UAE Business Leaders Give AI Green Light for High-Stakes Business Decisions including Salaries, Health and Safety, and Hiring

Endava research reveals AI has just crossed a critical trust milestone in the UAE, as half of UAE business decision-makers believe the nation is far ahead of the world in AI adoption and use.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 15 July 2025

Business leaders and management executives in the UAE are showing unprecedented levels of trust in artificial intelligence (AI), with a significant majority expressing confidence in fully automated systems making high-stakes decisions that directly affect their working lives. From determining salary levels and making hiring or redundancy recommendations, to designing health and safety policies, new research reveals that employees are ready for a new era of AI-led decision-making that goes far beyond automation of low-risk tasks.

The study, launched by Endava, the leading next-generation technology services provider, found that 79% of UAE business decision-makers trust AI to allocate budgets within organisations, including decisions that could impact individual compensation. The same proportion expressed trust in AI to manage talent, including hiring and performance management, while 80% would be comfortable with AI-driven systems overseeing critical health and safety functions.

Remarkably, this trust extends well beyond the workplace. Individuals are now looking to AI as a strategic advisor in their personal lives. Four in five respondents said they would trust a fully automated AI system to make decisions about their careers, from determining ideal salary progression to advising on when to seek promotions or consider new roles. An equally high percentage would trust AI to make personal financial decisions such as investments and retirement planning, while the same level of trust applies to automated health recommendations. All this highlights the public’s readiness to hand over significant life decisions to intelligent systems.

These findings come at a time when the UAE is rapidly solidifying its position as a global AI leader, having this year announced plans for several billion-dollar investments into AI infrastructure and innovation. This ambition appears to be resonating with the public. Nearly half (46%) of respondents believe the UAE is well ahead of the rest of the world in terms of AI adoption and general usage. And when asked to assess global leaders in AI, respondents ranked the Middle East third, behind only the United States and China.

Commenting on the research, David Boast, General Manager – UAE & KSA at Endava, said, “Trust is the critical enabler of any AI strategy. The UAE’s clear national vision, its youthful and tech-savvy demographic, and its digital-first mindset are combining to give organisations a unique opportunity to innovate with confidence. While other regions remain cautious, weighed down by debates over job displacement, our research shows that businesses in the UAE can move forward with certainty, knowing their workforces are not only ready for AI, but actively embracing it.”

This readiness may be closely linked to optimism about the role of AI in creating, not eliminating, job opportunities. Nearly three-quarters of business decision-makers said their organisation has already created or plans to create dedicated AI roles such as ‘Head of AI’, and 75% believe that successful AI implementation will significantly improve their job satisfaction.

The business case for AI adoption is equally compelling. 71% of business decision-makers said that AI has already had a direct impact on boosting their company’s profitability. At the same time, the pressure to keep pace is mounting: over half of respondents said that if their organisation fails to make meaningful progress in AI adoption, it would begin to lose market share within just two years.

Some organisations appear to be responding to that call. Around 30% of respondents reported that their companies plan to invest significantly more in AI in 2025 compared to 2024. Yet, challenges remain. Only a quarter of business decision-makers believe their company’s current infrastructure, from data management to analytics, is fully ready for the demands of enterprise-grade AI deployment.

To capitalise on this momentum, Boast called on organisations across the UAE and the wider Middle East to focus not only on AI investment, but on smart implementation. “This includes laying the right data foundations by modernising their core systems, integrating AI responsibly into operations, leveraging pre-built AI accelerators, and prioritising solutions that complement human potential rather than replace it. The UAE’s AI enthusiasm must be tempered by clear strategy, and outcome-driven efforts. At Endava, we are proud to support regional governments and enterprises filtering through the AI buzz, to extract and incorporate those impactful use cases,” he said. “With a workforce this receptive and government vision this clear, this approach is helping position the UAE as a global reference point for AI done right.”

Endava – 2025 AI Research – UAE Infographic – FINAL

AI Everywhere.
AI isn’t just another emerging technology, it’s fast becoming a trusted partner in people’s lives, businesses, and the fabric of society itself. Business leaders here aren’t just experimenting with AI; they’re embracing it, trusting it with high-stakes decisions at work, personal choices at home, and even calling for it to be treated as a basic societal utility.

The AI transformation is underway, and it’s more than process deep; it’ll send ripples through all organisations and industries, through our personal lives, and will run deep into our culture and societies.

In the UAE, trust in AI has crossed a defining threshold — shaping life, work, and society like never before.

We asked 300 business leaders in the UAE how they feel about AI in their work, their personal lives, and in society.

This is what they said:

AI in Life
– Familiarity is very high in the UAE: 97% of respondents are at least somewhat familiar with AI and its capabilities.
– People trust AI with personal decision making: 76% of respondents would trust a completely automated AI to make lifestyle decisions on their behalf.

AI in Work
– AI adoption is the dominant business priority: Adopting AI is the no. 1 business priority, ahead of better client services at no. 2.
– AI is trusted with high-stakes business decisions: 36% of UAE business decision-makers trust AI to allocate budgets and manage talent within organisations.

AI in Society
– AI is seen as a force for good: 79% believe that successful implementation of AI in the UAE will significantly improve the quality of life of its people.
– AI has become a societal utility: 74% agree that access to AI is as important as access to essentials like water and energy.
– There’s high confidence in the government’s AI strategy: 76% agree the UAE government is doing all it can to drive AI in the country.
– Global regulation is desired and required: 97% feel it’s important for an independent global organisation or governing AI body to lead the drive for AI.

There’s a gap between AI strategy and execution
– 76% of C-suite respondents expect their AI strategies to deliver in the next two years, compared to 26% of middle management.

Endava partnered with the research and insights company 3Gem to survey employees of large companies in the UAE, selecting for respondents with a self-reported seniority level of management or higher. 3Gem polled 300 UAE-based respondents via an online panel in May 2025.

Use the insights here, speak to experts and to your colleagues, and go and get your organisation set up for AI success.

Read the full research at:

https://www.endava.com/insights/reports/how-uae-business-leaders-view-ai-in-life-work-and-society