Workday Opens Dubai Hub as AI Adoption Sweeps UAE Workforce

The expansion brings a new regional leadership team to the UAE, aiming to align Workday’s tools with the country’s national transformation goals. Research released alongside the launch reveals that local workers save an average of 3.6 hours per week through AI, though the benefits come with a caveat: employees still spend 3.4 hours weekly refining AI-generated outputs, underscoring a persistent need for human oversight and verification.

Rather than prioritizing simple cost-cutting, UAE firms are actively reinvesting the time regained from automation. Roughly one-third of organizations are directing these efficiencies into workforce upskilling and training, while another 32% focus on improving employee well-being and workplace flexibility. Only 24% of surveyed companies cite cost reduction as their primary driver for AI implementation. Angelique De Vries-Schipperijn, President of EMEA, noted that the market requires technology that balances rapid innovation with the strict regulatory trust needed by large-scale institutions. Zakaria Haltout, GVP for META, added that the company’s focus remains on providing the guardrails necessary to move from AI experimentation to reliable, everyday business operations.