The Gulf’s push to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption is exposing a growing challenge: access to experienced Data and AI specialists who can turn ambitious strategies into operational capabilities.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that 86 per cent of employers expect AI and information-processing technologies to transform their businesses by 2030, while 63 per cent identify skills gaps as a major barrier to business transformation. It also estimates that 39 per cent of workers’ existing skills will be transformed or become outdated by 2030.
AI and big data are among the fastest-growing skills globally, with Big Data Specialists and AI and Machine Learning Specialists also ranking among the fastest-growing professions.
For Gulf organisations, however, accessing this talent may require a rethink of traditional recruitment models, according to Mahala.ai, a Netherlands-headquartered Data and AI talent company operating across Europe and the GCC.
“The Gulf needs the right people to turn its AI ambitions into working systems, and those people exist. The challenge is how companies access them,” said Amir Grabic, Co-Founder and CEO of Mahala.ai.
He said many senior Data and AI specialists are interested in the opportunities emerging in the UAE and wider region but are unwilling to uproot established careers and family lives.
“Increasing salaries or relocation packages does not necessarily change that equation,” Grabic said.
Remote hiring widens the talent pool
The company argues that recruitment models centred on relocation, permanent office-based work or mandatory hybrid arrangements can limit access to highly specialised technical talent.
Data engineers and data scientists are needed to build and manage the infrastructure underpinning AI systems, while AI, machine learning and MLOps specialists are required to develop, deploy and maintain AI technologies.
Many senior professionals with these skills are already established in their home markets, making relocation less attractive despite the Gulf’s growing demand for their expertise.
“Remote work changes the size of the talent pool almost immediately,” Grabic said. “Instead of asking where the best specialist is willing to move, companies can ask who is best equipped to solve the problem.”
The approach could become increasingly relevant as organisations move from experimenting with AI tools to implementing AI systems at scale. Such deployments require strong data architecture, engineering, governance and technical infrastructure, alongside the AI models themselves.
Remote hiring can also allow companies to bring in specialists for specific stages of their Data and AI development, rather than restricting recruitment to talent available within commuting distance of an office.
Data sovereignty remains a consideration
For Gulf governments, semi-government entities and regulated organisations, expanding recruitment beyond national borders can raise questions around cybersecurity, compliance and data sovereignty.
Mahala.ai said its model allows remote specialists to work within clients’ own sovereign or Virtual Desktop Infrastructure environments, enabling regulated data to remain in-country while organisations access international expertise.
The company also said widening the talent pool should not come at the expense of quality. It places vetted senior Data Engineers, Data Scientists, AI/ML and MLOps specialists with enterprise, government and semi-government organisations.
According to the company, approximately one in seven candidates is admitted following its vetting process, with candidates then independently screened by DataFlow before engagement.
The emerging model could give Gulf organisations an alternative to competing for international specialists primarily through higher compensation and relocation incentives.
As the region increases investment in AI, the ability to access specialised talent regardless of location could become an increasingly important factor in closing the gap between AI ambitions and the capabilities needed to deliver them.