Gulf HR leaders face AI readiness gap as 93% explore AI, but only 1% are ready to scale

Gulf organisations are rapidly experimenting with artificial intelligence in human resources. However, most remain far from being ready to scale the technology across their businesses.

According to Korn Ferry’s AI Adoption in Human Capital GCC 2026 report, 93% of organisations across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait are exploring, piloting or deploying AI in HR.

Yet only 1% consider themselves fully ready to scale AI across the enterprise.

The findings highlight a growing gap between AI ambition and organisational readiness in the GCC. They also raise important questions about data, skills, governance and the role of HR leaders in shaping AI strategy.

GCC organisations are moving from AI exploration to pilot projects

Korn Ferry surveyed 105 chief human resources officers across six GCC markets during the first quarter of 2026.

The report found that AI engagement is already widespread. However, adoption remains uneven across organisations.

Nearly half, or 49%, are piloting AI in selected functions. Meanwhile, 20% have deployed AI across multiple business areas.

Despite this progress, enterprise-wide readiness remains limited.

Around 30% of organisations said they are not ready to scale AI at all. Another 46% described themselves as only somewhat ready.

As a result, many organisations continue to face gaps in data governance, change management and cross-functional AI operating models.

HR leaders have limited control over AI strategy

The report also points to a significant governance gap.

Sixty per cent of organisations place primary accountability for AI with CIOs and IT leadership. In contrast, only 3% assign primary responsibility to HR leaders.

This imbalance could become increasingly important as AI changes the nature of work.

AI is already influencing workforce planning, job design, skills requirements, reskilling, performance management and employee experience. However, HR leaders may not always have a formal role in the decisions shaping those changes.

Consequently, organisations could struggle to connect technology investments with workforce requirements.

The challenge may become more pronounced as companies move beyond small-scale AI experiments and towards wider operational deployment.

Technology integration is the biggest barrier to scaling AI

Technology integration remains the largest obstacle to AI adoption at scale.

Korn Ferry found that 61% of organisations identified technology integration as a key challenge.

Legacy HR systems, fragmented data and disconnected workflows can make it harder to introduce AI tools across the enterprise.

Skills represent another major concern.

Around 44% of respondents said they lack the AI-skilled talent needed to operationalise their initiatives. At the same time, 42% of organisations are not hiring for dedicated AI roles.

This suggests a possible disconnect between AI ambitions and workforce investment.

In addition, 37% of organisations cited uncertainty over returns as a barrier. Without clear measures of AI’s impact on hiring efficiency, productivity or costs, companies may find it harder to justify larger investments.

Still, productivity remains the main driver.

According to the report, 81% of organisations identified productivity gains as their primary objective for AI adoption.

Gulf employees see AI benefits but worry about job security

Employee attitudes towards AI present a more complex picture.

The Ipsos GCC People Pulse Q2 2026 survey covered 1,500 employees across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

It found that 73% believe AI will strengthen their organisation’s competitiveness.

However, optimism exists alongside concerns about employment security. Around half of respondents said they worry about the impact of AI on their jobs.

The survey also found that 54% of employees experience constant strain at work.

Therefore, AI transformation could create a wider challenge for HR teams. Organisations will need to manage technology adoption while also addressing employee concerns and workplace wellbeing.

Transparent communication, reskilling and employee participation could become increasingly important as AI becomes part of everyday work.

Autonomous AI agents could reshape workforce planning

The next phase of AI adoption may create an even bigger governance challenge.

According to Korn Ferry, more than half of talent leaders across the Gulf plan to introduce autonomous AI agents into their teams during 2026.

These agents could handle tasks such as candidate sourcing, interview scheduling and initial screening with limited human intervention.

As a result, AI could move beyond its role as a productivity tool.

Instead, organisations may begin to treat AI agents as part of workforce capacity and team design.

This shift could force CHROs to rethink workforce planning, accountability, skills and job redesign. It could also reshape how organisations define the relationship between human employees and AI systems.

GCC organisations must close the AI readiness gap

For Gulf organisations, the question is no longer simply whether to adopt AI.

Instead, the bigger challenge is whether they can build the organisational foundations needed to scale it responsibly.

The gap between the 93% of organisations engaging with AI and the 1% ready to scale shows that experimentation alone is not enough.

Closing that gap may require stronger data infrastructure, clearer governance, greater AI literacy and more investment in workforce reskilling.

It may also require HR leaders to take a more central role in AI decision-making.

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in workforce operations, organisations will need to connect technology strategy with people strategy. Those that can measure business outcomes while preparing employees for changing roles may be better positioned to move from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption.