Did you know that almost 50% of Middle East jobs could be automated and automation could replace 40% of jobs globally in 15 Years? Job automation is simply the practice of substituting human labor with technology or machinery. in other words, job automation involves removing human beings from tasks. This does not only involve manual processes. Artificial Intelligence has made it possible to also replace knowledge-based skills or positions with technology. Check out our infographic "Job Automation in the Middle East" for the latest job automation statistics and trends.
An estimated 45% of existing jobs in the Middle East could be automated today, affecting more than 20 million full-time employees and $366.6 billion of wage incomes
What this means essentially is that more than 20 million full-time employees could be affected which translates to about $366.6 billion worth of income and wages for the affected workers. Moreover, nearly half of all jobs in the middle east risk could be automated.
The most affected countries, industries and Skill Levels
Countries such as Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and UAE are above the global average of 40% in terms of job automation, in the range of 43% and 45%.ย It simply means that workers from these countries are the most at risk of losing their jobs. Therefore, they need to evolve and adopt to this technological force if they are to progress.
Technical Automation Potential In The Middle East Countries
| Country | Automation Potential |
| Bahrain | 45% |
| Egypt | 48% |
| Kuwait | 43% |
| Oman | 41% |
| Saudi Arabia | 41% |
| UAE | 43% |
Workers in the manufacturing, transportation and warehouse industries are the most at risk at being replaced by automation technology at 58%. Education services are the least likely to face job automation disruption at 29%.
Technical Potential For Automation By Industry In The Middle East Countries
| Industry | Automation Potential |
| Manufacturing | 58% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 58% |
| Information | 51% |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 50% |
| Retail Trade | 49% |
| Mining | 48% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 46% |
| Wholesale Trade | 46% |
| Construction | 46% |
| Other Services | 42% |
| Utilities | 42% |
| Professional and Technical Services | 40% |
| Finance and Insurance | 38% |
| Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | 36% |
| Health care and social assistance | 35% |
| Educational services | 29% |
About 60% of occupations have at least 30% of their activities that are automatable
More than 93% of the labor-saving technical automation potential applies to jobs currently held by expat workers
On the same note, workers with high school or less than high school level of qualification are the most likely to get replaced as a result of job automation technology at 55% and 50% respectively. Workers with post high school level of education are less likely to be affected by the job automation purge.
Technical Potential For Automation By Job Qualification In The Middle East Countries
| Country | Automation Potential |
| Graduate degree | 21% |
| Bachelors degree | 22% |
| Post Secondary Education | 44% |
| High School | 55% |
| Less Than High School | 50% |
