AI is allowing Abu Dhabi government employees to redirect around 280,000 working hours annually from routine processing to complex cases requiring human judgement and expertise, as the emirate shifts its focus from training staff to measuring how technology changes the way they work.
Teams using Abu Dhabi’s unified government services platform, TAMM, can launch and quality-check new services 70 to 80 per cent faster, according to the Department of Government Enablement (DGE).
Mariam Al Musharrekh, Director General of Government Talent at DGE, said the government had trained 30,000 employees in artificial intelligence, but measuring the impact of that training on performance and public services was now the priority.
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“What interests me the most is what happens next. What changes on Monday morning? What changes in terms of capabilities and what changes in growth and services and guest satisfaction?” she said at a media briefing on Tuesday.
The figures offer a glimpse of how Abu Dhabi intends to reshape government work as it pursues its ambition to become the world’s first AI-native government by 2027.
Al Musharrekh said the government was moving towards personalised learning journeys through its Tamooh learning platform, aligning training with employees’ roles, responsibilities and objectives.
“We don’t measure success simply by how many people complete a course. We need to see how people work differently, whether our services improve, and whether we create better outcomes for the people we serve,” she explained.
DGE’s stated approach is to use technology to reduce routine workloads while allowing employees to concentrate on complex cases, professional judgement and public service.
However, the 280,000 hours cited by the department represent time being redirected to other work, rather than jobs eliminated or cash savings. The department did not identify the individual services accounting for the figure at the briefing.
From AI training to changing careers
Al Musharrekh said Abu Dhabi had introduced a new human resources law for government and police at the beginning of 2026, reinforcing an approach to career progression that places capabilities, performance and talent at its centre.
“We want to create an environment where people can progress based on what they bring to the table, the capabilities they develop, and the value that they create.”
She described AI literacy as a key skill for the changing workplace, arguing that employees needed to learn how to combine artificial intelligence with human intelligence.
Asked which jobs might become less relevant as AI advances, Al Musharrekh urged workers to focus on developing their capabilities and judgement skills rather than predicting which occupations would disappear.
“AI literacy is now the number one required skill,” she added.
She also pointed to the growing role of universities in incorporating AI into their curricula, saying graduates would need to develop AI-related capabilities alongside skills that remain important in the workplace.
The challenge, however, extends beyond teaching employees to use new tools. As AI takes on more routine tasks, employers must determine how jobs, career pathways and performance expectations should change.
AI adoption does not automatically mean fewer jobs: ARC chief
Simon Foster, Group CEO of ARC Network, which is bringing the HR Tech platform to Abu Dhabi in November next year, cautioned against assuming that companies adopting AI would automatically need fewer employees.
“The biggest thing is not to make the general assumptions we’ve been talking about,” he said. “Not to think, ‘Well, I put an AI tool, and I’m going to need 10 per cent less workforce.’”
Foster said ARC was introducing AI across functions including sales and finance, but that technology adoption did not automatically translate into a reduction in staffing.
“It doesn’t just automatically mean as a change. It may mean changing in the form of the workplace,” he said, adding that businesses needed to learn, develop and test how AI could be integrated into their operations.
He said the impact would vary by industry and task, noting that AI could support employees in delivering better services rather than replace the need for human interaction.
Using a hotel as an example, Foster said AI could help staff perform their work more effectively without removing the need for people at the front desk.
He also compared the current debate over AI and employment with earlier technological changes, including the disappearance of telephone operator jobs as new roles emerged.
“I don’t subscribe to the view that AI is going to take every job,” he said, while acknowledging that some roles could change or disappear as technology develops.
Foster said the ability to establish trust, understand context and interact with other people would remain important even as AI became more capable.
He compared the process to journalism, where AI could help produce an initial draft or generate content, but human judgement and opinion remained important.
The comments offer a counterpoint to fears that AI adoption will inevitably lead to widespread job losses. Foster did not provide figures on changes to staffing at ARC or evidence establishing a broader trend across UAE employers.
AI recruitment raises questions over human oversight
The growing use of AI in recruitment also raises questions about how applicants are assessed and whether they can challenge decisions influenced by automated systems.
Foster said the number of applications for jobs was increasing as candidates used AI to produce tailored letters and other application materials, making it harder for employers to process submissions.
He said companies were also using AI tools to screen applications, potentially reducing some inconsistencies in human decision-making while introducing other concerns.
Asked whether applicants had a right to challenge an AI-driven recruitment decision, Foster said he was not aware of a general protection, while acknowledging that arrangements could differ between countries.
“It’s something to watch and develop,” he noted.
For Abu Dhabi, the government’s stated priority is to ensure that its investment in AI translates into better services and more capable employees.
Al Musharrekh said the emirate’s digital strategy included more than 100 live AI use cases across government services, while the government was seeking to create a culture in which continuous learning became part of everyday work.
“The future of work is not something you predict. It is something that we build together,” she said.
HR Tech Abu Dhabi is being developed through a partnership between DGE, ADNEC Group and ARC Network. The event is intended to bring together government, business and technology leaders to discuss workforce transformation and the practical application of HR technology.
Source: Khaleej Times
