UAE AI talent demand stays strong as hiring and surveillance tech grow

Employers in the United Arab Emirates are maintaining hiring momentum despite broader economic uncertainty, with 80% of surveyed HR professionals expecting to keep or increase recruitment in the second half of 2026. Demand is especially high for specialists in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud architecture and DevOps, while a shortage of deep‑tech talent persists. Sectors such as engineering, construction, technology and financial services are driving the hiring surge, and the UAE’s goal of reaching two million registered companies by 2030 underpins a long‑term pipeline for skilled workers.

At the same time, the UAE is rapidly expanding AI‑enabled surveillance infrastructure. The global AI video‑surveillance market hit US$6 billion in 2025, and the Middle East is among the fastest‑growing regions. Camera systems are shifting from simple recording to real‑time analysis that can detect crowd anomalies, identify abandoned objects and flag potential threats before incidents occur. However, fragmented vendor architectures limit the sharing of generated metadata, making interoperability and trust key challenges for the sector’s future development.