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Working in Dubai or Doha? How Australia's AI redundancy debate could shape your next career step

News · 2026-10-07 · 4 min read

If you are weighing a move from the UAE to Australia, the conversation about artificial intelligence in Australian workplaces deserves a place in your planning. Earlier in 2026, employment lawyers in Australia said they were now taking on cases of office staff made redundant because of AI almost every week, a pattern one specialist said her profession was not even considering two years ago.

For professionals based in Dubai, Doha or Riyadh, this is not a reason to pause. It is a reason to think carefully about which part of the Australian labour market you aim for, and how you present your experience.

Where the pressure is showing

The redundancies lawyers describe sit mostly in white-collar work. Administration, data analytics, coding and copywriting were named as the areas hit hardest, because AI tools can now take over parts of those tasks. The same specialist pointed out that Australia has a large share of physical, hands-on jobs, which gives the country some cushion, but she did not believe it was prepared for a major shift.

A business academic from a Sydney university added a structural point: office employment in Australia has expanded while sectors such as manufacturing have contracted. That mix may have left more of the workforce exposed to automation than many people realise. In the US, white-collar employment fell in 2025, with large staff cuts at some of the biggest companies in the world.

The mood among Australian employees

Survey research released around the same time gives a mixed picture:

• roughly half of those surveyed said AI had not yet affected their work;
• 32 per cent said they would have picked another career had they known how far AI would spread;
• about 40 per cent felt unprepared for major change.

Put another way, around one in three Australians now has second thoughts about their career path. For an experienced professional arriving from the Gulf, that uncertainty among local workers is useful context when you assess an offer and the role behind it.

Regulation: a measured approach for now

An independent senator for the ACT has criticised the federal government for taking a light-touch approach to AI, said thousands of jobs had already gone, and argued that unemployment reaching 10 per cent could not be ruled out if the technology moved too quickly. He backed a dedicated National Artificial Intelligence Act. The government has decided not to proceed with that Act and has instead set expectations for the industry.

The government's stated position is that its National AI Plan should help Australia capture the opportunities of AI and share the benefits while keeping people safe, with secure, ongoing work at the centre. It has linked those benefits to stronger AI and digital skills and to genuine consultation with workers about how AI is used on the job. Early analysis from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations suggests AI has not yet changed the shape of the workforce faster than usual, although officials describe this as observation rather than forecast.

Investment is also flowing in. Shortly before these comments, Microsoft announced a $25 billion commitment to AI infrastructure and skills in Australia, and Anthropic signed a memorandum with the government to support its AI plan. In March, the government also published expectations for data centres and AI infrastructure, one of which is to invest in Australian skills and jobs.

A considered approach for Gulf-based applicants

None of this changes the visa rules, but it can sharpen your strategy:

• Lead with what AI cannot easily replace. Site leadership, client relationships, safety responsibility and judgement-heavy work read well in any market.
• Show your digital fluency. Government messaging puts weight on AI and digital skills, so name the tools and systems you already use.
• Check the visa pathway first. The Department of Home Affairs visa finder sets out the options for working in Australia.
• Prepare your documents early. If a police certificate is requested, you may need one from the UAE or another Gulf country where you have lived, as well as from your home country. An English test such as IELTS or PTE may also be needed.

Unions are expected to seek clauses in upcoming enterprise agreements that either stop staff being replaced by AI or raise redundancy payments when it happens, so workplace protections may evolve. For now, Australia appears to be watching how AI plays out elsewhere, particularly in the US, before moving further. For a professional planning a move from Dubai, that gives time to choose a role, and an employer, built for the long term.

#gulf professionals #australia jobs from dubai #artificial intelligence #white-collar jobs #move from uae to australia #career planning