A stunning view of the iconic Etihad Towers reaching toward the sky in Abu Dhabi. by Khalid via Pexels
Nearly half are working longer hours, while 73% now use AI to cope with growing workloads
.A new study by Robert Walters found that 79 per cent of UAE professionals say their job responsibilities have expanded over the past year, with many reporting longer working hours and increased use of AI to manage growing workloads. Picture used for illustrative purposes.Virendra Saklani/Gulf News
Dubai: A new study has revealed that nearly eight in 10 professionals in the UAE say they are doing far more at work than they originally signed up for, with many taking on extra responsibilities without additional pay, promotions or formal recognition.
Global talent solutions firm Robert Walters found in its study titled “Shadow Workloads”: 79 per cent of UAE professionals said their roles had unofficially expanded over the past 12 months, creating what the company describes as “shadow workloads” — additional responsibilities that gradually build up without being formally acknowledged.
The findings suggest that many employees are coping by working longer hours. Almost half (49 per cent) said they are spending more time at work, while a quarter (25 per cent) said they delegate tasks wherever possible.
Despite the growing workload, only 17 per cent of professionals said they had spoken to their managers about the increase in responsibilities.
Andrew Powell, Chief Commercial Officer at Robert Walters, said many businesses are operating under financial pressure and are trying to achieve more with existing teams.
“Many organisations are navigating a tough operating environment right now, facing ongoing cost pressures and the need to deliver more with fewer resources,” he said.
He added that while it is natural for roles to evolve, problems arise when extra work is not formally recognised.
“When that shift happens without clear visibility or formal recognition, it can create ‘shadow workloads’ – where additional responsibilities build up informally over time.”
Oli Sanford-Scutt, Senior Director at Robert Walters Middle East, said professionals across the UAE are increasingly reporting that their roles have quietly expanded as businesses adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
“The UAE’s business environment moves fast, and organisations have had to adapt quickly, but that pace of change means additional responsibilities can accumulate before anyone has had a chance to address them,” he said.
He warned that if left unchecked, the added pressure could become normalised, increasing the risk of burnout and lower productivity.
The report found that artificial intelligence is becoming a key tool for employees trying to keep up with growing workloads.
Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of UAE professionals said they now use AI tools to complete tasks they would not normally have been able to do.
The report also referred to a recent Harvard Business Review study, which found that AI adoption among employees at a US technology company expanded the scope of work, increased the pace of work and led to longer working hours, contributing to what it described as “workload creep”.
Powell said AI has clear productivity benefits but warned it must be introduced carefully.
“AI is already proving to be a powerful tool for boosting productivity and helping employees step into new areas more quickly.”
However, he added: “The challenge is ensuring it’s implemented in a way that genuinely reduces pressure rather than simply raising expectations.”
Sanford-Scutt said the UAE’s rapid adoption of AI gives businesses a competitive advantage, but it can also raise expectations of employees without formally changing their roles.
“When AI enables people to take on tasks beyond their usual remit, expectations can shift without anyone explicitly saying so.”
The research also found that many professionals are experiencing what it calls a “competence hangover” — a feeling of mental exhaustion, brain fog and emotional fatigue which comes after long periods of ‘high performance.’
More than two in five respondents (43 per cent) said they experience this regularly, while another 31 per cent said it happens from time to time.
Powell said taking on new responsibilities can benefit both employees and employers, but only if the extra effort is properly recognised and managed.
“If that effort isn’t recognised or managed effectively, it can lead to fatigue and diminishing returns, impacting everything from decision-making to overall productivity.”
He said organisations need to identify where workloads are increasing and respond by redistributing work, investing in better tools or bringing in temporary support where necessary.
“Ultimately, organisations that strike the right balance between efficiency and sustainable workloads will be better positioned to maintain long term performance.”
A young woman using a laptop in a computer classroom setting.by Peter Kambey via Pexels
“Unlocking the full potential of younger generations requires massive investment in inclusive quality education and training. Closing the skills gap can help create decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods at scale.” – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
“Unlocking the full potential of younger generations requires massive investment in inclusive quality education and training. Closing the skills gap can help create decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods at scale.” – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
Every year, World Youth Skills Day reminds us that investing in young people is one of the most powerful investments societies can make. As the world navigates rapid technological change, climate challenges and evolving labour markets, equipping young people with the right skills has never been more important.
As United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres noted in his message for this year’s observance, unlocking the full potential of younger generations requires sustained investment in quality education and training. Closing the skills gap is not only essential for creating decent jobs, but also for building more inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies.
At UNDP Saudi Arabia, this vision is translated into action through a range of initiatives that empower young people with the knowledge, practical experience and opportunities they need to contribute to the Kingdom’s sustainable development journey under Vision 2030.
