Beyond Resilience: Why Optimism Is Becoming the Middle East's Workforce Strategy
As global workplaces grapple with uncertainty and disengagement, employees across the Gulf are finding confidence in stability, opportunity, and long-term growth.
News
- SDAIA Unveils AI Bias Guide, Identifies Over 100 Bias Types
- AI Adoption Doubles as Saudi Internet Penetration Reaches 99.6%
- 61% of Workers Admit to Throwing a Colleague Under the Bus, Survey Finds
- Alibaba Unveils 2.4-Trillion-Parameter Qwen3.8 AI Model
- UAE Treats AI Literacy as a National Economic Priority: Report
- The Hidden Cost of Using AI at Work: It Might Be Making You Boring
[Image: Nomita Samaiyar/MITSMR Middle East]
Key Takeaways
01
Middle East employees consistently outperform global sentiment benchmarks: 78% look forward to work (vs. 64% globally), 84% feel proud of what they do (vs. 74%), and 76% go above and beyond their roles (vs. 67%).
02
This optimism isn’t accidental — it’s built on visible national development programs, giga-projects, and nationalization policies that give young workers a tangible sense that career advancement is achievable.
03
The region is quietly pivoting toward skill-first hiring. Still, leaders are split: some see credentials over capability as the future, while others insist institutional knowledge and relationship-driven hierarchies remain genuine assets that shouldn’t be discarded.
04
The Gulf treats AI as an opportunity rather than a threat — 75% of regional workers used AI on the job in the past year (vs. 69% globally), and 82% say it’s improved their productivity (vs. 77% globally).
While much of the world is talking about burnout, disengagement, and quiet quitting, the Middle East is charting a new blueprint for keeping its workforce optimistic.
When the region experienced one of its most turbulent periods in recent memory, with geopolitical tensions casting uncertainty across the Gulf, most expatriates chose to stay despite travel advisories and evacuation efforts by several foreign governments.
For Guillaume Degroisse, a brand & corporate communications consultant, the UAE keeps going. “Businesses reopened. The lights stayed on. People showed up. That does something to you. You start to believe, not blindly, but stubbornly, that tomorrow can be better.”
This optimism has transformed the region from a place for employment into something more. A PwC report sheds light on what employees perceive of their workplace.
Better Work Sentiments
The region features a highly motivated and purpose-driven workforce and is also among the youngest demographics globally.
Seventy-eight percent of employees across the region actively look forward to going to work compared with a global figure of 64%. The workforce is fueled by pride, purpose, and performance: 84% are proud of what they do (vs. 74% globally), and 76% are willing to go above and beyond their roles (vs. 67% globally).
The prospect of economic opportunities and increased organizational investment in key areas, such as employee well-being, skills development, internal mobility, and flexible working models, is among the factors contributing to this optimism, says Mahesh Shahdadpuri, Group Chairman and CEO, TASC Outsourcing.
“Major national development programs, investment initiatives, and private-sector growth have created the perception that career advancement remains achievable for many professionals,” he says.
According to Ketan Trehan, Regional Director – Middle East, The Executive Center, visibility into career growth is a big driver here. “Across the Gulf, folks can watch economic transformation unfold in real time, new industries springing up, massive infrastructure projects getting done, and expanding business ecosystems.”
Research Context
PwC Middle East Workforce Hopes and Fears report: 78% of employees across the region actively look forward to going to work, compared with a global figure of 64%.
Deloitte 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey: 89% of Gen Zs and 92% of millennials say a sense of purpose is important to their job satisfaction and well-being.
SAP- YouGov survey: 91% of organizations in Saudi Arabia reported that their AI initiatives met or exceeded expectations.
This article is based on interviews with:
Ketan Trehan, Regional Director – Middle East, The Executive Center
Mahesh Shahdadpuri, Group Chairman and CEO, TASC Outsourcing
Zane Ulhaq, Head, MENA, Endava
Vibhu Kapoor, Regional Vice President – Middle East, Africa & India, Epicor
The Region’s Youth Behave Differently From Global Peers
Over 60% of the region’s population is under 30. Two-thirds of Saudi nationals and nearly half of UAE residents fall between 15 and 35. This Gen Z cohort is driven by purpose, ambition, and a readiness to act. A Deloitte survey found that 89% of Gen Z and 92% of millennials believe a sense of purpose is important to their job satisfaction and well-being.
“These young adults want to be part of companies and projects that shape entire industries and drive regional growth. It excites them no end to contribute to something bigger than themselves,” says Trehan, adding that this generation thrives on change.
Shahdadpuri says that many of these young professionals grew up watching their countries develop rapidly and are now entering the workforce that continues to evolve at the same pace. “This often creates a mindset that embraces change and encourages individuals to take on new responsibilities, develop new skills, and pursue career growth across industries,” he says.
“They are ambitious, but they increasingly define success in broader terms — including personal development, well-being, and impact alongside traditional career progression.”
The region has a deep cultural respect for credentials and seniority, and that’s not going away—nor should it.
— Zane Ulhaq, Head of MENA at Endava
Part of what’s driving this mindset is structural, not just generational.
Governments across the region have spent the past decade pushing workforce nationalization programs — Saudization under Saudi Arabia’s Nitaqat system, Emiratization in the UAE, and similar schemes in Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain — designed to move more young nationals into private-sector roles, and increasingly senior ones.
“When people can draw a clear line between what they do today and where their career is headed, they look forward rather than over their shoulder,” says Zane Ulhaq, Head of MENA, Endava.
