📌 This article was first published on the Talents-OS blog: MENA Tech Hiring Statistics 2026. It is republished here by a member of the Talents-OS team.
TL;DR
The verified numbers on MENA tech hiring: WEF projects a net +78M jobs by 2030 (170M created, 86% of businesses transformed by AI), 90% of GCC organisations report skills gaps, and AI literacy is LinkedIn's #1 rising skill — each figure checked against its primary source.
The Middle East tech-hiring market is in its widest transformation yet: surging demand for AI and data skills, a skills gap most organisations acknowledge, and a hiring landscape reshaped by AI. This page gathers verified figures from published global and regional reports — every number checked against its primary source — as a single reference for decision-makers and job seekers.
How many jobs will AI and technology reshape by 2030?
The WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects 170 million new roles created and 92 million displaced by 2030 — a net gain of about 78 million jobs — as AI and information-processing technologies transform 86% of businesses. Nearly 40% of core skills are expected to change by 2030. (Source: WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025)
Which skills and roles are growing fastest?
Technology skills in AI, big data and cybersecurity are among the fastest-growing, and the fastest-growing roles include AI and machine-learning specialists, big-data specialists, fintech engineers, software developers and security specialists. On LinkedIn, AI literacy is the number-one skill on its 2025 Skills on the Rise list, with AI-skill adoption up roughly 20-fold globally since 2016. (Sources: WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025; LinkedIn Skills on the Rise 2025)
How big is the Gulf skills gap?
90% of GCC organisations cited skills shortages in 2025 — attributed to uncompetitive salaries, fierce competition for talent, and limited career progression. A shortage of skilled professionals ranks among the top factors organisations say could limit their strategic goals. (Source: Hays GCC Salary Guide 2025)
Are Gulf companies still hiring?
Yes: 78% of GCC employers plan permanent recruitment and only 14% report no hiring plans, with contract hiring used mainly to access specific project skills. (Source: Hays GCC Salary Guide 2025)
What is the region investing in AI talent?
Saudi Arabia National Strategy for Data and AI targets a pool of 20,000 data and AI specialists and training 40% of the workforce in basic AI skills, backed by about SAR 75 billion in targeted investment; SDAIA reports more than 11,000 specialists already trained as of early 2026. (Source: SDAIA, National Strategy for Data and AI)
What does this mean for your company or career?
For companies: competition for verified talent will intensify — those who verify skills with evidence hire faster and more accurately. For job seekers: AI and data skills are rising fastest, and a profile proven by tests and real work beats any polished résumé. That is the philosophy Talents-OS is built on.
Originally published at www.talents-os.com.
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