Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar, Eagle Hills, and Noon, has revealed that artificial intelligence occupies 98 percent of his mental focus and that he is already running 12 AI agents simultaneously — a reality he says is keeping him up at night.
What Alabbar Said
Alabbar shared that he recently called his chief executive to admit he was struggling to sleep. "I called the CEO, and I said, I really can't sleep," he said.
His CEO responded by sending him a breakdown of what was occupying his mind. According to Alabbar, the breakdown showed that 1 percent of his mental focus was on the Iran situation, 1 percent on his business, and 98 percent on what artificial intelligence was going to do to him.
The 12 AI Agents Running Right Now
The source of that anxiety is direct. Alabbar is not just watching AI from a distance — he is already operating 12 AI agents at the same time across his work. "I have 12 AI agents working for me," he said. "I have 12 AI agents running at the same time."
Speaking at Business Summit 26 in Belgrade, Serbia in May 2026, he also revealed that AI now conducts staff interviews at his companies. "It's the first time we have 45 minutes automated interview for staff. We don't conduct interviews anymore. It's the AI that does that," he said.
That level of personal engagement with the technology makes his concern more than theoretical. Alabbar is experiencing firsthand how quickly agentic AI can take over decision-making, execution, and operational thinking at the highest levels of business.
Noon to Cut Workforce by 50 Percent
The stakes are not abstract. Alabbar announced that Noon, his e-commerce platform, will reduce its workforce by 50 percent within three months as AI is deployed across its operations. "In general, there is no need for people any more," he said.
That is a striking statement from one of the region's most prominent entrepreneurs, and it signals how rapidly UAE business leaders are moving from AI experimentation to full operational deployment.
Why This Matters for the UAE
Alabbar's admission carries weight given his track record. As the founder of Emaar — one of the world's largest real estate developers and the company behind the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall — his views on technology and business direction are closely watched across the region.
His statement puts agentic AI firmly at the centre of the conversation among the UAE's most influential business leaders, at a time when Dubai and the wider UAE are already moving aggressively toward AI adoption across both government and private sectors.
