How will be the UAE’s technological future? How will digitalization open doors for new job opportunities? How can professionals develop their technical skills?
- Within each of the UAE’s seven Emirates, there are visible
implementations of digitalization and transformation. In Dubai, for example,
they have Smart Dubai 2021. How do you think this will impact the country’s
future, and what professionals can adapt to the new norm? - Artificial Intelligence will boost the global economy by adding
$15 trillion by 2030. The scope of AI applications varies depending on the
market. Which industries will be significantly impacted, and how this will open
the doors for more job opportunities? - AI can radically transform economies in the Gulf and the Middle East by developing revolutionary new services and entirely new business models. Where do you see these countries in 5 or 10 years, and how they can make the best use of AI to hone their economies and innovation performance?
- During the Covid-19 era, there are new emerging in-demand skills
in the job market, like communication and behavioral skills. What are they, and
how can people develop for workplace success and leadership? - Digital transformation and personal branding: How can
professionals improve their digital presence, communication, and behavioral
skills to make their brands more competitive?
Last Reviewed: April 2026 | Sources: DrJobPro Hiring Data Q1 2026.
Find answers to all questions that pop into your mind while thinking about digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence from Dr. Atif Abbas, Digital Transformation and AI Consultant and Lecturer, for more than 20 years.
Within each of the UAE’s seven Emirates, there are visible
implementations of digitalization and transformation. In Dubai, for example,
they have Smart Dubai 2021. How do you think this will impact the country’s
future, and what professionals can adapt to the new norm?
The UAE has put its hand on the key to the digital economy, given its
enormous capabilities to harness technology in managing its economy and
services. However, it is more accurate to say that the UAE has had this key for
20 years. The country started with the establishment of Dubai Internet City and
its subsequent similar projects. It predicted the tremendous impact of
technology in shaping the future, and it preceded others in the technological
changes in all sectors. The UAE has become a model, a leading country, and a
positive digital force that participates in shaping the world’s future, not
just its future, as evidence that government services in the UAE have been
working, during the peak of the pandemic, by 100% efficiency. The first lesson
of the crisis was the emergence of the value of digitization to overcome
challenges.
As for professionals who can adapt to new rules and standards,
digitization processes replace the basic and routine tasks within companies’
human cadres, giving those who previously held these tasks the opportunity to
refine their skills and develop new skills to take on specialized smart work.
In the future, we will witness the emergence and high demand for more new roles
such as digital human beings, digital transformation specialists, data
analytics specialists, artificial intelligence and machine learning experts,
institutional development specialists, big data and information technology
specialists, and other professions concerned with continuous development.
On the other hand, I expect other jobs will gradually disappear, which
imposes an urgent need for individuals to upgrade their skills. These include
data entry personnel, accountants, computer managers, payroll officers, and
others.
Artificial Intelligence will boost the global economy by adding
$15 trillion by 2030. The scope of AI applications varies depending on the
market. Which industries will be significantly impacted, and how this will open
the doors for more job opportunities?
The first sector affected will be the auto industry. Many automakers and
technology companies are racing to develop artificial intelligence technologies
to make the dream of driverless cars come true. A study published by the US
Kenneth Agency, market research and forecasting the sizes of various economic
sectors, indicates that the share of artificial intelligence in the auto market
will reach $ 10 billion by 2025. They suggested that the market growth is
primarily due to the high demand for smart cars and the increased concentration
of companies Auto industry on enhancing the user experience.
The smart phone industry follows this. Despite the decline in
competition in that industry among a limited number of companies, it has excellent
financial capabilities that other sectors may not have. Among those companies
is Apple, which designs and manufactures consumer electronics and computer
software products, and its market value exceeded a trillion dollars in 2018.
This financial abundance will give tech giants the ability to invest continuously
in artificial intelligence research and apply new technologies very quickly in their
devices. Perhaps the main difference between traditional smartphones and their
AI-enabled counterparts is that the latter can learn from their environment,
develop their response to user commands, and process data faster over time.
As for job opportunities, artificial intelligence creates new jobs that will remap future careers, as artificial intelligence will bring positive changes that will elevate human life quality. It is expected that future jobs will combine machine and human skills to overcome operational challenges, and it is difficult to determine which jobs will be required after ten years. Initial indications, however, suggest that artificial intelligence systems that are growing at an unprecedented pace will not eliminate jobs, as evidence that this has not yet happened despite the steady growth of artificial intelligence in which investment has been doubled in the last 18 months.
However, according to the results of the future Jobs Report, the
top-growing jobs in the future will be divided into 7 groups: artificial
intelligence specialists, information scientists, social media assistants, and
artificial intelligence systems specialists, and new jobs such as data
scientists, data engineers, big data developers, data analysts, analytical
specialists, data consultants, Idea analysts, artificial intelligence systems
developers, and artificial analysis consultants.
