Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly embedded in UAE workplaces, with employees reporting that the technology saves them an average of 3.6 hours a week. However, workers are spending almost as much time — 3.4 hours weekly — correcting, clarifying or rewriting low-quality AI-generated output, according to new research from Workday.
The findings highlight both the growing adoption of AI across UAE businesses and the continuing importance of human oversight when using the technology.
Workday’s Beyond Productivity: Measuring the Real Value of AI in the UAE report found that 90% of employees surveyed use AI at least once a week.
Among those surveyed, 58% said they use AI several times a week, while 18% use the technology every working day. More than half of directors and C-suite executives also reported using AI weekly.
UAE Workers Spend Hours Correcting AI Output
Despite the reported productivity gains, the research highlights a significant challenge.
Employees said they save an average of 3.6 hours per week through AI, but spend 3.4 hours correcting or improving work generated by the technology.
The figures suggest that measuring AI productivity solely by the amount of time initially saved may not provide a complete picture of its overall impact.
Workday said organisations will need to maintain strong human oversight while building employee trust and continuing to invest in AI-related skills as adoption increases.
Zakaria Haltout, Group Vice President for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Workday, said organisations in the UAE are moving from experimenting with AI to using it as part of their everyday operations.
He said long-term value would depend on trust, human oversight and continued investment in skills, alongside the use of AI within established workflows and trusted processes.
How UAE Businesses Are Using AI Gains
The research also examined how organisations are using the time and cost efficiencies they associate with AI.
Around 33% of respondents said AI-enabled efficiencies were allowing employees to manage larger workloads without increasing headcount.
Another 32% said the resulting time and cost savings were being invested in training, upskilling and reskilling employees.
The same proportion said AI-related efficiencies were being directed towards workload management, workplace flexibility and employee wellbeing.
By comparison, just 24% said AI-generated savings were primarily being used to reduce costs.
Only 0.2% of respondents said AI had generated no meaningful time or cost savings for their organisation.
Workday Expands Its UAE Presence
The research was released alongside Workday’s announcement that it has launched its UAE operations.
The enterprise technology company has opened a Dubai office, established dedicated regional operations and expanded its local leadership team.
Workday said the new UAE presence will allow it to work more closely with customers and partners while also supporting local recruitment.
Angelique De Vries-Schipperijn, President of EMEA at Workday, said the UAE is an important market within the company’s growth strategy as organisations pursue digital transformation alongside ambitious national development programmes.
She said businesses need technology that can help them adopt new ways of working and demonstrate measurable results while maintaining the levels of trust, control and governance required by large and regulated organisations.
AI Adoption Moves Beyond Experimentation
The findings indicate that AI is increasingly moving from an experimental technology to an everyday workplace tool in the UAE.
However, the near-equal amount of time employees spend correcting AI output demonstrates that adoption alone does not guarantee productivity gains.
For businesses, the challenge will be to combine AI capabilities with employee expertise, effective oversight and appropriate training to ensure that time saved by automation translates into meaningful long-term value.
