Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
For many UAE employees, offices are no longer just “business hubs” but a space that should spark creativity and support their wellbeing as they prefer spending majority of their time in the workplace, a new survey has found.
Architecture and design firm Gensler’s latest Global Workplace survey provides a glimpse into the emerging needs of employees, based on insights from over 16,800 full-time office workers from 15 countries, including the UAE.
UAE employees opt to spend 67% of their workweek in office, which is above the global average of 60%, the poll showed. The intent is not merely about marking one’s attendance but being part of “experiences that matter”. They wanted to participate in team meetings and confidential conversations, while also aiming to be visible to the senior leadership.
Only 28%, however, believe their meeting spaces are equipped to support these activities effectively.
“Our research shows that employees want to come to the office for what they can’t get at home: team synergy, chance encounters, and real-time decision-making,” Edith Eddy, Senior Interior Designer for Workplace at Gensler Middle East, told Aletihad.
“We have an opportunity to redesign the office around collaboration - with a mix of enclosed and open zones, advanced tech for hybrid work, acoustic control, and hospitality-grade amenities that encourage teams to gather, create, and solve together.”
The poll found that the UAE is among the top five countries where employees seek “imaginative” and “wellness-focused” spaces for work.
This aligns with a global trend that shows a growing preference for “creative labs” and “nature retreats” that create flexible, tranquil, and purpose-driven environments that support innovation and wellbeing.
Setting the Benchmark
With the UAE’s constant drive to innovate, offices in the country have the potential to serve as global models for future-ready workplace design, Eddy said.
“With ambitious national agendas like We the UAE 2031 and the National Strategy for Wellbeing, there’s a powerful mandate to re-imagine offices as enablers of innovation, talent retention, and wellbeing,” she said.
“By designing spaces that prioritise creativity, connection, and cultural resonance, the UAE can set a global benchmark for future-ready workplaces that align with both economic and human capital goals.”
Multiple regional headquarters that Gensler had designed in the country, for example, “have gone on to pioneer the design template for all other offices for international clients around the globe”, Eddy said.
Preferred Amenities
The distinctive Emirati community spirit and hospitality culture are also being reflected in workplace design, Eddy said. Here, offices value on-site prayer rooms as well as informal dining areas and majlises.
Many also prefer offices that are within walking distance to coffee shops, medical centres, green spaces, and places of worship, highlighting a need for holistic, community-focused work environments.
In terms of on-site amenities, employees in the country prioritised cafés, coworking zones, quiet rooms, libraries, and innovation hubs. Compared to their peers around the world, they are also more likely to value flexible work areas and food halls.
“Purposeful design can transform the office from a place of routine into a platform for creativity and impact,” Eddy said.
“By embedding wellness into the very DNA of workplace design, UAE organisations can unlock higher engagement, lower burnout, and more sustainable performance.”
