Artificial intelligence has rapidly become part of everyday working life across the Gulf, with 93 per cent of frontline employees in the GCC using AI several times a week, according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group.
The findings place the Gulf Cooperation Council region well ahead of the global average, where 74 per cent of frontline workers regularly use AI. Adoption is even higher among managers and senior leaders in the GCC, reaching 95 per cent.
The report, the fourth annual AI at Work study by BCG X, examined employees and workplace trends in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. The GCC recorded levels of AI use comparable with India, which is also among the global leaders in workplace adoption.
For many workers, the technology is already producing measurable time savings. About 58 per cent of frontline employees in the GCC said AI saves them at least eight hours each week, equal to a full working day. Among managers and leaders, the share increases to 67 per cent.
The growing use of AI is also changing the skills employers expect from their staff. Around 85 per cent of frontline workers said AI has altered the skills required in their roles. The figure rises to 92 per cent among managers and leaders.
Robert Xu, Managing Director and Partner at BCG X, said workers in the GCC had moved beyond simply testing AI tools and were increasingly making them part of routine work. He said companies achieving the strongest results were not only introducing AI systems but also helping employees develop the skills needed to use them effectively.
The report also examined how workers expect AI to reshape their jobs over the next three years. About 60 per cent of frontline employees in the GCC believe AI agents could carry out at least half of their current responsibilities within that period. Among managers and leaders, the figure reaches 66 per cent.
Despite these expectations, fears about job losses remain relatively limited. Only 28 per cent of frontline employees and 29 per cent of managers and leaders said they were concerned about losing their jobs because of AI.
AI is also being associated with greater workplace satisfaction. Around 69 per cent of frontline workers said using AI had increased their enjoyment of work, while the figure climbed to 77 per cent among managers and leaders.
BCG warned, however, that widespread adoption does not automatically translate into stronger business performance. Globally, 66 per cent of regular frontline AI users receive limited or no guidance on how to use the time saved by the technology.
Rami Mourtada, Partner and Director at BCG, said companies need clear leadership, governance and operating structures to turn individual productivity gains into broader business results.
Training remains another challenge. Only 36 per cent of global respondents said they had received enough preparation to work effectively with AI, even though 72 per cent of regular users said the technology had significantly changed the skills expected of them.