For the past three years, the UNDP Summer Academy Programme has opened the doors of the UNDP Country Office to aspiring young professionals, offering them a unique opportunity to work alongside UNDP teams and gain first-hand experience of the United Nations development system. Through mentorship, collaborative assignments and exposure to research, innovation and project development, participants strengthen both their technical and professional skills while deepening their understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Young people also play an important role through the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme, where national and international Youth UN Volunteers contribute to UNDP’s programme and operational work while developing valuable professional experience in an international development environment. The programme reflects UNDP’s commitment to creating meaningful pathways for youth engagement while strengthening national capacities.
Building technical expertise is equally central to UNDP’s partnerships. Through its collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), UNDP supports the Young Talent Programme, which combines technical training, mentorship and capacity development to prepare a new generation of highly qualified professionals in Saudi Arabia’s water sector. By investing in young talent today, the programme contributes to the long-term sustainability and resilience of one of the Kingdom’s most critical sectors.
UNDP also continues to promote scientific literacy as an essential skill for the future through its partnership with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Through the SDG Collection, developed with Frontiers for Young Minds, complex scientific research is transformed into accessible articles reviewed by young readers themselves. This innovative approach encourages curiosity, critical thinking and scientific communication while helping young people engage with global challenges such as land restoration, biodiversity and climate change.
Together, these initiatives reflect a shared belief that the skills of the future extend far beyond technical expertise. They include critical thinking, innovation, collaboration, scientific literacy and the confidence to turn knowledge into action. Whether through research, volunteering, mentorship or hands-on learning, UNDP is committed to creating opportunities that enable young people to grow as leaders, innovators and active contributors to sustainable development.
This commitment reflects UNDP’s broader mission to ensure that no one is left behind. By investing in young people from diverse backgrounds and equipping them with the skills to thrive in a changing world, UNDP is helping build stronger institutions, more resilient communities and a more inclusive future for all.
This World Youth Skills Day, we celebrate the energy, creativity and determination of young people across Saudi Arabia. They are not only preparing for the future. They are already helping to shape it.
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A broad aerial view of a refugee camp with makeshift shelters and blue tarps in an urban area. by Abd Alrhman Al Darra via Pexels
“Sustainable development begins when humanitarian assistance creates pathways to investment, jobs, and resilient communities.”- Said Abdirizak Ali
For decades, humanitarian assistance has been a lifeline for Somalia, helping millions survive conflict, drought, floods, displacement, and food insecurity. While emergency aid remains indispensable during times of crisis, it cannot, on its own, generate lasting economic opportunities or reduce long-term dependence on external support.
Somalia now has a unique opportunity to transition from a development model centred primarily on relief to one driven by productive investment, financial inclusion, and private sector growth. This shift does not replace humanitarian assistance; rather, it complements it by helping communities become more resilient, self-reliant, and economically productive.
Investment-led development focuses on creating sustainable livelihoods instead of providing temporary relief. It enables farmers to increase agricultural productivity, supports entrepreneurs in expanding their businesses, creates employment for young people, empowers women-owned enterprises, and strengthens local markets.
More importantly, investment builds productive assets, raises incomes, and lays the foundation for long-term economic stability.
Several sectors offer significant investment opportunities across Somalia. Agriculture and livestock—the backbone of the national economy—can benefit from modern irrigation, mechanisation, veterinary services, and stronger value chains.
Fisheries, renewable energy, affordable housing, digital finance, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also present considerable potential to generate employment, strengthen food security, increase exports, and stimulate inclusive growth.
International and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) continue to play a critical role in Somalia’s development. Increasingly, many are expanding beyond emergency response by supporting enterprise development, providing technical assistance, strengthening community capacity, and preparing entrepreneurs to access commercial finance.
These efforts help reduce investment risks while ensuring that vulnerable communities are not left behind.
Financial institutions are equally central to this transformation. Banks can provide Islamic finance solutions, SME financing, climate finance, agricultural and livestock loans, trade finance, and digital banking services that enable businesses to grow.
Beyond lending, they can promote financial literacy, encourage savings, and deliver advisory services that strengthen local enterprises and improve long-term business sustainability.
The greatest impact, however, will come from stronger partnerships among government institutions, development partners, NGOs, financial institutions, and private investors. Blended finance models—combining donor grants, technical assistance, and commercial financing—can mobilise greater investment while reducing risks for both lenders and entrepreneurs.
Matching grant programmes have already demonstrated how shared financing between donors, financial institutions, and business owners can strengthen local ownership and improve project sustainability.
Climate resilience must also remain at the heart of Somalia’s investment agenda. Investments in solar-powered irrigation, water harvesting, climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, drought-resilient farming, and sustainable fisheries can help communities adapt to climate change while creating new economic opportunities and protecting livelihoods.