“The pressure on this generation is real and worth highlighting. When your country has staked its future on a national vision, and you are in your twenties, the expectation to contribute isn’t subtle. While the weight of expectations could easily become a burden, what prevents that is that governments aren’t just demanding participation; they’re investing in making it possible,” adds Ulhaq.
Shift to Skill-first Approach
Opinions vary on the region’s shift to a skills-first approach rather than traditional methods. As the area adopts this new focus amid fast economic and technological shifts, emerging industries are transforming the job market, rendering old hiring practices obsolete.
“With so many people from diverse backgrounds around, the focus is more on what you can do, not just on what degrees you have. Companies look for candidates who show real capability,” says Trehan.
For Shahdadpuri, the region is moving in that direction. “As industries evolve and new sectors emerge, organizations are recognizing that adaptability, capability, and learning potential often matter as much as traditional credentials.”
Meanwhile, Ulhaq cautions against romanticizing skills-first hiring as the only path forward. “The region has a deep cultural respect for credentials and seniority, and that’s not going away—nor should it. There’s genuine institutional knowledge embedded in experience, and in markets where trust and relationships underpin business, you can’t simply bypass that.”
Vibhu Kapoor, Regional Vice President – Middle East, Africa & India at Epicor, says the shift is nuanced. “It has historically been a relationship-driven market with clear hierarchies, and tenure has carried real weight. I don’t think that disappears entirely, and some of that institutional knowledge and cultural continuity is a genuine asset. The homegrown conglomerates across the region didn’t become what they are by ignoring how organizations actually function.”
Organizations are investing heavily in upskilling and reskilling their workforce, and many are beginning to see measurable returns. In Saudi Arabia, 91% of organizations say their AI initiatives are meeting or exceeding expectations, according to a YouGov survey.
“Companies are investing more in training and allowing employees to switch roles internally. It’s becoming obvious that fostering talent is just as vital as finding it. People getting chances to grow and change roles speak to this shift,” says Trehan. Sixty-nine percent of regional respondents learned new skills in the past 12 months, compared to 56% globally, according to PwC.
He adds that companies are not just preparing staff for their current roles but also aiming at future company goals. “It’s equally interesting how non-linear career paths are becoming. Folks are told it’s great to learn multiple skills, take on cross-department projects, and move around internally. This definitely builds confidence in rolling with whatever changes come.”
Employee–AI Relationship: An Optimistic One
The region takes a step further to ensure that its citizens have an amicable — if not optimistic — relationship with AI. “Most markets approach AI through a singular lens, whether that’s technology deployment, workforce policy, or innovation funding. What the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and their neighbors have done is pursue all of these at once,” says Ulhaq.
Seventy-five percent of regional respondents used AI in their jobs in the past 12 months, compared to 69% globally, while 82% of respondents in the Middle East said AI had improved their productivity, compared to 77% globally.
The difference comes from the region’s approach to seeing AI as an opportunity to embrace. AI features prominently in the region’s economic plans, with governments betting that a focus on innovation and growth will lift productivity and, in time, expand opportunities for the workforce.
When the chat isn’t just about jobs vanishing but about folks growing into roles and grabbing new openings in a rapidly changing economy, that’s when people get pumped about the future.
— Ketan Trehan, Regional Director – Middle East, The Executive Centre
“Policy direction has increasingly focused on preparing the workforce to use AI effectively, with upskilling seen as central to ensuring talent can integrate these tools into everyday work and avoid displacement concerns,” says Shahdadpuri.
Kapoor finds it encouraging that governments are not only funding AI infrastructure but also investing in workforce training. This approach highlights a crucial distinction: the goal is to augment human capabilities rather than displace them.
“When the chatter isn’t just about jobs disappearing but about people growing into new roles and grabbing new opportunities in a rapidly changing economy, that’s when people become pumped about the future,” notes Trehan.
What Leaders Should Do Differently
Role | Action Required |
C-Suite | Treat workforce engagement as a strategic priority, not an HR metric. This means embedding continuous upskilling into core business strategy, not offering it as an occasional course, and building a culture of trust, empowerment, and accountability so employees see how their work ties to bigger goals. |
Transformation Leaders | Stop assuming a tool or platform is inherently the answer — especially in the Gulf, where visibility of AI investment tempts leaders to reach for solutions before problems are understood. Treat workforce transformation as a program, not a project: define the business aim, build governance, and involve cross-functional teams. |
Board and Governance | Boards should treat workforce optimism as a strategic asset to be protected, not a cultural given—and ask whether the investment behind it (skills development, internal mobility, AI upskilling) is keeping pace with the expectations it has created. |
The Decade Plan: Will the Middle East Retain its Throne?
The Middle East is in a uniquely advantageous position. Not only are its AI ambitions and projects poised to break new ground, but its workforce could also become its greatest strength. The question is whether it can sustain that advantage over the long term.
“If the region continues to lead, it will be because organizations successfully maintained a strong balance between economic growth and human development,” says Shahdadpuri. Investment in skills, leadership capability, employee well-being, and workforce inclusion will remain critical.
For Ulhaq, if the Gulf is still leading a decade from now, it will be because the national transformation agendas have actually delivered. “The sustaining force, if it holds, will be the continued alignment between what governments promise and what workers experience.”
The region needs to remain wary of stagnation. “The greatest risk is standing still. Workforce expectations are changing rapidly, particularly among younger generations. Organizations that fail to evolve their leadership practices, development opportunities, or employee value propositions may find it increasingly difficult to sustain engagement,” adds Shahdadpuri.
The workforce in the Middle East is optimistic, ambitious, and adaptable. Leaders must align their efforts with vision, transparency, and genuine investment in well-being, recognition, and continuous learning. If they succeed, the current momentum can turn into a lasting advantage.
