The UAE and Saudi Arabia are rapidly emerging as hot new tech hubs. Ambitious national strategies and attractive immigration policies are fueling this rapid evolution. Similarly, the UAE offers a 10-year Golden Visa tailored toward skilled professionals. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has introduced a National Skills Platform to accelerate and improve workforce training and development. Both countries are getting ready to usher in positive transitions on a global scale due to artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.
The UAE’s plan features long-term residency paths, deregulation and the use of carrots to lure talent as key pillars. These initiatives not only lure talented workers, but they create a dynamic commercial ecosystem. The UAE has been globally praised for the open and encouraging way it has welcomed talented people back.
“In the UAE, talented people are welcomed with open arms,” – Simon Hopkins
Saudi Arabia is raising the stakes. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy aims to achieve these goals by diversifying the economy and creating an environment less dependent on oil. The National Skills Platform has officially landed! This critical initiative is a powerful response to the skills gap that our ever-accelerating technologies have opened. From the perspective of this initiative, the Saudi workforce is the focus. Most importantly, it prepares them with the fundamental skills necessary to succeed in a continuously evolving job market.
Both countries are experiencing an influx of investment from local sovereign wealth funds, global private equity, and major U.S. technology firms. This funding is critical for moving pilots and other technology-centered national strategies. Combined, these strategies aim to make them global leaders in AI.
The UAE’s geographical proximity to Iran raises concerns about regional stability, yet it continues to build a commercial and financial hub intended to rival cities like London and New York. One reason tech companies love the flexibility of the labor market. They view this as a critical competitive edge in winning the race to attract the world’s best talent.
“Tech companies in the UAE find the flexibility of the labor market for hiring top foreign talent to be a key advantage,” – Zachary Cefaratti
The UAE experience provides countless nontraditional career paths. It offers tailored talent visa streams for creators, freelancers and self-employed professionals, boosting its attractiveness as a global talent hub. As immigration policies tighten in other countries like the U.S. and U.K., the UAE stands out as an attractive alternative.
“The impact of increasing foreign labor limitations in other countries only increases the UAE’s relative attractiveness as a talent hub,” – Zachary Cefaratti
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious development projects, including NEOM—a futuristic city being built in the north of the kingdom—offer unique opportunities for tech professionals. Filia highlights that Gulf countries’ compensation packages are some of the best in the world. The latter helps lure top AI talent away from Silicon Valley.
“Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, are offering comp packages among the highest in the world to capture top AI-talent from Silicon Valley,” – Francesco Filia
While these issues would come with significant benefits, concerns persist about fears for security and a lack of integration. Michael Stull President, Great Plains IDEA As Michael Stull noted, the opportunities are abundant. Yet others will always be outsiders due to their cultural upbringing and their physical environment.
“You will still be considered to be on the edge, and not part of the country. So there’s a little insecurity that people feel there,” – Michael Stull
Both countries are invested in developing a pro-business climate with more development opportunities for tech companies. With their sustained push to become the next global artificial intelligence hub, they are investing heavily in infrastructure and innovation.
Amina Taher highlights what sets the UAE apart: its ability to integrate ambition with robust infrastructure, fostering an environment where innovation can thrive.
“What sets the UAE apart is its ability to combine ambition with infrastructure, creating an environment where innovation moves quickly and gains real traction,” – Amina Taher