Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from a specialist technology to a core workplace skill, prompting companies across the UAE to rethink how employees work, learn and adapt in an increasingly AI-driven economy.
As the UAE accelerates its ambitions to become a global AI hub through major investments, national strategies and widespread digital transformation programmes, business leaders say AI fluency is becoming as fundamental as digital literacy once was.
According to Ergul Hemmingsen, Chief Human Capital Officer at Core42, organisations can no longer limit AI expertise to technical teams. “AI fluency is no longer a nice-to-have or a capability reserved for technical teams. It is becoming a foundational skill for every employee,” Hemmingsen said. “The organizations that lead the digital era will be those where people at every level can work confidently and responsibly alongside AI.”
The shift comes as AI increasingly influences decision-making, problem-solving and customer engagement across industries ranging from finance and legal services to marketing, operations and human resources. Hemmingsen said AI fluency goes beyond simply using tools and requires employees to understand where AI can add value, how to validate outputs and when human judgement is necessary.
For businesses seeking to assess their preparedness, he argues that AI readiness should be measured through capability, application and impact rather than technology adoption alone. While many companies track usage metrics, the real test is whether AI is improving productivity, accelerating execution and delivering measurable business outcomes.
The UAE’s push towards an AI-enabled economy is also creating pressure on employers to equip staff with practical skills. Hemmingsen noted that some of the most valuable AI applications are emerging from non-technical employees who understand business processes and can identify opportunities for automation and improvement. “AI capability development needs to be role-based rather than limited to technical specialists,” he said.
At the same time, concerns about the impact of AI on jobs continue to grow. Mercer’s 2026 Global Talent Trends study found that 40 per cent of employees fear losing their jobs to AI, up from 28 per cent a year earlier. Hemmingsen said organisations should address those concerns through transparency and training rather than dismissing them.
“Rather than dismissing fears about job displacement, they should acknowledge them openly and create space for honest conversations about how roles are evolving,” he said, adding that AI is more likely to change how work is performed than eliminate jobs outright.
Human resources departments are expected to play a central role in managing that transition. Beyond deploying AI tools, HR teams must establish governance frameworks, ensure responsible use and create learning opportunities that allow employees to experiment safely with new technologies.
Looking ahead, Hemmingsen believes the most significant workforce changes will come from redesigning work around human-AI collaboration. “AI will increasingly take on routine, repetitive, and administrative tasks, allowing people to spend more time on activities that require judgment, creativity, relationship-building, problem-solving, and decision-making.”
That transformation is already visible across the Gulf. Hemmingsen pointed to LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise rankings, where AI-related roles are among the fastest-growing occupations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. As AI adoption expands across sectors, he said continuous learning will become one of the most valuable workforce traits. “The organisations that thrive will be those that invest in their people throughout this transition and treat workforce transformation as an ongoing capability journey rather than a one-time technology rollout.”
Source: Khaleej Times