Workers across Middle East prepare for impact of AI, climate change: report

Workers across four Middle Eastern countries are preparing for the impacts of climate change, artificial intelligence and economic shake-ups, according to a new report from PwC. 

A total of 1,563 Middle Eastern respondents from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt shared their views on key changes in the workplace for 2023’s Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey. 

Fifty-two percent of respondents said they think their jobs will change significantly in the next five years - above the global average of 36%.

Artificial intelligence, more commonly linked with cutting-edge surveillance and the new frontiers of weaponry in the Middle East, is set to bloom in the private working sector for the rest of the decade. 

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is set to see the fastest growth rate in AI spending worldwide during the next four years, according to fresh research from the International Data Corporation. 

 "Organisations across the region are investing in AI technologies and related software and services to drive greater efficiency through automation,” said IDC manager Manish Ranjan. 

Nearly two-thirds of workers across the four countries also believe that green skills are set to play a crucial role in shaping their careers, compared to only 39% worldwide. 

The Middle East and North Africa is one of the world’s regions already hardest-hit by climate change - and countries are already having to radically change working practices to avoid catastrophes. 

Some pioneers of AI language and data systems have, however, warned governments around the world about the dangers of unchecked progress in the world of intelligent computers this month. 

Overall, 41% of workers across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar hold the perception that AI will have a favourable impact on their working lives. While higher than the global average, ambivalence towards the effects of Artificial Intelligence clearly remains the norm.