PHILIPPINES: AI skills are becoming a major career advantage in the UAE, with workers in some sectors able to earn much higher salaries than those without AI-related skills.
According to PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer, the UAE is now one of the fastest-growing markets for AI talent.
The report found that UAE job postings requiring AI skills rose from 1.0 percent in 2021 to 3.2 percent in 2025.
This pushed the country from 21st place to 13th globally in AI-related hiring in just four years.
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AI Is No Longer Only for Tech Workers
AI is no longer limited to software developers, engineers, or data scientists.
PwC said demand in the UAE is now growing for “AI User” roles.
These are jobs where workers use AI tools to finish tasks faster, study data, improve reports, support decisions, or reduce repeated manual work.
This means AI skills can now help people in finance, marketing, human resources, consulting, healthcare, energy, retail, and other office-based roles.
For many UAE workers, the useful skill is not only building AI systems.
It is knowing how to use AI properly at work.
Higher Pay for Workers With AI Skills
PwC found that UAE workers with AI skills can receive strong wage premiums compared with workers in similar roles without those skills.
The biggest premium was seen in financial services, where AI-skilled workers may earn up to 92 percent more.
In technology, media, and telecoms, the wage premium reached 50 percent.
The global PwC report also found that jobs asking for AI skills carry an average wage premium of 62 percent, showing strong demand for workers who can use AI well.
UAE Job Skills Are Changing Faster
PwC said AI-exposed jobs in the UAE are changing faster than the global average.
The UAE recorded a skills transformation score of 7.22, compared with the global average of 4.47.
This means workers may need to update their skills more often as companies add AI into daily work.
The report said AI is shifting routine tasks to technology while increasing demand for human skills such as judgment, creativity, problem-solving, and communication.
