UAE Job Market Alert: AI Skills Now Influence Who Gets Shortlisted

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

If you've scanned UAE job listings lately and found AI skills listed among the requirements, you're not imagining it. Job specifications in the UAE and the wider Gulf have increasingly listed AI and other automation tools, platforms, and certifications rather than vague titles, industry experts have said.

According to Sharad Sindhwani, EVP, Product & Business Head, Naukrigulf, roughly 1 in 10 job listings in 2025 explicitly referenced automation, systems-driven workflows, or process optimisation, even when the job title itself is traditional.

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"What's important is that this is not limited to 'AI roles,'" he told Khaleej Times. "These mentions appear across engineering, construction, real estate, consulting, and energy, often as part of core responsibilities rather than optional skills.

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"Compared to previous years, the language has shifted from 'nice-to-have tools' to expectations around building, managing, or improving automated systems."

In its 'Year End Report' for 2025, Naukrigulf noted that 52 per cent of employers said AI or automation proficiency is now a screening consideration, even if the exact tools vary by industry or role.

The findings align with broader hiring trends emerging across the UAE. Research released by LinkedIn in January found that 47 per cent of recruiters said they could not do their job without AI, while 76 per cent credited AI with helping them fill roles faster. The professional networking platform noted that AI is now deeply embedded in recruitment workflows, even as recruiters continue to grapple with how to manage AI-led disruption responsibly.

While most employers were not yet naming specific AI platforms or software in job descriptions, that, Sindhwani said, was telling in itself.“Instead of tool-level specificity, employers were prioritising capability-level proficiency: the ability to design workflows, automate reporting, optimise systems, or deploy AI-driven solutions within their domain.”

This shift was visible across most sectors, particularly in roles involving analysis, planning, design, reporting, and optimisation. Even in execution-heavy industries such as construction and oil and gas - long seen as less exposed to automation-AI was increasingly being embedded into planning, safety, compliance, and operations support functions.

What it means for job seekers

For job seekers, the implications were clear: relevance was no longer defined solely by tenure or past titles. It was about demonstrating how they used systems, data, or automation to improve outcomes in their role, regardless of function.

“We're seeing early signs of a skills-first overlay being added to traditional hiring filters,” said Sindhwani.“Around one in four recruiters now apply soft filters for AI or automation proficiency, even in non-technical roles. This doesn't replace experience or titles, but it increasingly influences who makes it to the shortlist.”

This growing emphasis on AI literacy is also reflected in workplace adoption. The Hays GCC Salary Guide 2026 found that 66 per cent of professionals in the region already use AI regularly at work, citing benefits such as improved productivity, creativity, and communication-suggesting that AI skills are fast becoming a baseline expectation rather than a niche advantage.

Naukrigulf expects the trend to continue this year. Hiring now starts with a skills and outcomes checklist, not just a job title.

“In functions such as analytics, operations, design, and business support, AI is no longer an add-on skill. It is increasingly embedded into the tools, workflows, and decision-making processes of the role itself.”

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