The expanding economies of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are expected to generate demand for more than 1.5 million additional workers by 2030, despite rapid advances in artificial intelligence, according to a global workforce study released in 2025.
The study finds that while AI is reshaping how businesses and governments operate, it is not reducing overall labour demand in the Gulf. Instead, strong economic growth, large-scale development projects, and expanding public and private services are sustaining the need for human workers across a wide range of sectors.
In Saudi Arabia, workforce demand is being driven by the Vision 2030 reform programme, which includes major investments in construction, infrastructure, tourism, manufacturing, logistics, and new economic zones. The study estimates that without productivity gains from AI, the kingdom would require around 650,000 additional workers to meet its expansion targets. Even after accounting for automation, a significant labour gap is expected to persist.
In the UAE, labour demand is projected to grow even faster. The report estimates that the country’s total workforce could expand by 12.1 percent by 2030, placing it among the fastest-growing labour markets covered in the study. Saudi Arabia’s workforce is projected to grow by 11.6 percent over the same period, compared with much slower growth in developed economies such as the United States at 2.1 percent and the United Kingdom at 2.8 percent.
The analysis was conducted jointly by ServiceNow and Pearson, drawing on data from thousands of job roles and millions of job advertisements across multiple markets.
According to the study, the UAE’s emphasis on technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation is expected to create jobs rather than eliminate them. As government departments and private firms modernise operations, demand is increasing in manufacturing, education, retail, healthcare, financial services, and technology-related roles. AI is expected to automate routine and repetitive tasks, while human workers will remain essential for supervision, technical work, customer interaction, and problem-solving.
Sectors expected to continue hiring strongly in both countries include construction, transport and logistics, healthcare, hospitality, retail, education, energy, financial services, and information technology.
The findings are particularly relevant for Pakistani workers, millions of whom are employed in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, primarily in construction, transport, retail, healthcare, and technical occupations. The study suggests overseas employment opportunities will continue, especially for workers with trade skills, technical training, digital literacy, and service-sector experience.
The report concludes that while AI will support productivity gains, it will not fully offset workforce shortages created by rapid economic expansion in the Gulf. It adds that countries and workers investing in training and reskilling will be better positioned to benefit from job creation as technology reshapes, but does not replace, human labour.
