A recent survey conducted by HireRight, a global workforce management solutions company, in partnership with YouGov, has found that the majority of employers in the United Arab Emirates are now relying on artificial intelligence tools to manage a range of core human resources functions.
The research surveyed HR decision-makers around the world on the most significant challenges their companies face in recruitment, their attitudes toward workforce screening procedures, and the extent to which they have adopted and accepted AI.
Results specific to the UAE showed that only 1 in 7 participants — equivalent to 14% — reported that their company does not currently use AI, either directly or through third-party tools, to support any of its HR functions.
While support for training and development tops the list of AI applications among HR teams globally, this use case ranked second within the UAE at 35%, behind promotion decisions, which led at 42% — the highest rate among all markets covered by the survey. Additionally, 3 in 10 participants, or 31%, in the UAE said they use these tools to support termination decisions.
Despite the widespread adoption of AI tools, confidence levels in the ability to detect candidates' use of them varied. Two-thirds of participants, equivalent to 67%, expressed confidence in their ability to identify job applications and CVs prepared with the assistance of AI. An optimistic outlook prevailed overall, with 44% of participants viewing this use positively.
James Randall, HireRight's Sales Director for the Middle East, said: "The findings reveal that many HR leaders in the UAE are taking a pragmatic, realistic approach to candidates' use of generative AI tools."