As the UAE continues to advance its economic diversification and digital transformation agenda, understanding future workforce demands has become increasingly important. New research highlights how shifting industry needs, technological adoption, and sustained economic growth are expected to reshape the country’s labor market over the coming years, with significant implications for employers, policymakers, and professionals alike.

The UAE will need to add an estimated 1.03 million workers by 2030, driven largely by economic expansion and demand for technology roles linked to digital transformation, according to ServiceNow’s latest Workforce Skills Forecast 2025 report.

The projected increase represents a 12.1% rise in the UAE’s workforce, one of the highest growth rates among the markets surveyed. By comparison, workforce growth is expected to reach 2.1% in the United States, 2.8% in the United Kingdom, and 10.6%t in India. The study was conducted in collaboration with Pearson.

Manufacturing, education, and retail are expected to be among the main contributors to job creation, adding approximately 133,000, 78,000, and 60,000 roles respectively. Finance and healthcare are also projected to expand, with more than 40,000 and 39,000 additional jobs. In relative terms, the energy and utilities sector is forecast to see the fastest growth at 33%, followed by education at 31% and manufacturing at 18%.

The report notes that while agentic AI is expected to improve productivity across sectors, these gains are unlikely to offset demand for human workers. In financial services, for example, AI could perform work equivalent to about 17,000 full-time employees, or 6.6% of the current workforce, but overall employment in the sector is still projected to grow by 26% due to economic expansion and the need for technology-enabled roles.

William O’Neill, area vice president and general manager for the GCC at ServiceNow, said AI is expected to play a central role in supporting future economic growth, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between people and technology.

The report also highlights a significant need for upskilling, particularly in technology-related roles. While overall workforce growth is projected at 12.1%, demand for technology professionals is expected to increase by 54%t. Tech roles currently account for about 169,000 of the UAE’s 8.5 million jobs, with more than 91,000 additional technology specialists required by 2030.

Among the fastest-growing technology roles are search marketing strategists, with an estimated 5,600 new positions, followed by computer programmers with 4,200 roles and computer systems analysts with 2,700.