Organisations in the United Arab Emirates lead the world in transformation preparedness, highlighting the critical role of strategic communication and agile leadership in navigating rapid market changes, according to the PROI Transformation Readiness Index 2025.
Organisations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are setting a global benchmark in their readiness for large-scale transformation, outpacing peers across more than 30 countries in a recent international study. According to the PROI Transformation Readiness Index 2025, UAE firms scored an impressive 81 points out of 100, compared with the global average of 73, demonstrating superior preparation across four critical pillars: Planning, Leadership, Engagement, and Monitoring.
In today’s volatile business landscape—characterised by rapid technological changes, geopolitical shifts, climate urgency, and evolving workforce expectations—transformation is no longer episodic but a continuous necessity. However, global data reveal many organisations still struggle fundamentally with managing change, particularly around communication and monitoring. The PROI study, which surveyed 675 executives and 25 senior transformation experts, found that only one in four business leaders worldwide rated their transformation communication as effective. Furthermore, 65% of organisations admitted a lack of systems to track how well change communication lands with employees, a finding corroborated by Gartner’s revealing that most firms face significant gaps in change management capabilities.
The consequences of such communication breakdowns are stark. As Dirk Aarts, Project Leader of the PROI Transformation Report, observed, “Transformation fails not because strategy is flawed, but because communication breaks down.” This insight echoes widely in the industry, with consultants from Bain & Company and Strategy+Business highlighting unclear objectives, insufficient leadership, and poor messaging as core reasons behind high transformation failure rates. Similarly, Forbes emphasises that trust—built through transparent, consistent communication—is the essential currency that fuels successful change initiatives.
Against this challenging backdrop, the UAE emerges as a leading example of how to institutionalise transformation readiness. UAE leaders scored notably higher in their ability to articulate the purpose of change, with a rating of 4.2 out of 5 in explaining transformation goals, exceeding the global average of 3.7. Louise Mezzina, PR Partner at Mojo and PROI Worldwide’s representative in the UAE, attributes this success to the nation’s unique environment: “The UAE is a proving ground for transformation, where national ambition drives a relentless pace and a highly diverse workforce demands clarity at speed.”
Several distinctive strengths underpin the UAE’s leadership in transformation. First, visible and trusted senior leadership plays a pivotal role in setting clear goals and aligning efforts from the top down. In traditionally hierarchical organisations, middle managers act as critical “hinge points,” bridging strategy and execution by maintaining ongoing alignment. Frequent renewal of engagement is crucial, given the UAE’s transient workforce, meaning that transformation efforts must be continuously refreshed rather than seen as one-off pushes.
However, the PROI study also highlights areas for growth. While internal alignment within UAE organisations ranks highly, external engagement with regulators, partners, and customers lags behind. This external blind spot poses risks in a policy-driven and interconnected market, suggesting that broadening stakeholder inclusion in transformation efforts could enhance organisational resilience further.
The UAE’s performance is not only a reflection of national ambition but evidence of the pressing need for continual adaptation and innovation in a rapidly evolving market. As Mezzina notes, sustaining transformation momentum depends heavily on consistently aligning employees, managers, and external parties because “change never slows down.”
For global leaders, the lesson from the PROI Transformation Readiness Index 2025 is unequivocal: transformation success hinges less on the strategic plan itself and more on the capability to communicate it effectively. Monitoring progress and renewing trust are indispensable in maintaining alignment throughout the journey. As disruption continues to define the business environment worldwide, organisations that master these skills will do more than survive—they will lead.
In summary, the UAE’s example demonstrates how visible leadership, rapid and clear communication, and adaptive engagement strategies create a robust foundation for managing transformation in complex, dynamic contexts. Yet, it also serves as a reminder that continuous improvement, particularly in extending engagement beyond internal stakeholders, remains essential to sustaining long-term success.
Source: Noah Wire Services
