Company empowers Emirati talent amid UAE’s rising demand for AI expertise
A new survey of UAE companies across all industries commissioned by global technology giant SAP has found a surge in demand for artificial intelligence (AI) expertise, which the global technology company is helping to address through its training programs aimed at university students and Emirati graduates.
With the rapid proliferation of AI applications across business areas, UAE companies are looking to move quickly to leverage the technology’s benefits. However, the SAP YouGov survey found 43% of IT decision makers identified a lack of skilled employees as a key challenge to implementing AI. In addition, a staggering 84% of UAE companies said they are planning to hire specialized AI staff within the next 15 months.
Boosting training
In addition to hiring new talent, UAE companies are boosting training for existing staff. While 57% of companies surveyed had already implemented some form of AI training, a further 35% plan to do so in the next 15 months
“Large-scale digital transformation, the rapid evolution of AI, and the need for a highly skilled UAE workforce to sustain a diversified, digital economy are all contributing to a surge in demand for employees with advanced technology skills, particularly AI expertise, and SAP is addressing this challenge head on,” commented Marwan Zeineddine, Managing Director, SAP UAE.
High-value training
SAP has provided high-value training to multiple cohorts of top Emirati candidates as part of the Young Professionals Programme for over a decade. The programme also encourages more women to join technology fields, with more than 80% of recent graduates being Emirati women.
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) is one of the UAE private institutions participating in the ‘Young Professionals Programme’ (YPP).
“By investing in the development of young professionals, we elevate our standards and ensure that our workforce remains prepared to support sustainable growth and high-performance outcomes,” remarked Jawaher Alhosani, Product Owner, ADCB Technology Services and Tech Academy.
Bridging university-industry gaps
SAP supports UAE universities and students through two main initiatives. First, the SAP University Alliances Programme enables universities to collaborate on research projects, gain access to SAP software, teaching materials and related support.
In 2025, SAP University Alliances is launching a learning tour, which will see students from top UAE universities, including Zayed University, spend an immersive week at SAP Headquarters in Walldorf.
Second initiative
The second initiative, SAP’s Dual Study Programme (DSP) has enabled more than 800 students at participating UAE universities to gain hands-on technology experience to complement their academic studies, ensuring they hit the ground running once employed.
“The partnership also enhances the university’s offerings as students benefit from SAP-delivered training in the latest technological applications, while our faculty members are free to focus on sharing their vast theoretical and industry knowledge,” noted Dr. Zied Bahroun, Professor in Industrial Engineering at American University of Sharjah, which is part of SAP’s University Alliances and implements the DSP.
