A new study by IBM, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, reveals that companies in the United Arab Emirates are achieving some of the strongest productivity gains driven by artificial intelligence (AI) in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. 77% of participants in the UAE reported significant improvements in operational productivity using AI, far exceeding the regional average of 66%. Furthermore, one in five participants stated that their organization has already achieved return on investment (ROI) goals from AI-driven productivity initiatives, while over 44% expect to achieve ROI within the next 12 months. The study, titled 'The ROI Race,' conducted in collaboration with Censuswide, surveyed 3,500 C-suite executives across 10 countries, including 500 in the UAE.
These results confirm that the UAE is setting a strong standard for adopting AI and innovation across the EMEA region. For example, executives noted that thanks to time saved from increased productivity, employees are now spending more time on developing new ideas (44%), enhancing skills and professional growth (44%), improving sustainability and ESG initiatives (43%), and strategic decision-making (41%). A higher percentage of senior executives in the UAE (47%) prioritize a comprehensive AI-powered workforce transformation compared to the regional average of 36.5%.
