The Workforce Skills Forecast 2025 report from ServiceNow, projects that the UAE will need to add 1.03 million workers by 2030, to support economic growth and its digital transformation initiatives. This 12.1% increase in the human workforce represents one of the highest percentage increases among the markets studied, compared to projected growth in major economies such as the United States (2.1%), the United Kingdom (2.8%), and India (10.6%).
Conducted in collaboration with Pearson, the report found that the UAE’s manufacturing, education, and retail sectors will be among the main drivers of this expansion, adding approximately 133,000, 78,000, and 60,000 new jobs respectively. Key industries such as finance and healthcare are also expected to add more than 40,000 and 39,000 roles. Interestingly, when comparing relative growth, the energy and utilities sector is set to expand most significantly at 33%, followed by education (31%) and manufacturing (18%).
As ServiceNow examined the impact of agentic AI on workforce dynamics, the company found that efficiency gains driven by this technology will be far outweighed by the pressing need for human talent. For instance, in the financial services sector, while agentic AI could do work equivalent to that of 17,000 full-time employees (or about 6.6% of the current workforce), according to the report, the findings also showed a projected 26% increase in jobs driven by economic growth and the need for employees who can enable emerging tech.
“What we are seeing in the UAE, as well as in nearly every other country surveyed, is that AI augmentation will be central to capturing the next wave of economic growth,” said William O’Neill, area VP & general manager – GCC at ServiceNow. “The future of work depends on collaboration between people and AI, and it’s a future that’s hiring now. The organisations that win the race for top talent will be those that redesign roles and invest in upskilling to meet the demands of this new era.”
To address this growing skills gap, in May this year, ServiceNow launched ServiceNow University—an innovative learning platform designed to empower individuals to develop and build capabilities for an AI-driven world.
The report highlights that this need for upskilling will be especially pronounced in the technology sector. While the UAE’s overall workforce is expected to grow by 12.1%, demand for technology professionals will far outstrip this growth at an impressive 54%. Currently, tech roles make up around 169,000 of the UAE’s 8.5 million jobs. By 2030, organisations will require more than 91,000 additional technology specialists.
Among the most in-demand tech roles will be search marketing strategists, expected to see an additional 5,600 positions, followed by computer programmers with 4,200 new roles and computer systems analysts with 2,700.
“To get ahead of labour shortfalls and win the future of work, organisations must build an inclusive future for workers,” said O’Neill. “The roadmap is clear: deploy AI thoughtfully, establish strong governance frameworks to manage risks, and invest ambitiously in upskilling programmes that prepare employees for an AI-augmented world. This three-pronged approach will help create workforces that are more resilient, innovative, and fulfilled.”
