A new study by Al-Futtaim has found that 82 per cent of surveyed professionals in the Gulf's consumer economy use artificial intelligence daily or weekly, yet only 39 per cent feel very or extremely confident using the technology. The findings, presented at an event in Dubai on Thursday, reveal a significant gap between how widely AI has been adopted and how prepared workers feel to use it effectively. The survey was conducted in March 2026 across the six GCC countries, covering 1,143 professionals in sectors including retail, automotive, hospitality and technology.
Despite concerns about readiness, the report shows that 73 per cent of regular AI users said the technology had improved their productivity, while 35 per cent of respondents reported saving at least four hours each week. However, only 20 per cent of workers reported receiving extensive training, even though 53 per cent said their organisations actively encourage AI use. Data security emerged as the most frequently cited barrier to AI adoption, with 36 per cent of respondents identifying it as a concern. Most respondents were based in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, while smaller samples came from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. The report cautioned that findings from the smaller markets should be treated as indicative rather than representative of their national workforces.
The study found that employees who received extensive AI training were 2.5 times more likely to report high confidence than those who had received none, and were also twice as likely to save four or more hours each week. The report also found that AI adoption was three times higher in organisations where senior leaders actively used the technology themselves. During a panel discussion at the Dubai event, speakers stressed that security, governance and responsible use need to be considered from the beginning of an AI project, rather than added after the technology has been introduced.
According to the report, the findings suggest that AI is moving beyond experimentation and becoming part of everyday work, helping employees complete tasks more efficiently. However, speakers at the event emphasised that employees need opportunities to experiment with AI and develop practical skills over time, describing AI adoption as an ongoing process that requires changes in workplace culture rather than a one-time technology rollout. One panellist explained that a turning point came when employees were encouraged to think about the specific problems AI could help them solve, rather than simply learning how to use the technology. For GCC businesses, the findings point to a challenge that goes beyond providing access to AI tools—as the technology becomes part of everyday working life, companies will need to ensure employees have the skills, confidence and support to use it effectively. The question now is whether organisations can bridge the confidence gap before employees become reluctant to fully embrace tools they don't yet understand, and whether leadership commitment alone can shift workplace culture quickly enough to match the pace of technological change.