Women and young entrepreneurs deserve particular attention. Expanding access to finance, business development services, markets, and digital financial solutions can unlock their potential as drivers of innovation, job creation, and inclusive economic growth. Investing in their success is essential to Somalia’s long-term prosperity.
Ultimately, Somalia’s progress should not be measured by the volume of humanitarian assistance it receives, but by the number of businesses it nurtures, jobs it creates, investments it attracts, and resilient communities it builds.
Achieving this vision requires coordinated policies, innovative financing, and strong partnerships across both the public and private sectors.
The transition from humanitarian assistance to investment-led development is more than an economic strategy—it is a pathway toward a more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous Somalia.
By investing in people, productive sectors, and sustainable financial systems, Somalia can transform recurring crises into lasting opportunities for growth, stability, and national development.
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Said Abdirizak Ali is Senior Corporate Manager of NGOs & Climate Resilience Finance, International Bank of Somalia (IBS), Mogadishu, Somalia
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Low-angle view of a modern hotel in Makkah under a clear blue sky. by Maddy via Pexels
Rahaf Jambi
RIYADH: Clay has shaped Saudi Arabia’s architecture for centuries. Now, as the Kingdom’s construction boom accelerates, the ancient material is making a comeback in luxury hotels, cultural landmarks and modern homes as developers seek healthier, lower-carbon building finishes.
The renewed interest reflects a broader shift in Saudi Arabia’s construction sector, where sustainability has become as important as speed and scale. Alongside giga-projects, architects are increasingly turning to natural materials that reduce environmental impact while preserving the Kingdom’s architectural identity.
Long before concrete became the global standard, Saudi builders relied on locally sourced clay to construct homes naturally suited to the desert climate. Thick earthen walls helped to regulate indoor temperatures, while clay’s ability to absorb and release moisture created comfortable interiors without mechanical cooling.
Today, those same principles are returning with modern engineering.
From the restoration of historic mud-brick districts to contemporary developments inspired by traditional architecture, clay is increasingly viewed as both a cultural and environmental asset. Projects such as Diriyah, Red Sea Global developments and the Tuwaiq Heritage Tower demonstrate how traditional earth-based construction methods can be adapted for modern buildings while maintaining the character of Saudi architecture.
The environmental benefits extend beyond heritage preservation.
Unlike cement- or acrylic-based finishes, natural clay plasters require significantly less energy to produce because they are dried rather than fired or chemically manufactured. They contain little or no volatile organic compounds, helping to improve indoor air quality, while their hygroscopic properties allow them to naturally regulate humidity inside buildings.
Perhaps most importantly for Saudi Arabia’s ambitious construction pipeline, clay contributes to lowering embodied carbon — the greenhouse gas emissions generated through extracting, manufacturing, transporting and installing building materials.
Majed Al-Qatari, a Saudi sustainability expert, said that the Kingdom’s unprecedented construction presented an opportunity to rethink not only how buildings were designed but also the materials used to build them.
“Saudi Arabia’s boom in construction paves the way for a much-needed consideration of not just construction volume, but also construction materials,” he told Arab News.
“Natural materials such as clay can help minimize embodied carbon, which refers to greenhouse gas emissions associated with material extraction, manufacturing, transport and installation. Clay requires less industrial processing than many conventional finishing materials, contains no petrochemical binders and can often be sourced locally, reducing transportation emissions while supporting circular economy principles.”
Al-Qatari said that clay also offered operational advantages beyond reducing emissions.
“Clay finishes naturally regulate indoor humidity, improve thermal comfort and are free from volatile organic compounds, creating healthier indoor environments,” he said. “While clay is not intended to replace structural materials such as concrete or steel, it has significant potential as a scalable finishing material that combines traditional building knowledge with modern engineering.”
He added that studies consistently showed that natural clay finishes had substantially lower embodied carbon than acrylic- or cement-based coatings while also requiring less maintenance throughout a building’s life cycle.
“The ecological advantage does not stop at carbon emissions,” he said. “Clay finishes are breathable, repairable and recyclable, making them one of the lowest-impact finishing materials available as Saudi Arabia accelerates sustainable construction and green building certification.”
The growing interest was on display on July 27 when Conmarble Atelier hosted British natural plaster manufacturer Clayworks for an interactive workshop in Riyadh, inviting architects, designers and industry professionals to experience traditional clay plastering techniques firsthand.
Participants applied the company’s natural clay finishes themselves, reflecting growing demand for materials that combine sustainability with contemporary design.
For Clayworks, the workshop represented more than a product launch. It reflected what the company sees as a rapidly expanding Saudi market driven by Vision 2030 developments.
“We started getting lots of specifications from architects and designers in Saudi Arabia about five years ago,” James Bryce, Clayworks’ representative for Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, told Arab News.
