A new study from IBM (NYSE:IBM) reveals enterprises across the UAE are reporting some of the strongest productivity gains from AI in the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, with many expecting returns on their investments (ROI) within the next year.
“The Race for ROI,” a new IBM report produced in partnership with Censuswide, surveyed 3,500 senior executives across ten countries, including 500 in the UAE. The findings show that 77% of UAE respondents said their organisations have achieved significant operational productivity improvements using AI, well above the regional average of 66%.
The study found that openness, interoperability, and choice are critical priorities for organizations adopting AI. In the UAE, 77% emphasized the importance of transparency in AI systems and models ensuring that the technology operates ethically and responsibly. Similarly, 78% stressed the need for interoperability, enabling seamless integration of AI tools into IT systems to maximize efficiency and adaptability.
In addition, approximately one in five respondents said their organisation has already realized ROI goals from AI-driven productivity initiatives, with a over 44% on average expecting to achieve ROI within 12 months across cost reduction (40%); time savings (49%); increased revenue (41%); employee satisfaction (47%) and increased Net Promoter Score (43%).
Further productivity benefits are expected from the introduction of AI Agents, with 93% of UAE leaders expecting that agentic AI will deliver measurable ROI within two years.
According to the study, business areas achieving the biggest AI-driven productivity gains in the UAE are software development and IT (34%), advertising and marketing (33%), account management (30%), customer service (28%) and procurement (29%). At the same time, executives reported the top three benefits of enhanced productivity as greater operational efficiency (55%), enhanced decision-making (56%), and augmented workforce capabilities such as automating repetitive tasks (55%).
Shukri Eid, General Manager, IBM Gulf Levant and Pakistan, said: “Across the UAE, we’re seeing clients move from experimentation to execution with AI and what stands out in this study by IBM is how leaders in the UAE are linking AI directly to measurable productivity, faster ROI and workforce transformation. Businesses in the UAE are proving that when AI is embedded responsibly — across people, processes and platforms — it becomes a growth engine. These findings confirm that the UAE is setting a strong benchmark for AI adoption and innovation among the countries surveyed in the EMEA region.”
