AI skills emerge as new advantage for Emiratis entering UAE workforce

AI skills are becoming increasingly significant for young Emiratis entering the UAE workforce, as employers start to consider knowledge of the technology alongside traditional qualifications during recruitment. At Dubai’s Ru’ya career fair, students expressed the expectation that AI would soon become a fundamental requirement for future jobs.

Employers noted that AI was already altering the roles they hire for and the methods they use to evaluate candidates. Seventeen-year-old Al Raya Girls Cycle School student Haneen Al Madani emphasized that mastering AI will likely become essential for future careers, stating that having AI skills will give jobseekers an edge. Al Teneiji, a 22-year-old high school graduate, attended the fair to explore employment options, particularly in the government sector, and said AI proficiency could prove advantageous, especially as more people incorporate the technology into their daily lives.

He highlighted the importance of understanding how to write effective prompts and interact with AI agents. At the fair, which ended on Wednesday, employers were already integrating AI into recruitment. Fuze finance company CEO Mo Ali Yusuf explained that the rapid advancement of AI is making AI skills as essential as internet access or keyboard use, becoming a basic requirement for efficient work.

While technical expertise in AI development is valuable, the real advantage lies in knowing how to practically apply AI. Yusuf stressed that AI should enhance human expertise rather than replace the need for it, particularly in areas like compliance, risk management, and operational oversight, where AI can identify patterns, process data at scale, and expedite issue identification.

However, human judgment and decision-making remain crucial in these contexts. Yusuf also mentioned that the UAE is well-positioned to capitalize on the AI shift due to its substantial investment in AI infrastructure. Dubai Municipality is actively seeking talent in engineering and emerging areas such as data analysis and AI, with the authority incorporating AI into its recruitment process, using AI agents to filter applications and conduct interviews, thereby accelerating hiring decisions.