KSA and UAE among top 3 high performing workplaces

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranked second and third, respectively, among the best-performing workplaces, according to a recent report by the Gensler Research Institute.

The report, titled ‘Global Workplace Survey 2024,’ delved into high-performing workplace cultures across 15 countries, including KSA and UAE, surveying over 16,000 workers across 10 industries. It highlighted the various ways employees work, including office spaces, co-working spaces, and other work arrangements, showing the impact on their performance and engagement levels.

Moreover, it studied the impact of social connections on engagement and productivity, revealing that highly engaged workers spend most of their time learning, socialising, and engaging in professional development. In contrast, the least engaged employees spend most of their time working individually and do not consider learning and professional development as crucial for their job performance as highly engaged workers do.

Some additional key findings from the report are: 

According to the report, 94 per cent of employees in exceptional workplaces have a choice in where they work within the office, granting them the autonomy to work across multiple settings and promoting a higher sense of value and engagement. For the first time, the new survey goes beyond office walls to reveal how exceptional workplaces perform as part of a broader ecosystem of spaces and experiences. These top-performing workplaces, often located in amenity-rich neighbourhoods, are part of a wider environment that includes diverse spaces such as libraries, cafes, outdoor areas, and coworking spaces.

62 per cent of UAE workers spend their time working with others, learning, or socialising, making it the second most engaged country among the 15 surveyed nations. These highly engaged employees prioritise socialising and learning, while strong teams seek in-office connections. Innovative companies thrive on collaboration, both in-person and out of the office.

Only 17 per cent of the UAE workforce still works from home, with 49 per cent having returned to the office. Meanwhile, 66 per cent work from co-working spaces, third spaces, or at client offices, reflecting a high volume of SMEs in the UAE. SMEs make up over 94 per cent of companies, employing 86 per cent of the private sector workforce.

About 49 per cent of employees work from the office; however, 71 per cent feel they need to be in the workplace to maximise their individual and team productivity. The study also found that high-performance workplaces have 2.6 times more on-site amenities and 1.6 times more nearby amenities and services. Better-quality buildings in amenity-rich neighbourhoods boost workplace performance and experience, highlighting the importance of good location and design.

96 per cent of workers in high-performing workplaces feel they have better control over their time, compared to just over half in low-performing workplaces. 99 per cent of employees in the most innovative companies would recommend their organisation as a great place to work, compared to only 37 per cent in the least innovative companies. 97 per cent of the most engaged employees are likely to stay with their company next year, compared to just 53 per cent of the least engaged.

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Commenting on the survey results, Janet Pogue McLaurin, Global Director of Workplace Research at Gensler said, “It’s time to redefine workplaces for the next evolution of work. Organisations and leaders need to shift their thinking beyond just returning to the office and instead focus on the opportunity to design high-performing spaces for people to work at their best."

Jose Faine, Workplace Design Director, Principal, Middle East added, “As designers we don’t just look to end our process at design stage, our goal is to design for impact beyond this and build value and longevity for our clients. Tapping into local government initiatives means we can substantiate our thought processes. It’s great to see the results of our Global Workplace reflect the recent work we have been doing on projects like Riyad Bank and even for older projects such as the VISA HQ in Dubai. Gensler remains steadfast in its support of global talent acquisition, high performance and competitive advantage for its clients in the region."