Zawya · 12 Oct, 04:02 · Artificial Intelligence briefing

UAE leads world in AI adoption with 70.1% usage rate, Microsoft report says

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

A recent Microsoft report indicates that the United Arab Emirates has achieved a global leading position in artificial intelligence adoption, recording a usage rate of 70.1 per cent among professionals. This statistic, sourced from Zawya, highlights the region’s rapid integration of AI technologies into daily business operations. The data suggests that UAE workers are utilising AI tools more frequently than their international counterparts, signalling a significant shift in regional workplace dynamics and technological maturity for organisations operating within the Gulf market.

Employer demand for Artificial Intelligence skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

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This surge in adoption means AI literacy is no longer optional; it is a baseline requirement for career progression in the Middle East. Professionals who ignore this trend risk becoming obsolete, while those who adapt will command higher value. You must prioritise understanding how AI augments your specific role, whether in strategy, analysis, or creative output. Focus on developing skills in prompt engineering, data interpretation, and ethical AI governance. Audit your current workflow to identify repetitive tasks suitable for automation. Engage with your organisation’s AI initiatives proactively. By mastering these tools now, you position yourself as an indispensable asset capable of driving efficiency and innovation in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Artificial Intelligence, AI Strategy, Data Science and Cloud Computing — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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