HP Inc. released its fourth annual Work Relationship Index (WRI), a global study examining the world’s relationship with work. For the first time, the 2026 research includes dedicated findings from the UAE, offering insight into how knowledge workers in the country are navigating uncertainty, AI, and changing expectations around skills and careers.
“There is a lot to be encouraged by in the UAE findings, from stronger workplace health than the worldwide average to high AI adoption and growing use of AI agents,” said Peter Oganesean, Managing Director, Middle East and East Africa, HP. “Together, the findings reflect a workforce that is open to new ways of working and focused on building skills for the future. That ability to keep learning and adapting will be increasingly important in creating healthier, more fulfilling experiences at work.”
Globally, workplace health is starting to recover, with 29% of knowledge workers now reporting a healthy relationship with work, up 8 percentage points from 2025. In the UAE, 45% of knowledge workers report a healthy relationship with work, 16 percentage points above the worldwide average. However, uncertainty remains, with 70% of UAE knowledge workers saying it feels too risky to leave their job right now.
Rather than waiting for stability to return, HP’s 2026 Work Relationship Index finds that UAE knowledge workers are actively adapting to change. More than three-quarters (76%) prioritize transferable skills over climbing a traditional career ladder, 78% use AI at work daily or weekly, and 54% have an income-generating side venture. For businesses, the findings point to the importance of helping people build the skills, confidence and access to technology they need to navigate continued change.
This matters because business performance and healthy work relationships are closely connected. In the UAE, knowledge workers who say their company has performed well over the past year are three times more likely to have a healthy relationship with work than those working at companies where growth has remained static.
Workers Are Not Waiting for Certainty
For UAE knowledge workers, uncertainty is shaping how they think about their careers. Two-thirds (67%) believe they may need to significantly pivot or reinvent their career in the next few years, while 70% say it feels too risky to leave their job right now.
In response, workers are preparing for greater flexibility in their careers. More than three-quarters (76%) of UAE knowledge workers prioritize transferable skills over climbing a traditional career ladder, compared with 56% worldwide. More than half (54%)also have an income-generating side venture, compared with 32% worldwide, rising to 61% among Gen Z knowledge workers in the UAE.
AI Agents Are Becoming Part of How UAE Workers Adapt
AI is becoming increasingly embedded in everyday work in the UAE, including the use of AI agents. More than three-quarters (78%) of UAE knowledge workers use AI at work daily or weekly, compared with 59% worldwide. Almost six in ten (57%) use AI agents, comparedwith 43% worldwide, while 40% turn to AI first when they need help with a work task or question, compared with 31% worldwide.
As workers become more advanced AI users, they are also becoming more conscious of how quickly their skills and careers may need to evolve. Among UAE knowledge workers who consider themselves expert AI users, 85% believe they may need to significantly pivot their career in the next few years, compared with 54% of basic AI users. Similarly, 51% of those using AI agents worry their job could be replaced by someone with AI expertise, compared with 41% of those using generative AI alone.
Seventy-two percent of UAE knowledge workers using AI agents say their company’s approach to AI training is keeping pace with how quickly the technology is changing, compared with 58% of those using generative AI alone. Agent use is also higher among workers in the Healthy WRI Zone, at 61%, compared with 49% of those in the Critical Zone. However, there remains room to build AI skills, with one in four (25%) UAE knowledge workers describing their proficiency as novice or basic, compared with 36% worldwide.
Technology Must Make Work Better
Taken together, the findings show that AI adoption alone will not define the healthiest workplaces. Technology needs to improve how people experience work and give them the tools to adapt as their roles and ways of working evolve. In the UAE, 92% of knowledge workers in the Healthy WRI Zone say their company gives them the tools they need to be successful at work, compared with just 34% of those in the Critical Zone.
Workers are also clear about what helps them do their best work. Faster and more reliable devices are the top technology enabler for UAE knowledge workers (57%), followed by tools that help them learn new skills and adapt as they work (50%). Other priorities include AI tools tailored to their role (40%), technology that helps them think more strategically (40%), technology that helps them prioritize (38%), and shared knowledge systems that make information easier to find (37%).
Access to integrated technology is also closely associated with workplace health. Among UAE knowledge workers in the Healthy WRI Zone, 79% say they have access to a complete set of devices and accessories that work seamlessly together, compared with 37% ofthose in the Critical Zone. The findings point to the importance of giving workers technology that not only supports productivity, but also helps them build skills and navigate continued change.
AI Adoption Must Be Matched by Investment in People
UAE knowledge workers are adopting AI quickly, but the findings point to an opportunity for organizations to ensure their people are equally prepared for how it will change work. Sixty percent of knowledge workers say their organization communicates clearly about how AI and new technologies may affect roles. At the same time, 30% say there has been discussion about AI’s potential impact on roles or headcount.
Skills development can help provide greater confidence as that change unfolds. Across generations, more than eight in ten UAE knowledge workers say investment by their company in their development makes them feel more secure about the future — 82% of Gen Z,87% of Millennials and 84% of Gen X. Around three-quarters of each generation also say access to upskilling opportunities makes them less anxious about the impact of AI on their role.
As AI becomes a more established part of everyday work, the findings suggest that successful adoption is about more than access to technology. Clear communication about how work is changing, alongside continued investment in skills and development, can help workers build the confidence to adapt alongside it.
