AI Adds to Gulf Workloads as UAE, Saudi Employees Take on More Tasks

Artificial intelligence is helping companies improve efficiency, but employees across the Gulf are also taking on more work, according to Korn Ferry’s Workforce 2026 Global Insights Report.

The survey covered more than 16,000 professionals across 11 markets, from individual contributors to CEOs. It found that 70% of employees in the UAE and 71% in Saudi Arabia said their workloads had increased significantly over the past two years.

The global figure stood at 62%.

The findings point to a growing gap between AI expectations at leadership level and the day-to-day experience of employees.

AI expands workloads for Gulf employees

AI is changing not only how employees work, but also what they are expected to deliver.

According to the report, 59% of UAE respondents said AI tools had increased the number of tasks expected in their roles. The figure rose to 64% in Saudi Arabia.

Globally, 52% of respondents reported the same effect.

At the same time, 50% of UAE employees said they were too busy to deliver meaningful results. In Saudi Arabia, the figure reached 58%. Both figures were above the global rate of 45%.

The result is a workforce that may be using more technology while also carrying a wider set of responsibilities.

Gulf employees report stronger AI efficiency gains

The survey also shows a different view at executive level.

Globally, 79% of CEOs said AI had improved efficiency. Among individual contributors, however, only 51% reported improved efficiency.

The Gulf figures were higher among employees who were asked to use AI. Some 68% of UAE respondents said AI had increased their efficiency. In Saudi Arabia, the figure was 78%. The global figure was 63%.

However, efficiency gains do not appear to have reduced workloads for many employees.

Korn Ferry said organisations need to rethink how work is designed rather than simply asking employees to produce more.

“Growth doesn’t come from just asking people to do more,” said Lesley Uren, CEO, Korn Ferry Consulting. She said organisations need to give employees space to do their best work and support innovation.

More Gulf employees are doing more than one job

The report also highlights the impact of restructuring and changing roles.

Some 65% of UAE respondents said they were performing the responsibilities of more than one role. In Saudi Arabia, the figure was 69%.

The global figure was 61%.

Korn Ferry said roles can disappear through restructuring, workforce reductions or AI adoption. However, the work linked to those roles may still remain within the organisation.

This can leave existing employees managing their original responsibilities alongside additional tasks.

The global report describes this as a “two-job” effect. It also calls for companies to decide which tasks should remain with people and which can move to AI.

AI training is not the main gap in the Gulf

The findings also challenge the idea that AI skills alone explain the pressure on employees.

In the UAE, 62% of respondents said they were adequately trained to use AI tools. Saudi Arabia recorded a higher figure of 65%.

The global average was 52%.

This suggests that many Gulf employees feel prepared to use AI. The larger issue may instead be how organisations redesign roles and workflows around those tools.

Korn Ferry has separately called for GCC organisations to embed AI into core work rather than add it as another layer on top of existing processes. Its 2026 GCC research found that 49% of organisations surveyed were piloting AI, while 16% were already using it across multiple functions.

Existing processes are also holding back performance

AI is not the only source of workplace pressure.

Some 68% of UAE respondents and 75% of Saudi respondents said existing processes and structures were holding back their performance. The global figure was 64%.

Meanwhile, 57% of UAE employees and 63% of Saudi employees said their organisations were poor at turning new ideas into real outcomes.

These figures point to a broader execution challenge. Adding AI to an inefficient workflow may increase activity without improving the underlying process.

Korn Ferry’s global findings make a similar distinction between activity and productivity. The firm says organisations need to measure what employees achieve, rather than simply how much work they complete.

Motivation falls as workforce pressure rises

The report also found a decline in workforce motivation.

Across the global survey, motivation fell from 71% in 2024 to 61% in 2026.

Employees are increasingly staying for factors such as pay, job security and fair treatment, according to the report, rather than the work itself.

Management capacity is another concern.

Globally, 42% of organisations had cut management roles over the previous year. Among remaining managers, 55% reported exhaustion.

In the Gulf, 50% of UAE respondents and 58% of Saudi respondents said they were not getting what they needed from their manager. The global figure was 45%.

What the findings mean for Gulf employers

The survey suggests that AI adoption is moving beyond a technology question.

For employers, the workforce impact now depends on how jobs, processes and management structures change alongside AI.

Training remains important. However, training alone may not solve capacity problems when employees have little time to absorb new tools or redesign their workflows.

Korn Ferry says organisations should first rethink how work gets done. Leaders then need to clarify what should be handled by people, what AI can perform and how the two should work together.

For Gulf employers investing heavily in AI, that puts workforce capacity alongside technology adoption on the same agenda.

The question is no longer only whether employees are using AI. It is whether AI is helping them do better work without simply adding another layer of work.