#UAE #AIAdoption - Some 85 percent of UAE employees use AI at work, but 67 percent worry it will replace jobs, according to a new report from the Oliver Wyman Forum, the research arm of management consultancy Oliver Wyman. The UAE edition of the forum’s annual 300,000 Voices programme finds that only 26 percent of executives and 6 percent of frontline staff say their company has set out a clear AI vision and kept employees informed. Meanwhile, some 80 percent of UAE respondents say that they have used AI for healthcare, against 65 percent globally.
SO WHAT? - According to the 300,000 Voices survey, UAE workers are using AI faster than their employers are explaining it. Most respondents see gains in productivity and work-life balance and yet two-thirds fear for their jobs. Just over a quarter of executives in the Emirates say that the company has articulated a clear AI vision, compared with over a third of executives globally. The results broadly align with the findings of other surveys this year, which have shown that AI adoption in the UAE is moving faster than strategy and governance.
KEY POINTS:
The Oliver Wyman Forum’s 300,000 Voices – UAE Edition covers six areas of life: values, workforce and skills, AI and technology, healthcare, money and finance, and consumer behaviour. The study is part of a five-year programme covering nearly 300,000 people in 20 markets.
The UAE edition of the report draws on 5,285 respondents across several survey waves, plus an April 2026 survey of 503 UAE respondents. Most findings come from 2025 waves, and sample sizes and comparison markets vary by finding.
Some 85% of UAE employees use AI at work. More than half report better productivity (56%) and work-life balance (54%), but 67% worry about AI replacing jobs.
Organisations are behind their staff. Only 26% of executives and 6% of frontline employees agree that their company has set out a clear AI vision and kept employees informed on its progress.
The study found that some 75% of UAE employees are satisfied with their jobs, against 66% globally, yet only 25% feel fulfilled. Among Gen Z, 60% would put career acceleration and financial freedom ahead of work-life balance.
Some 80% of UAE respondents have used AI for healthcare, compared with 65% globally. Preventive habits vary by income: 66% of higher-income respondents exercise regularly, against 49% of lower-income respondents.
AI is entering money decisions. Some 64% of lower-income and 65% of higher-income respondents use it to guide investments. Some 48% of lower-income UAE respondents invest in the stock market, against 28% globally.
Brand loyalty is weak. Only 35% of UAE consumers expect to keep buying from a brand long term, against 47% globally. Some 71% expect brands to remember their preferences, and 78% have used AI to find and buy products.
Some 54% of UAE respondents want to own a business, against 28% globally. Some 70% say feeling safe is important, against 57% globally.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum
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