These jobs require a range of skills, foremost among data science and
technology, data storage, development and machine learning tools, artificial
intelligence, software development life cycle, management development, browser
software, digital literacy, computer science, and computer networks. The UAE
ranks among the world’s best countries that include artificial intelligence
jobs, with the UAE registering 78 job opportunities in the field of artificial
intelligence from every 10,000 job opportunities that will rise to 123 in 2022.
AI can radically transform economies in the Gulf and the Middle East by developing revolutionary new services and entirely new business models. Where do you see these countries in 5 or 10 years, and how they can make the best use of AI to hone their economies and innovation performance?
The Gulf countries are divided into two “AI” groups. The first
group includes countries with already launched ambitious AI strategies and
projects and national bodies that plan and implement AI projects and targets
and organize databases at the national level and in many sectors. This group
includes the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The second group includes the rest of the Gulf countries that encourage artificial
intelligence to develop the production and service sectors. However, they are
still in the process of developing a comprehensive national strategy for
artificial intelligence. Regardless of the level of effort exerted in this
regard, all Gulf countries have a high readiness for artificial intelligence regarding
communications infrastructure and service level. This encourages a reconsideration
of its objectives and priorities in light of the next phase’s parameters.
The Gulf countries also have the same approaches toward harnessing the
power of artificial intelligence and data in analyzing national vision,
developing development sectors in general, and cognitive, economic
transformation in particular.
Despite the importance of the above, the Gulf states should focus on
education, health, and cybersecurity in the coming phase. This contributes to
the promotion of these subjects, especially as the Corona pandemic revealed the
importance of advanced technological solutions to fight epidemics, develop
medical services and health care in hospitals, activate distance learning, and
raise traditional education quality in educational institutions at all levels.
The Arab Gulf states should do digital identity, enhance cybersecurity,
and protect online data, especially as digital transformation, is expected to
accelerate in all sectors after the Corona pandemic. Therefore, the next stage
should be AI-targeting planning, especially given the shifts in the COVID-19
crisis.
During the Covid-19 era, there are new emerging in-demand skills
in the job market, like communication and behavioral skills. What are they, and
how can people develop for workplace success and leadership?
The skills required for the job market in light of the pandemic are:
Critical thinking—it helps to analyze situations and find quick,
practical solutions.
Technological cunning – this is a new term I use. Companies will require
employees with technical skills where artificial intelligence, the Internet,
virtual reality, and robots are part of some jobs, whether in a factory or
office, so the employee must be aware of these different skills.
Adaptability and flexibility – all businesses face the challenge of
keeping pace with the high speed of technological and other changes, meaning
that employers need employees with adaptability and new skills in a short time
to keep pace with technological development.
Creativity and innovation: While creativity means producing new and
unique ideas, innovation is to implement innovation, any introduction of a new
idea, solution, process, or product that many companies are always looking for.
Businesses are looking for employees who can innovate and create new ideas that
help develop the business or organization.
Emotional Intelligence: For a time after Corona, businesses need
employees with emotional intelligence, the ability to recognize, control, and
express emotions promptly and control the feelings of others.
Digital transformation and personal branding: How can
professionals improve their digital presence, communication, and behavioral
skills to make their brands more competitive?
Brand owners need to embrace digitalization or gradually lose their
prestige into extinction. A digital transformation is no longer an option for
the owners of the brands. Instead, it has become an imperative and a pillar of
growth and continuity of these brands. Suppose the brand owners do not strive
hard to achieve digital transformation. In that case, they will not overcome
the escalating obstacles to meet and overcome the needs of customers, not be
able to keep up with the new systems, and only witness others’ achievements.
So, they have to adopt an innovative mindset to prepare for the future. This
supports the steps they are taking to allocate specific budgets to seize the
opportunity of digital transformation. If they do not hold it, they will soon
fall behind in catching up with the digital revolution.
The digital transformation drives brand owners to rethink their cost
structure, areas of migration, processes, methods of work, organizational
structure, and even to change the roles of some people to make the most of and
not risk failure as a result of continuing the business-as-usual approach.
Effective management by brand owners and a significant commitment to the
digital transformation strategy within their organizations are required.
As a lecturer for more than 20 years, what’s your advice to your
students to unlock career success in our digital transformation era?
My advice to my students is to learn that there are eight emerging
technologies to know about: 3D printing, artificial intelligence, augmented
reality, Plok Shin technology, drones, the Internet of things, robots, and
virtual reality. They should also learn these eight technologies through
training courses, workshops, and continuous learning.
They should be trained to use computers, manage networks, learn about
information rules, and all the information needed to properly function and
direct digital management.
Finally, they should seek the leading specialized institutes or training centers in those fields. They should also spread the culture of digitization or digital transformation and their means of use among all society members.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the key insight on Technological Cunning to Be a New In-Demand Skill in Tech Job Market: Dr. Atif Abbas?
This guide is based on current DrJobPro hiring data and regional labour market research updated for 2025.
How do I find relevant jobs?
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Is this advice current for 2025?
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