Enterprises in the UAE are emerging as frontrunners in realizing tangible productivity gains from artificial intelligence, according to a new IBM report, The Race for ROI.

The study, conducted in partnership with Censuswide and surveying 3,500 executives across 10 countries—including 500 in the UAE—found that 77% of UAE respondents reported significant operational productivity improvements from AI adoption, outperforming the EMEA average of 66%.

The report highlights that UAE businesses are now moving from AI experimentation to execution, with many expecting measurable returns within a year. About 20% of respondents said they have already achieved ROI from AI-driven initiatives, while 44% anticipate returns within 12 months, primarily through cost reduction, time savings, revenue growth, and increased employee satisfaction.

The findings also reveal a strong focus on ethical and adaptable AI systems. Seventy-seven percent of UAE executives emphasized the importance of transparency in AI models, while 78% cited interoperability as key to integrating AI tools across IT systems.

Further gains are expected as organizations begin deploying agentic AI, with 93% of UAE leaders predicting measurable ROI from such systems within two years.

Among the sectors seeing the greatest productivity improvements are software development and IT (34%), advertising and marketing (33%), account management (30%), and customer service (28%). Executives also identified operational efficiency, smarter decision-making, and automation of repetitive tasks as the top benefits of AI integration.

The UAE is setting a regional benchmark for effective AI adoption. “Across the UAE, we’re seeing clients move from experimentation to execution with AI. When embedded responsibly across people, processes, and platforms, AI becomes a growth engine,” he said. “Across the UAE, we’re seeing clients move from experimentation to execution with AI, and what stands out in this study by IBM is how leaders in the UAE are linking AI directly to measurable productivity, faster ROI and workforce transformation,” Shukri Eid, General Manager for IBM Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan, said.

He added: “Businesses in the UAE are proving that when AI is embedded responsibly — across people, processes, and platforms, it becomes a growth engine. These findings confirm that the UAE is setting a strong benchmark for AI adoption and innovation among the countries surveyed in the EMEA region.”

IBM’s findings underscore the UAE’s growing role as a hub for applied AI innovation, as enterprises prioritize measurable outcomes and responsible deployment to accelerate digital transformation across industries.