The UAE is set to add more than one million jobs by 2030, positioning it among the fastest-growing labour markets globally as economic expansion and digital transformation drive demand for skilled workers, according to a new report by ServiceNow.
The Workforce Skills Forecast 2025, produced by ServiceNow in collaboration with Pearson, estimates the UAE will need an additional 1.03 million workers by the end of the decade, lifting the total workforce by 12.1 per cent. That compares with projected workforce growth of 2.1 per cent in the US, 2.8 per cent in the UK and 10.6 per cent in India.
Manufacturing, education and retail are expected to be the main contributors to job creation, adding about 133,000, 78,000 and 60,000 roles respectively, the report said.
Finance and healthcare are also forecast to expand, with more than 40,000 and 39,000 new positions.
In percentage terms, the fastest growth is projected in energy and utilities, which is set to expand by 33 per cent, followed by education at 31 per cent and manufacturing at 18 per cent.
Despite rapid advances in artificial intelligence, the report suggests technology will increase rather than reduce demand for human workers.
In financial services, for example, agentic AI could perform work equivalent to around 17,000 full-time employees, or roughly 6.6 per cent of the sector’s current workforce.
However, overall employment in the sector is still projected to grow by 26 per cent, driven by economic expansion and the need for workers who can deploy and manage emerging technologies.
Demand for technology jobs to rise in the UAE
“What we are seeing in the UAE, as well as in nearly every other country surveyed, is that AI augmentation will be central to capturing the next wave of economic growth,” said William O’Neill, area vice president and general manager for the GCC at ServiceNow. “The future of work depends on collaboration between people and AI, and it’s a future that’s hiring now.”
The report highlights a particularly sharp rise in demand for technology professionals. While the overall workforce is expected to grow by 12.1 per cent, demand for tech roles is forecast to surge by 54 per cent.
Technology jobs currently account for about 169,000 of the UAE’s estimated 8.5 million roles. By 2030, organisations are expected to need more than 91,000 additional tech specialists.
Among the fastest growing roles are search marketing strategists, with around 5,600 new positions expected, followed by computer programmers at 4,200 and computer systems analysts at 2,700.
Upskilling in an AI-driven economy
To address widening skills gaps, ServiceNow launched ServiceNow University in May, a learning platform aimed at helping workers build capabilities for an AI-driven economy.
“To get ahead of labour shortfalls and win the future of work, organisations must build an inclusive future for workers,” O’Neill said.
He added that businesses need to deploy AI responsibly, strengthen governance frameworks and invest heavily in upskilling to create more resilient and innovative workforces.
The Workforce Skills Forecast 2025 is based on an analysis of 5,600 roles across 10 countries, examining the impact of 34 emerging technologies on jobs over the next five years using labour market data, including job advertisements and census information.
Source – https://gulfbusiness.com/uae-to-add-over-1-million-jobs-by-2030-report/