AI Proficiency Becomes a Critical Edge for Young Emiratis Entering the UAE Job Market

Artificial intelligence skills are rapidly transforming into a major competitive advantage for young Emiratis entering the workforce. Employers across the region are increasingly factoring AI knowledge into their recruitment strategies alongside traditional qualifications, signaling a shift in employment standards.

Speaking at Dubai’s Ru’ya career fair, students highlighted their expectations that AI will soon become a foundational requirement for future employment. At the same time, employers noted that the technology is already reshaping both the roles they hire for and how they evaluate prospective candidates.

Haneen Al Madani, a 17-year-old student at Al Raya Girls Cycle School in Dubai, emphasized that mastering AI is becoming an essential component of career preparation. Attending the fair to participate in a space competition, she noted her strong interest in AI and cybersecurity, stating that jobseekers equipped with AI skills will secure significantly better opportunities in the future.

Similarly, 22-year-old high school graduate Sultan Al Teneiji explored employment options within the government sector at the event. He explained that understanding how to write effective prompts and communicate with AI agents like ChatGPT and Gemini—which he frequently uses—gives young jobseekers a distinct edge in an increasingly automated world.

Employers participating in the career fair, which concluded on Wednesday, have already integrated AI into their operational and recruitment frameworks. Mo Ali Yusuf, chief executive of the finance company Fuze, compared the ability to use AI to foundational digital literacy. He noted that while technical specialists who build complex models remain valuable, the primary advantage for most workers lies in adopting AI practically to enhance human expertise in areas such as compliance, risk management, and operational oversight.

Furthermore, organizations like Dubai Municipality are actively embracing the shift. Azza Al Marzooqi, director of the Human Resources Department at Dubai Municipality, explained that the authority is focusing on emerging fields such as data analysis and AI. The municipality even introduced AI into its recruitment process at the career fair, utilizing AI agents to filter applications, match qualifications, and conduct initial interviews to support immediate hiring decisions.