Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across the GCC consumer economy workforce is not a future ambition. It is a present reality.

Al-Futtaim’s GCC AI Adoption & Readiness Survey highlights that three quarters of professionals surveyed across the region are using AI at least once a week. One in three use it every day, with regular users saying AI has improved their quality (24%) and speed of work (40%). The productivity gains are real, with a significant portion of respondents stating they are saving four or more hours every week.

But this study of 1,143 professionals across the GCC consumer economy (the businesses and sectors that produce, move, sell and service the goods and experiences that people interact with every day) tells a more complicated story than the adoption numbers alone suggest. Because using AI and being ready to use AI are not the same thing. And this gap, visible across industries, age groups and seniority levels, is where the most important work remains to be done.

Three findings stand out:

The first is the power of training. Based on self-reported data, extensively trained employees are 2.5 times more confident than untrained peers, save nearly twice as much time per week, and report significantly higher productivity gains. Training is not one variable among many in this dataset. It is the dominant signal, the single biggest predictor of positive AI outcomes across every segment surveyed.

The second is the readiness paradox. 53% of organisations actively encourage AI use, but only 20% have provided extensive training. The result and risk is a workforce pressing forward with tools it has not been fully equipped to use.

The third is the leadership effect. Where senior leaders actively use AI themselves, employee adoption is three times higher. Where organisations have a formal AI strategy, workforce confidence nearly doubles.

To deepen these findings beyond the data, Al-Futtaim convened an industry roundtable in September 2026, bringing together senior leaders from across technology, people leadership, academia and consulting. Their experience and recommendations form a critical part of the discourse.

Ultimately, AI adoption is a human story. The technology is available, accessible and already in use. What determines whether it delivers is not the sophistication of the tools. It is the confidence, capability and support of the people using them.

This paper explores what the data tells us, what it means for organisations operating across the GCC, and what the evidence suggests should happen next.