Lawyering and government employment are no longer the only destinations for law graduates; with the rise of “legal technology,” a new generation of legal professionals in the Gulf is carving out a hybrid path that combines their specialization with artificial intelligence.
A few years ago, when law students were in the lecture halls, they faced only one clearly defined picture of their professional future: practicing law, a government job, or working for companies. Yet this picture has begun to shift quietly as artificial intelligence and legal technology enter the scene and new roles emerge that were not previously available.
Today, a number of young graduates find themselves pioneers on a path that was not drawn for them in advance. They have had to take it, discover it themselves and refine their abilities in it after graduation, a sign of a wider transformation that is redefining the features of the legal profession in the region.
Global indicators confirm the depth of this shift; a report issued by 8am for 2026 showed that nearly seven out of every ten legal professionals now use generative artificial intelligence tools in their work, a number that has doubled in a single year. Regionally, revenues of the legal artificial intelligence market in the Middle East and Africa are expected to reach about $121.5 million by 2030, with Saudi Arabia, where sovereign capital is moving into Arabic legal AI, recording the highest expected growth rate in the region.
A Path Not Offered on Lecture Hall Seats
Many who have entered this field agree that the new path was neither clear nor widespread during their student years; the traditional direction remained the most common among law graduates.
Yet the evolution of concepts and the emergence of “legal technology” have opened a new horizon for them, one that brings together the field they studied and their interest in technology. One woman working in the field says her interest crystallized especially after her master’s research on the impact of applying artificial intelligence to civil and commercial litigation procedures.
“During my law studies this path was not clear or widespread; the traditional path was the most common. But with the emergence of the concept of legal technology I began to see a new opportunity that combines what I studied with my interest in technology, especially after my master’s research on the impact of artificial intelligence on civil and commercial litigation procedures.”
Legal Engineer Shaikha Al Hailaa
Others share the same conviction, though their motivations differ; some chose this role out of belief that it represents the future of the legal profession, not merely a passing emerging specialty.
“What drew me to the legal engineer role is that it is one of the modern, non-traditional specialties, as it combines legal knowledge with modern technologies, above all artificial intelligence. I believe this role will represent the future of legal professions, especially with the rapid digital transformation under way in government entities and companies. I am convinced that demand for legal engineers will grow significantly in the coming years and that it will become one of the core specialties institutions need to keep pace with technological and regulatory developments. This field also gives me the chance to contribute to developing the legal sector by creating more efficient and accurate solutions.”
Legal Engineer Abdulrahman Al Zamel
What Are Law Colleges Missing?
When asked what they wish law colleges taught today but do not, the young legal professionals converge on a similar answer: greater focus on the practical side and on modern technologies linked to law, with artificial intelligence applications at the forefront.
Studying law, they say, is no longer limited to knowing the texts but now requires understanding how to employ technology to develop legal practice. Some argue that curricula still follow a traditional approach that has undergone no substantial development for years, apart from updating laws and legislation.
“Law colleges are still following a traditional approach that has not developed in any fundamental way for years; students are not taught how to employ artificial intelligence in legal work, nor are they familiarized with the modern practices used by judicial institutions in advanced countries. Preparing a legal professional for the modern age requires embedding these skills in the curricula so they can compete.”
Legal Engineer Abdulrahman Al Zamel
They stress that learning modern legal research tools, contract drafting and legal data analysis has become essential in the job market. Acquiring these skills at university spares the graduate years of starting from zero after graduation. Data supports the trend; sector estimates indicate that artificial-intelligence-powered tools can reduce the time devoted to case preparation and legal research by up to 40 percent, a shift that is also reshaping how Gulf companies buy legal technology.
An Experience at the Heart of the Transformation
For some, joining a startup specializing in this field offered a chance to apply their legal studies in a new domain that merges law and technology. This was the case at Oqood AI, a Kuwait-based legal technology company where this cohort trained for the role. Its founder is among the regional voices taking part in discussions on legal artificial intelligence at an upcoming summit in Kuwait. One participant says what appealed to her most was the idea of using artificial intelligence to develop the legal sector and improve the handling of procedures and documents.
“It was a different and distinctive experience because it allowed me to apply my legal studies in a field that combines law and technology. What attracted me most was the idea of using artificial intelligence to develop the legal sector and improve the way procedures and documents are handled.”
Legal Engineer Shaikha Al Hailaa
These accounts agree that what is under way is not a passing change in job choices but a transformation in the very structure of the profession. A legal professional who can understand and harness technology is now closer to what a market steadily advancing toward embedding artificial intelligence at the core of legal work demands. For the companies leading this transformation, the goal is not data for its own sake; as Oqood founder Khaled Al-Rashed sees it, accuracy and linking legal sources are what build a system that legal teams can trust.
