UAE Climbs Into Top 10 for AI Talent Investment & Resilience
Across 92 countries, the UAE outperforms global and regional averages on resilience within an Industry 5.0 benchmark.
The UAE’s push to run a fully AI-enabled government by 2027 is being matched by an economy wiring itself for Industry 5.0—where human-centric design, sustainability and resilience are measured alongside productivity. Plans include a transition to sovereign cloud infrastructure and the automation of all government processes to deliver faster, more personalised public services.
In a new Industry 5.0 Index from management consultancy Oliver Wyman, the UAE ranks sixth globally for government and corporate investment in developing AI skills and ninth for AI-driven resilience. The index covers 92 countries and assesses readiness to deploy advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and clean energy, to drive productivity and societal well-being. The UAE ranks 34th overall, outperforming global and regional averages particularly on resilience.
The Oliver Wyman Forum, in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, developed 30 indicators across three pillars: talent (digital and AI skills and workforce readiness), sustainability (green innovation, environmental protection and circularity), and resilience (infrastructure, supply chains and cybersecurity). The report estimates Industry 5.0 technologies could add nearly $1 trillion to global GDP. It links the UAE’s performance to investment in digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and supply-chain preparedness, alongside ambitious AI strategies and advanced digital systems. Research cited shows 83% of people in the UAE use AI at work at least once a week, versus a global average of 61%, and over 22,000 people have participated in the national AI summer camp.
Estimates linked to the national AI strategy suggest AI could contribute around $91 billion to economic growth, with roughly 20% of non-oil GDP by 2031. The country is among the world’s leading funders of environmental innovation and has announced the development of the world’s first 24/7 solar-and-battery facility to provide 1 gigawatt of renewable power at a cost exceeding $6 billion—aimed at powering data-driven industries without raising emissions.
