UAE labour market: How AI is reshaping jobs and services

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has affirmed that artificial intelligence is no longer a technology of the future, but has become an integral part of the present-day government workplace and a key driver of service development, efficiency and productivity.

At the same time, the ministry stressed the importance of using modern technologies safely and responsibly, ensuring that technological advancement goes hand in hand with safeguarding customer rights, protecting data and strengthening trust in government services.

The ministry’s vision comes as the UAE accelerates efforts to build a government ecosystem powered by artificial intelligence and data — a transformation that goes beyond simply digitising procedures to redesigning how services are delivered, decisions are made, human resources are managed and the labour market is regulated.

As a latest indication of this transformation, MoHRE highlighted in 2026 advanced results from its use of AI under the UAE Government’s Zero Bureaucracy Programme. Modern technologies have helped eliminate procedures for a number of services by up to 100 per cent, while reducing the number of required documents, visits and data fields, as well as significantly accelerating transaction processing.

Among the ministry’s most prominent practical applications is an AI-powered system that verifies identity and passport information, employment contracts, photograph quality and other data associated with work permits.

According to announced figures, the system reduced transaction processing time by 95 per cent and cut the time required to review a transaction from around 10 minutes to less than one minute. It also enabled more than 11 million transactions to be processed automatically.

These figures demonstrate that AI within MoHRE’s system is no longer merely an assisting tool for employees, but has become part of the operational infrastructure of government services, particularly in tasks involving the processing of huge volumes of data, information verification and document matching.

In December 2025, the ministry also announced that around 13 million transactions had been completed using automation and AI without human intervention between the beginning of the year and December 10, highlighting the expanding use of smart technologies across the ministry’s services.

The applications extend beyond speeding up transactions. The ministry is moving from a regulatory model based on responding to violations after they occur towards a more proactive approach centred on data analysis and risk prediction.

MoHRE has developed an AI system for occupational health and safety inspections that can detect health and safety violations and automatically generate reports. This helps reduce procedures, accelerate decision-making and minimise the potential for human error.

The ministry is also implementing a risk-prediction system to identify establishments that may require proactive inspection visits and dynamically determine risk factors.

The impact of this transformation is reflected in field results. In September 2026, the ministry announced that the number of private-sector establishments found to be in violation of labour-market legislation had declined by 15 per cent during the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2025.

During the same period, inspection teams conducted around 212,000 inspection visits as part of a smart regulatory system that uses AI, data analysis and risk indicators to direct inspection resources towards establishments and activities considered to carry higher levels of risk.

This highlights one of the most important benefits of AI for the labour market: not simply increasing the number of inspections, but improving the accuracy with which inspection targets are selected and directing human effort towards cases where intervention is most needed.

The ministry began using AI at an early stage to analyse the labour market, launching a “Labour Market Simulation Model” powered by generative AI to analyse economic scenarios and assess the potential impact of decisions and policies on indicators such as employment, wages and labour-force participation.

The model enables specialists to interact with data and scenarios using natural language, prepare studies and reports and conduct benchmarking more quickly, while also allowing them to simulate the potential impact of policies before implementation. (Absher)

This represents a significant shift in the role of government data. Rather than using data merely to describe what has already happened, intelligent models can help answer a more important question: What could happen if a particular decision is taken?

From a labour-market perspective, this approach can support policymakers in understanding trends in demand for skills, changes in employment and wages, movements across economic sectors and employers’ needs, allowing for more flexible and proactive policies.

Another notable application is the use of AI in the work-permit quota system for establishments.

Businesses can now obtain work-permit quotas automatically, whereas the process could previously take up to 10 days in some cases.

The system has also reduced the human effort required to review and approve additional applications by around 56 per cent, while procedures and requirements have been reduced by 100 per cent.

The ministry announced that around 900,000 quotas were issued between February and October 2025 using the system.

This reflects a broader trend in UAE government work: moving employees away from routine tasks based on manual verification towards higher-value functions such as analysis, decision-making, supervision and oversight.

The transformation led by MoHRE is part of a broader UAE government drive to move from digital government towards a more proactive model based on data and AI.

In January 2026, the ministry launched the “UAE Work Package for the Private Sector”, an integrated suite of proactive digital services that benefits from data exchange between the ministry and several federal and local government entities, including the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, the General Pension and Social Security Authority, the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis), and other local entities.

The Work Package was also developed to provide interconnected services through a shared platform, a single payment mechanism and a “once-only” approach to information submission, shortening the customer journey and reducing the need to enter the same data repeatedly.

This model represents one of the core applications of the concept of “government that works for the customer before the customer asks for the service.”

These developments are particularly significant in a country with a highly diverse, multinational and multi-sector labour market, requiring an ecosystem capable of managing vast amounts of data relating to workers, employers, employment, permits, wages, inspections and compliance.

Data from the ministry’s Labour Market Observatory show the expanding role of digital and smart channels in communicating with workers and employers.

According to UAE Labour Market Observatory, "During the first half of 2026 alone, more than 18.2 million text and electronic messages were sent as part of awareness campaigns and programmes, alongside more than 1.24 million telephone interactions and around 228,800 interactions through the “Tawasol” system. The average time required to resolve customer requests stood at three days, according to the latest published data.

