Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties and noon, delivered a blunt warning about the future of work at the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai — declaring that artificial intelligence will reshape the UAE's expatriate workforce and rewarding those bold enough to adapt.
AI Will Redefine the UAE's Workforce
Speaking during a fireside chat titled "The Art of Thinking Big Enough" — moderated by Hadley Gamble, Chief International Anchor at IMI — Alabbar said the UAE's AI moment has arrived, and its implications for expat workers are profound.
"AI is the greatest news for a country like the UAE," he said. "We depend on incredible people coming from abroad, and much of that will change because AI will do a lot of that work for us. But smart people who understand how to use AI will continue to do very well."
The summit, held from January 9 to 11, 2026, brought together more than 30,000 attendees including 15,000 leading Arab and international content creators under the theme "Content for Good."
Brand Building Over Viral Moments
Addressing creators and influencers in the room, Alabbar stressed the importance of long-term brand strategy over short-lived viral success.
"If you're a social influencer and you're not building your brand for the long term, you're not really in business," he said. "Your name is everything."
He added that successful businesses and personal brands must be built to withstand political and economic shifts, noting that both Emaar and noon were founded on long-term thinking — not short-term trends.
How the UAE Made Emaar's Scale Possible
Reflecting on Emaar's global journey, Alabbar acknowledged that not all international projects achieved equal success, and credited the UAE as a decisive factor.
"We are mesmerised by how easy it is to succeed in the UAE. This country makes success possible," he said, contrasting the Emirates' environment with more restrictive business markets abroad.
Emaar's success, he explained, came from solving problems better than competitors, protecting brand integrity, and attracting top talent — all made possible by the UAE's pro-business ecosystem.
The Discipline of Going Public
On the demands of leadership, Alabbar pointed to Emaar's listing on the Dubai Financial Market in 2000 as one of the most formative — and gruelling — moments of his career.
"Going public means exposing your results every 90 days. Shareholders don't want to hear excuses, only outcomes," he said, noting that public markets enforce discipline, resilience, and accountability in ways that private ownership rarely does.
The Future Belongs to Big Thinkers
Closing the session, Alabbar returned to the theme of AI disruption, arguing that automation will accelerate how wealth, talent, and opportunity are distributed globally. Adaptation, he maintained, is not optional.
"The future belongs to those who know how to think big and use the tools available," he said. "AI won't eliminate opportunity — it will redefine it."
