Artificial intelligence is becoming a routine part of work in the UAE, with 90 per cent of employees who use AI at work saying they use it at least once a week, according to a survey commissioned by Workday.
The survey, conducted by Censuswide among 500 full-time UAE employees aged 25 and above, found that 58 per cent use AI multiple times a week, while 18 per cent use it every working day. Respondents worked at organisations with at least 1,000 employees and annual revenues exceeding $100,000.
The research was conducted during June-July, with more than a quarter of respondents holding leadership or director-level positions.
AI adoption was also widespread among senior executives, with more than half of directors and C-suite leaders using the technology every week.
AI saves employees 3.6 hours a week
Employees surveyed said AI saves them an average of 3.6 hours a week, pointing to growing gains in productivity and workplace efficiency.
The time and cost savings are also enabling organisations to redirect resources towards other workforce priorities. About 33 per cent of respondents said AI allowed them to handle larger workloads without increasing headcount.
Training, upskilling and reskilling were cited by 32 per cent as areas benefiting from AI-generated savings. An equal proportion pointed to workload management, flexibility and employee wellbeing.
Meanwhile, 24 per cent said AI-related savings were contributing to cost reductions, including lower headcount, vendor and overtime costs.
Only 0.2 per cent of respondents said AI had not delivered meaningful time or cost savings, suggesting that the vast majority had experienced tangible benefits from using the technology.
Human oversight remains critical
Despite the productivity gains, the survey also highlighted the limits of AI-generated work. Employees said they spend an average of 3.4 hours a week clarifying, correcting or rewriting AI-generated outputs.
The findings point to the continued importance of human judgement, governance and quality control as AI becomes embedded in everyday workflows.
“Organisations across the UAE are moving from AI experimentation to everyday use, with 90% of employees using AI at least weekly,” said Zakaria Haltout, Group Vice President, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Workday.
“But lasting value depends on trust, human oversight, and continued investment in skills,” he said, adding that organisations need context, guardrails and trusted processes to integrate AI into their workflows.
Workday is rapidly expanding its presence across the region. “The UAE is a key market in Workday’s growth strategy, with organisations pursuing transformation against some of the world’s most ambitious national agendas,” said Angelique De Vries-Schipperijn, President, EMEA, Workday.
“To succeed, they need technology that helps them move faster, adopt new ways of working, and show clear results while maintaining the trust and control large, regulated organisations require,” she said.