbps of capacity, serving as a vital conduit for surging intercontinental data flows.
Quote from Salam
“Our partnership with Medusa underscores Salam’s commitment to positioning Saudi Arabia as a central hub for regional connectivity,” stated Amjad Arab, Chief Wholesale and Alliances Officer at Etihad Salam. “By linking the Medusa cable to our robust infrastructure, we’re creating innovative international routes that expand our worldwide presence and meet the surging needs for digital and cloud services in the Kingdom. Through this partnership, we seek to offer enriched connectivity services, experiences and bring the world closer, ultimately empowering businesses to scale and innovative in an increasingly digital landscape.”
Quote from AFR-IX telecom
“We’re excited to collaborate with Etihad Salam, whose expertise and network complement our objective of providing secure, expansive, and high-performance connectivity from the Mediterranean outward,” said Norman Albi, Chief Executive Officer of AFR-IX. “This partnership elevates reliability and coverage for carriers worldwide, driving forward digital advancement across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.”
Tech News
Infinia Technologies and Satya Retail Launch AI and Blockchain-Powered Retail Transformation at GITEX 2025
- Revolutionizes India’s retail market by empowering merchants with first time real use case of AI and Blockchain
- SAII is a world’s first initiative set to turn millions of low-tech, high-potential neighbourhood retailers into a data-rich, AI-enabled commerce network
Infinia Technologies, a subsidiary of Sirius International Holding, announced a strategic partnership with Satya Retail, a DS Group affiliate, at GITEX Global 2025, the world’s largest technology and innovation event in Dubai. Through this collaboration, Infinia Technologies aims to leverage its advanced AI operating ecosystem to power Satya Retail’s merchant network with AI-driven analytics, blockchain-based invoicing, and digital financial tools, transforming India’s retail landscape.
By combining Infinia Technologies’ AI and blockchain infrastructure with DS Group’s unmatched distribution expertise and Satya Retail’s deep merchant network, this initiative will create an intelligent, scalable, and inclusive retail ecosystem designed to empower millions of small businesses across the country. The official signing took place today at GITEX Global 2025, in the presence of Arif Khan, CEO of Infinia Technologies, along with Ritesh Kumar, Director at DS Group.
The collaboration marks the launch of SAII – Smart AI Integrator, a world’s first initiative that turns millions of low-tech, high-potential neighbourhood retailers into a data-rich, AI-enabled commerce network. Branded as “The Digital Saathi for Merchants,” SAII provides a single platform for all merchant needs; from blockchain-based e-invoicing and micro-financing to insurance, hyperlocal advertising with two-way data transfer for merchants and vendor network.
For the first time, India’s retailers will receive access to powerful digital capabilities at scale through SAII. It will help merchants operate smarter, improve efficiency, and build deeper partnerships across the supply chain.
Commenting on the announcement, Arif Khan, CEO of Infinia Technologies, said: “This partnership represents a defining moment in how AI and Blockchain can drive real-world impact. This collaboration will positively accelerate India’s digital economy. Through SAII, we’re enabling millions of India’s retailers to access intelligent tools and digital services that were once out of reach, while advancing our mission to take advanced AI from Abu Dhabi to the world. This is only the beginning; we plan to extend the SAII model across Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, with more projects to be announced soon.”

Ritesh Kumar, Director at DS Group added: “Our collaboration with Infinia Technologies brings together the strength of our retail network and their AI innovation to empower small businesses across India. SAII will help local merchants modernize their operations, access financial and digital tools seamlessly, and become part of a larger connected commerce ecosystem. This is a major step toward building a more inclusive and technology-driven retail economy.”
-
Tech News1 year agoDenodo Bolsters Executive Team by Hiring Christophe Culine as its Chief Revenue Officer
-
VAR6 months agoMicrosoft Launches New Surface Copilot+ PCs for Business
-
Tech Interviews2 years agoNavigating the Cybersecurity Landscape in Hybrid Work Environments
-
Tech News3 months agoNothing Launches flagship Nothing Phone (3) and Headphone (1) in theme with the Iconic Museum of the Future in Dubai
-
Tech News2 years agoBrighton College Abu Dhabi and Brighton College Al Ain Donate 954 IT Devices in Support of ‘Donate Your Own Device’ Campaign
-
Editorial11 months agoCelebrating UAE National Day: A Legacy of Leadership and Technological Innovation
-
VAR1 year agoSamsung Galaxy Z Fold6 vs Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Clash Of The Folding Phenoms
-
Cover Story8 months agoUnifonic Leading the Future of AI-Driven Customer Engagement


