UAE Workforce Set to Grow by Over One Million Jobs by 2030, Driven by Technology and Economic Expansion

The United Arab Emirates is expected to add more than one million jobs by 2030, positioning the country among the world’s fastest-growing labour markets, according to a new report by ServiceNow. The Workforce Skills Forecast 2025, produced in collaboration with Pearson, predicts the UAE will require an additional 1.03 million workers by the end of the decade, lifting the total workforce by 12.1 per cent.

This growth outpaces projections for other major economies, including the United States at 2.1 per cent, the United Kingdom at 2.8 per cent, and India at 10.6 per cent. Manufacturing, education, and retail are expected to drive most of the job creation, contributing approximately 133,000, 78,000, and 60,000 new roles respectively. Finance and healthcare are also forecast to expand, adding over 40,000 and 39,000 positions.

In percentage terms, energy and utilities are expected to see the fastest growth, expanding by 33 per cent, followed by education at 31 per cent and manufacturing at 18 per cent. The report highlights that technology, including artificial intelligence, will increase rather than reduce demand for human workers.

In the financial services sector, agentic AI could take on tasks equivalent to around 17,000 full-time employees, about 6.6 per cent of the sector’s current workforce. Despite this, overall employment in finance is projected to grow by 26 per cent as the sector requires workers capable of deploying and managing emerging technologies.

William O’Neill, area vice president and general manager for the GCC at ServiceNow, said, “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. The future of work depends on collaboration between people and AI, and it’s a future that’s hiring now.”

The report predicts a 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. Currently, technology jobs account for about 169,000 of the UAE’s estimated 8.5 million roles, but by 2030, organisations will require more than 91,000 additional tech specialists. Fastest-growing positions include search marketing strategists, with around 5,600 new roles expected, followed by computer programmers at 4,200 and computer systems analysts at 2,700.

To address widening skills gaps, ServiceNow launched ServiceNow University in May, a learning platform designed to help workers build capabilities for an AI-driven economy. O’Neill added that businesses must deploy AI responsibly, strengthen governance frameworks, and invest in upskilling to build resilient and innovative workforces.

The Workforce Skills Forecast 2025 draws on analysis of 5,600 roles across ten countries, assessing the impact of 34 emerging technologies on employment over the next five years using labour market data, including job advertisements and census information.