These figures illustrate the scale of data and interactions that intelligent systems can analyse and use to improve customer experience, identify patterns and establish priorities."

According to an official report , issued by (Abu Dhabi Media Office), [The use of AI in the labour market is also closely linked to Emiratisation, one of the key pillars of the UAE’s economic and social policies.

In September 2026, a meeting held to review projects and initiatives of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation stressed the importance of using AI and advanced technologies to enhance government services, improve efficiency and support employers and employees.

This is taking place alongside a focus on developing national capabilities, increasing Emirati participation in the private sector and creating more specialised employment opportunities.

This highlights a new challenge: as the use of AI expands, the objective will not simply be to train Emiratis to use technology, but to prepare them for jobs requiring advanced analytical and digital skills, while using AI to enhance employee productivity rather than merely replace routine tasks.]

The rapid expansion of AI also creates new responsibilities relating to accuracy, privacy, cybersecurity, algorithmic bias and individual rights.

For this reason, MoHRE stresses the need for the safe and responsible use of modern technologies. This approach is aligned with the UAE’s broader national policy, which places governance, ethics and regulation among the key pillars of AI adoption.

The UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 also focuses on establishing robust frameworks for governance, regulation, ethics and cybersecurity.

Mohamed Saqr Al Nuaimi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at MoHRE, said in a media statement that the ministry “continues to employ modern technologies and artificial intelligence to develop its services, simplify procedures and enhance the experience of employers and workers, in line with the accelerating digital transformation and to strengthen the efficiency of the labour system.”

Al Nuaimi noted that the growing use of technology is accompanied by an increasing need to raise awareness of the risks associated with its misuse, particularly deepfake technology, which can create or manipulate images, voices and videos in ways that make fabricated content appear authentic.

He warned that the technology could be used for identity impersonation, spreading misinformation or carrying out fraud targeting individuals and institutions. The need for verification becomes even more important in the workplace when personal data, financial transactions or official instructions and procedures are involved.

“Therefore, the safe and responsible use of modern technologies has become a necessity that must accompany this development,” he said. “It starts with simple steps, such as verifying the source of information, avoiding responding to sensitive or financial requests through unverified channels, referring to the ministry’s official channels whenever there is any doubt, and exercising caution when dealing with unusual digital content.”

Al Nuaimi concluded by stressing that building a secure digital environment is a shared responsibility between institutions and individuals.

As MoHRE continues to develop its services and harness the capabilities of AI, digital awareness remains essential to ensuring that these technologies are used effectively while limiting their risks.

He emphasised that the future of work depends not on technology alone, but on the ability to use it consciously and responsibly in ways that strengthen trust in the digital environment and support the development of a more efficient, secure and sustainable labour market.

MoHRE provides innovative and enhanced digital services powered by AI, reflecting the ministry’s leading experience in harnessing smart technologies to develop its services, strengthen the work environment and improve operational efficiency, while facilitating the customer experience in accessing services in line with the UAE’s digital-government direction and the Zero Bureaucracy Programme.

In a significant strategic development in June 2026, the UAE Cabinet approved the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority to unify government data, AI and digital-government systems under a single national framework, reflecting the country’s transition into a new phase of AI-driven government transformation.

In May 2026, the Cabinet also approved a federal framework for implementing an Agentic AI Project, targeting the conversion of 50 per cent of federal government services and operations into agentic-AI-based models within two years, alongside a programme to develop the skills of 80,000 federal government employees in this field.

While these technologies offer significant opportunities to increase productivity, the UAE experience demonstrates that AI does not mean eliminating the human role.

Even in the most advanced models, human oversight remains necessary, including the verification of results and the making of decisions that require professional, legal or ethical judgement.

This principle was clearly reflected in a recent guide issued by the UAE Government Media Office on agentic AI applications in government communications. The guide emphasised the importance of review, verification and institutional approval, while warning of risks related to accuracy, privacy, bias and misleading content.

The message from MoHRE therefore goes beyond introducing a new technology or a collection of digital applications. It reflects a transformation in the very concept of government work.

AI is now being used to accelerate transactions, verify documents, issue work-permit quotas, improve inspections, predict risks, analyse the labour market, support decision-making and enhance communication with customers.

More importantly, these applications are moving from the testing phase towards measurable results: millions of automated transactions, significant reductions in processing times, less human intervention in routine procedures and more targeted inspection operations.

AI is therefore emerging as one of the key enablers of a more efficient, flexible and competitive labour market — provided that technological development progresses in parallel with investment in people, data protection, fairness and transparency, while preserving human decision-making and accountability.

The real challenge in the next phase will not be simply possessing AI tools, but using them effectively — transforming AI from a technology that merely accelerates work into an ecosystem that improves the quality of decisions, protects workers’ rights, supports employers and creates sustainable economic value.

This is at the heart of the transformation taking place in the UAE: a smarter government, faster services, a more proactive labour market and a more competitive economy — with people remaining at the centre of the system.