UAE tech jobs 2030: forecast projects 1.03 million new workers
The UAE is heading toward 2030 with one of the world's most ambitious workforce expansion plans. The Workforce Skills Forecast 2025, published by ServiceNow in collaboration with Pearson, projects the country will need to add 1.03 million workers by the end of the decade — a 12.1 per cent increase that leads all ten markets studied, ahead of India (10.6%), the UK (2.8%), and the US (2.1%).
Technology and AI-related roles are at the heart of that growth. Demand for tech specialists is forecast to surge by 54 per cent, compared with the 12.1 per cent rise in the overall workforce — and organisations in the UAE are expected to require more than 91,000 additional technology workers by 2030.
Technology roles at the centre of UAE hiring demand
The UAE's 8.5 million-strong workforce currently includes roughly 169,000 technology positions. That base is set to grow significantly as businesses accelerate their use of digital tools across operations.
The forecast highlights the fastest-growing tech roles as search marketing strategists (around 5,600 new positions), computer programmers (4,200), and computer systems analysts (2,700). These roles support the wider digitisation of services, reinforcing the importance of technology skills throughout the economy.
Workforce growth that spans every major sector
Beyond core technology hiring, the forecast points to strong job creation tied to digital transformation in manufacturing (an estimated 133,000 new roles), education (78,000), and retail (60,000). As digital tools become standard across these industries, workforce demand follows.
Finance, health care, energy, and utilities also feature prominently in the outlook — sustained hiring needs reflect how digital capabilities are expanding even within well-established sectors. Together, these areas form the foundation of the UAE's projected workforce growth through 2030.
Investment and infrastructure shaping the UAE's AI outlook
The workforce forecast aligns with the UAE's broader strategy to lead on artificial intelligence — through research, start-ups, international partnerships, and major infrastructure investment. Key partnerships with global technology companies including Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI are already reshaping the country's technology landscape.
Among the most significant initiatives is a joint US-UAE project to develop a landmark AI campus in Abu Dhabi — the Stargate UAE — featuring 5 gigawatts of capacity for AI data centres. The $30 billion project, involving G42, OpenAI, Nvidia, and Oracle, spans ten square miles and is expected to create thousands of permanent skilled jobs once operational.
What the numbers mean for hiring and skills development
The ServiceNow and Pearson forecast frames the UAE's technology push as a long-term driver of employment — not a short-term hiring spike. With 1.03 million additional workers projected by 2030 and tech demand outpacing overall growth by a factor of four, the findings position skills development and strategic recruitment as ongoing national priorities.
For employers, the implication is clear: the competition for qualified technology talent in the UAE is already intensifying, and it will only sharpen as 2030 approaches.
