MTestHub CEO - "Why We’re Expanding MTestHub into the UAE and MENA Region”

The UAE and broader MENA region are aggressively leaning into AI adoption and digital transformation in a way that feels materially different from what I’ve experienced in the U.S.

In the U.S., especially within HR, there’s a cautious, sometimes hesitant, posture toward AI. There’s concern around bias, compliance, and change management. While those are valid conversations, they often slow experimentation and adoption.

In contrast, in emerging markets, particularly the UAE, there’s a strong top-down mandate toward innovation. When national leadership publicly sets AI integration and digital excellence as strategic priorities, businesses move. There’s alignment between policy, capital, and execution.

From a hiring standpoint, we’re also entering a new phase globally:

• Candidates are using AI to optimize resumes. • Applications are being submitted at scale with minimal friction. • Resume-based filtering is becoming less reliable as a signal of real capability.

This creates two simultaneous problems:

1. Strong candidates without optimized resumes get overlooked.
2. Optimized resumes allow unqualified candidates to pass initial screens.

Our belief is that hiring must shift toward merit-based, skills-based validation, early in the funnel.

If candidates can use AI, companies must use AI responsibly to level the playing field.

Instead of screening resumes first, we advocate lightweight, skill-based assessments at the front of the application process. A 5–10 question evaluation that validates baseline competency before a hiring manager spends time interviewing.

That does two things: • It filters for skill. • It filters for motivation (only serious candidates complete the step).

Our platform makes that simple, even for recruiters without deep technical knowledge of the role.

What I’ve found in the UAE and parts of Africa is a greater openness to this shift. There’s less attachment to legacy recruiting workflows and more appetite to rethink systems entirely.

We’re still U.S.-based and operating here, but strategically, I’m drawn to regions that are proactively building the future, not cautiously defending the past.