ALKHOBAR: Saudi employers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to streamline recruitment, but as AI-generated CVs and job applications become more prevalent, verifying candidates is emerging as an equally important challenge.
New YouGov research commissioned by workforce solutions provider HireRight indicates that Saudi Arabia is among the world’s most AI-forward hiring markets. Nearly two-thirds of Saudi employers said they view candidates’ use of generative AI positively — one of the highest levels recorded globally — while 76 percent said they are confident they can identify AI-assisted job applications.
AI is already widely used across human resources functions in the Kingdom, particularly in training and development, HR administration, workforce planning and analytics. Just 7 percent of surveyed organizations said they have yet to use AI to support key HR functions.
James Randall, Middle East sales director at HireRight, said the debate has moved beyond whether organizations should adopt AI to how they can deploy it responsibly.
“Saudi Arabia is demonstrating that AI adoption in HR is maturing beyond experimentation and becoming a strategic business capability,” Randall told Arab News.
“With 93 percent of Saudi organizations already using AI across HR functions and nearly two-thirds of employers viewing candidates’ use of generative AI positively, the conversation is naturally shifting from whether to use AI to how to use it responsibly.”
AI is becoming an increasingly common part of recruitment, but employers are placing greater emphasis on
identity verification and trust as generative AI reshapes hiring. (File)
The survey found that streamlining hiring through new technologies, improving recruitment efficiency and enhancing the candidate experience are among employers’ top priorities.
But as AI becomes more deeply embedded in recruitment, it is also creating new risks around identity and authenticity.
The research found that 57 percent of Saudi HR and recruitment decision-makers uncovered identity fraud among candidates or employees during 2025, placing the Kingdom among the highest-ranking markets surveyed.
Randall said trust is becoming one of the defining challenges of AI-enabled recruitment.
“The widespread acceptance of AI-assisted job applications reflects a progressive mindset, but it also raises an important challenge for employers,” he said.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Nearly two-thirds of Saudi employers view candidates’ use of generative AI positively — among the highest rates globally.
• Only 7 percent of surveyed Saudi organizations said they are not yet using AI to support key HR functions.
• Seventy-six percent of Saudi employers say they are confident they can identify applications prepared with AI assistance.
“As generative AI makes it easier for candidates to enhance applications and present themselves professionally, organizations need greater confidence that the information informing hiring decisions is accurate and authentic. Trust is becoming just as important as speed.”
Saudi employers are also taking a different approach from their counterparts in the UAE. While organizations in the Kingdom rank among the world’s most accepting of candidates using generative AI during recruitment, UAE employers are extending AI further into workforce management.
The UAE survey found that 42 percent of organizations already use AI to support promotion decisions, while 31 percent use it to assist termination decisions.
Even as AI assumes a larger role in HR, Randall argues that technology should complement rather than replace human judgment.
“The most successful employers won’t be those that simply automate recruitment; they’ll be those that combine AI-driven efficiency with strong governance, identity verification and robust screening practices,” he said.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating AI adoption across sectors as part of its broader digital transformation agenda
under Vision 2030. (File)
“Human judgement remains essential, particularly when hiring for critical roles where skills, integrity and cultural fit cannot be assessed by technology alone.”
The findings come as Saudi organizations continue to integrate AI into recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning and employee development as part of broader digital transformation efforts under Vision 2030.
As AI becomes a routine part of recruitment, employers are discovering that its value may depend less on how quickly it can identify candidates than on how confidently those candidates can be verified.
“As Saudi Arabia continues to build a highly skilled workforce in support of Vision 2030, AI has the potential to make hiring faster and more effective,” Randall said.
“But its long-term value will depend on ensuring innovation strengthens, not replaces, the trust that underpins every hiring decision.”
