Mays Ibrahim (ABU DHABI)

The UAE has emerged as a regional leader in employee engagement, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report, released on Wednesday.

Twenty-six percent of workers in the UAE reported being engaged at work – the highest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and significantly above the regional average of 14%.

Despite MENA’s continued struggles with engagement – ranking just above Europe (13%) and well below the global average of 21% – the UAE’s performance stands out. 

Alaa Alshaikh, Executive Director for MENA at Gallup, attributes the country’s above-average engagement to its strategic focus on economic diversification and workplace development, particularly in non-oil sectors sectors as tourism, hospitality, real estate, and retail; many of which have surpassed pre-pandemic performance. 

“This economic momentum has been matched by a long-standing commitment from both public and private sector leaders to cultivate exceptional workplaces,” Alshaikh said in a statement to Aletihad. 

Alongside the UAE, Oman (27%), Iraq (26%), and Saudi Arabia (26%) also report relatively high engagement levels for the region. In stark contrast, Lebanon records the lowest engagement in MENA – and among the lowest globally – at just 5%. Tunisia follows with 8% engaged workers and one of the world’s highest rates of active disengagement at 40%.

Gallup’s findings also indicate that 25% of MENA employees say they are thriving in their lives – a high for the region – while 34% believe now is a good time to find a job in their local market, the most optimistic outlook since 2017.

Alshaikh emphasised the importance of leadership and management quality in influencing workplace engagement.

“Engagement is not just about policies or perks, it's about a laser focus on people, especially the ones leading others. Leaders set the tone that engagement is what is the most important for the organisation, while great managers account for the 70% variance in engagement,” he said. “Empowered, well-trained, and emotionally intelligent leaders and managers are the linchpin of engaged, high-performing workplaces.”

Investment in Leaders

The UAE’s long-term investment in leadership development across public and private sectors has been central to its high engagement levels, Alshaikh added.

“Early investments in young UAE leaders have resulted in a cadre of effective managers who have helped translate the country’s economic momentum into energised, purpose-driven workplaces. As a result, the UAE’s engagement rate stands at 26%, nearly double the MENA average, highlighting this people-centric leadership strategy.”

Globally, employee engagement declined to 21% in 2024 – only the second drop in the past 12 years. Manager engagement saw the steepest fall, dropping from 30% to 27%, with young and female managers most affected. 

The decline came at a steep cost: lost productivity amounted to $438 billion last year.

Meanwhile, only 33% of the world’s employees say they are thriving in their lives overall, down from a high of 35% in 2022. 

Gallup estimates that if the global workforce were fully engaged, it could add $9.6 trillion in productivity, equivalent to a 9% boost in global GDP.