AI Use More Common in Middle East Than Europe

Research from Hays finds that more than two-thirds of tech professionals in the GCC region associate AI with increased productivity and efficiency.

By Maggie Mancini

A study of 5,014 tech professionals and 6,178 employers across 20 countries in the EMEA region shows that the Middle East tech space is more progressive than that of Europe, with more Middle East professionals using AI than anywhere in Europe, and more Middle East organisations offering AI training and support than almost anywhere else in the region.  

The data from Hays, a workforce solutions and recruitment specialist, shows that while tech professionals across the whole EMEA region are keen to develop their skills with AI, with 82% desiring AI training, decision-makers at organisations are more hesitant, with just 31% recommending the use of AI.  

Key findings from the report include the following.  

• More than half (56%) of tech professionals in the Middle East are using AI, more than in any European country. In Italy, just 28% of tech professionals are using AI, and in France just 29%.  
• More than two-thirds (68%) of tech professionals in the GCC region associate AI with increased productivity and efficiency and 50% are already using AI tools as a communication assistant.  
• Further, 66% of software developers are using AI to write or debug code.  
• AI is a key area that tech specialists want to develop, as 82% of all EMEA tech professionals desire AI training, rising as high as 92% in the Netherlands and 89% in Spain.  
• Only 30% of all employers in the region are currently recommending the use of AI.  
• Only 24% of tech professionals in the GCC region have received training or support to adopt AI technologies in their work, but this is higher than all European countries except for the Netherlands (27%).