“The volume kept increasing to the point that we couldn’t ignore it anymore, which is why we needed to be present here and tailor our designs to Saudi Arabia.”
The company now supplies projects including developments by Red Sea Global and Diriyah, where designers are incorporating natural clay finishes into hotels, cultural venues and luxury residential spaces.
Bryce believes Saudi Arabia’s long relationship with earthen architecture gives the Kingdom a distinct advantage compared with many international markets.
“Saudi Arabia has a very strong tradition and relationship with earth and natural materials,” he said. “Where we can show designs that are sensitive to that tradition while also making them contemporary for the future, we’ve found the right balance.”
Unlike conventional paints, Clayworks’ products are made entirely from natural clay. Different textures and finishes are achieved by varying application techniques rather than changing the material itself, allowing designers to create smooth bedroom walls, textured feature spaces or water-resistant bathroom finishes using the same natural base.
“The material is the same. It’s earth. It’s clay,” Bryce said. “What changes is the design around how the client, architect or homeowner wants the space to feel.”
As Saudi Arabia continues investing in tourism, hospitality, residential communities and cultural destinations, demand for environmentally responsible building materials is expected to grow alongside construction activity. In many ways, the Kingdom is returning to one of its oldest building materials not as a relic of the past, but as a practical solution for creating healthier, more sustainable buildings for the future.
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A striking solar power tower illuminated under the clear blue sky in Morocco. by Pierre Matile via Pexels
Countries need to come together to accelerate the global energy transition and end the world’s “addiction” to fossil fuels, UN climate chief Simon Stiell has said.
During the UN’s Accelerating the Global Energy Transition: Advancing Renewables and Mobilizing Investment dialogue in New York on 24 July, Stiell said climate change is increasing conflict and driving up food and energy prices – and that the move to renewables would help boost national security and resilience.
“A world addicted to coal, oil and gas is a world of economic uncertainty, unnecessary costs, and conflict… And while we keep burning fossil fuels, our planet will keep heating, undermining peace and stability,” he said.
Stiell said events in 2026 had made clear the need for clean energy and demonstrated its benefits.
“Conflict has taken an appalling human toll and choked global energy markets, pushing up prices for billions of people,” he said, emphasising that renewables “frontrunners” like Spain and Pakistan had been shielded from some of the worst effects of the fossil fuel cost crisis, “demonstrating that clean energy is secure energy”.
He added that conflict, economic downturns and climate-related shocks had “dealt a triple blow to food security”, leading to higher food prices around the world and the most vulnerable in society to “stare down the barrel… of desperate hunger”.
Stiell said it was “no wonder” that governments increasingly view climate as a security issue, and that it was “imperative” to protect people, livelihoods and economies from “escalating climate disasters” by building resilience and accelerating the energy transition.
“Renewables are cheaper, more accessible, and faster to market. They can fortify the foundations of peace, boosting sustainable development – the best conflict prevention tool we have – while reducing emissions and supercharging economies.”
He stressed that the energy transition must “meet the demands of science”, and be faster and fairer so that “every nation benefits”, and that countries and communities historically dependent on fossil fuel revenues are supported.
He also noted that renewables, electrification and efficiency must be “progressed together in countries and industries”, and gave the example of UN secretary-general António Guterres’ call for major AI companies to power every data centre with renewables by 2030.
Stiell drew attention to some of the goals countries had committed to at previous COP summits, including to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, and triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030.
He said regional and global climate cooperation was key to delivering these and would involve “cross-border connections, power pools, and common standards”, as well as the convening power of the UN, which he said is “increasingly focused on supporting implementation”.
He also noted that Turkey, which is hosting this year’s COP in November, had announced its ‘action agenda’ targets, including the goal for global electrification to account for 35% of energy consumption by 2035.
“Electrification is a golden ticket to more prosperity and stability,” Stiell said.
In his speech, Stiell also covered financing, noting that finance is “essential” for countries “to bank the vast benefits” of the energy transition and to build resilience.
He called on developed countries to honour their commitments to triple adaptation finance and deliver US$300bn per year by 2035, as part of aims to scale up to US$1.3 trillion a year.
He said multilateral development banks are “ideally placed to help” and must “step up” to help facilitate this, including through the offer of credit enhancement and guarantees which “deliver serious bang for buck in crowding in private capital, particularly in developing countries where perceived risk increases costs”.
Stiell added that countries need systemic support – not just project-by-project financing – including to strengthen grids, improve policies and regulation, and “build a pipeline of bankable projects”.
He concluded: “As the realities of fossil fuel dependency play out in real-time, it is increasingly clear: that faster energy transitions are core business for governments and core to national security strategies; that doubling-down on renewables and resilience is in every country’s interests; and that action now is the basis of long-term peace and security around the world.”
Simon Stiell. Photo by the Global Environment Facility via Flickr under CC 2.0