Power Suits and Pressured Seams: Gen Zs in the UAE Running Hot and Human

What happens when you hit send on the final university assignment and, before the dopamine spike wears off, you plunge head-first into the fiercest job market in years?

We at TBWA\RAAD had the privilege of meeting fresh graduates from campuses across the Emirates for a special rendezvous. We spoke to them about their life and aspirations about the future, their resumes still wet with digital ink, and of social feeds that feel like high-stakes gaming arenas. All this while living in a country that is being seen as the country of the future.

The deeper we went, the clearer one truth became: gen z does not travel in straight lines. Born into hyper-visibility, shaped by algorithmic extremes, and raised in times when ambition is fed with steroids, these young adults live on a perpetual see-saw.

They don’t want to choose between opposing forces; they want to keep both, then challenge brands, employers and institutions to help them balance the weight.

Below are the seven loudest push-pull forces we heard—expressed in their own words and through their vision-boards;

1. Super-connected, quietly lonely

“Even when you find your community, your friends… you feel empty. It hasn’t hit yet. What is this life of my own after I graduate?”

Behind limitless bandwidth sits a deficit of belonging. The step from campus to corporation severs familiar peer networks, exposing how digital proximity can mask social isolation. In a country like the UAE, where expat churn is high and social circles are often transient, many gen zs are left navigating a post-university life in cities full of people—but short on personal anchors.

Those who build connection—not just connection speeds—will be the ones gen z call home.

2. Dripping in ambition, but already “cooked”

“Can I say ‘cooked’ and explain? …I agree that we are cooked.” And yet, “I definitely want my own side hustle… 8 of 11 want to start a business.”

The rhetoric of relentless self-improvement collides with early signs of exhaustion. Gen z enters the workforce fluent in entrepreneurial jargon, yet acutely aware of burnout’s cost. In a UAE ecosystem that glorifies hustle—from start-up expos to LinkedIn motivational loops, ambition often arrives pre-loaded with fatigue.

Those who design for stamina, not just sprint—balancing stretch with pause will keep gen z in the game without burning them out.

3. Freedom fever, schedule comfort

“If I’m working for myself, I’d work unlimited hours… but for a company—only eight.”

“When I’m alone it can get boring and feel depressing, so work will keep me productively busy”.

They crave autonomy but lean on routine for stability. A traditional workday helps build confidence. UAE is where hybrid work is becoming the norm and co-working spaces dot every district, gen z seeks the best of both: the freedom to flex and the frame to function.

Those who let young talent toggle—between security and self-direction, rhythm and reinvention—will earn both loyalty and lift.

4. Hustle-culture fever, mental-health caution

“You need the mindset—you can make 50 K in two hours.”

“I’m not with the concept of working and working and working… it shouldn’t be toxic and affect our mental health.”

In the UAE, where crypto gains, influencer payouts, and side-hustle success stories dominate social chatter—gen z is leaning into ambition, but with mental boundaries intact. Rapid wealth-creation narratives coexist with a sharpened awareness of psychological limits.

Success is desirable only if it leaves bandwidth for life beyond screens. Slogans about “grind” and “rise-and-grind” success are slowly fading out.

Those who offer not just fuel, but filters—mental resets, money literacy, and space to unplug—will turn healthy ambition into lasting value.

5. Supercar streets, pastoral retreats

"You can see 10 sports cars in 20 minutes and then obviously you want them for yourself." 

But also, "I want a simple life. The one where I'm living on a farm with cows and five cats, growing my own food."

Economic velocity and visual opulence shape aspiration, but the counter-fantasy is defined by slowness, nature, and self-sufficiency. Nowhere is this contrast sharper than in the UAE—where you can scroll past Lamborghinis in City Walk by day and be camping in Ras Al Khaimah by night.

Those who blend aspiration with stillness—offering moments of pause in a culture of pace will speak to both sides of the gen z soul.

6. Golden Goals, Giving Deeds

“Get my Lamborghini… and buy my mum her dream yacht.” But also, “If I make it big, I’d give it all to charity or start an animal shelter.”

Because… “Some of us grew up with a golden spoon—we can’t act like we know struggle.”

This generation carries “golden spoon” guilt. They feel a moral responsibility to turn privilege into purpose, because excess without impact feels hollow. Growing up in a region where opulence is part of the everyday backdrop—from mall atriums to license plates—they’re acutely aware of how easily wealth can disconnect. That awareness births a strong drive to stay grounded, useful, and giving.

Those who show how to convert abundance into accountability will unlock a deeper, more enduring form of aspiration.

7. Global Ambition, Heart at Home

“I’m aiming for a US master’s and maybe citizenship.”

“Long term, I’ll run the family business in the UAE—this is still home.”

Growing up among 200+ nationalities normalises a planetary horizon, yet heritage and familial duty anchor identity. Having come of age in an environment where international schools, global brands, and passport privilege are common—but Friday brunches with family still ground the week, gen z in the UAE is learning to stretch wide without snapping ties.

Those who offer paths that span continents while respecting local context will win the trust of a generation that moves far, but never lets go.

UAE gen z moves on a high-speed see-saw, clad in a power suit stitched with pressure seams: chrome-bright ambition on one end, burnout-aware brakes on the other.

Supercar sprints alternate with farmhouse retreats; global passports ride in hometown pockets. This generation doesn’t choose lanes—they balance both.

But the question is, why does the see-saw swing so hard?

1. Hyper-visible extremes

“You can see 10 sports cars in 20 minutes.” UAE, especially Dubai, Abu Dhabi normalises both luxury and aspiration at full throttle.

2. Algorithmic contradictions

Digital feeds send conflicting scripts into a single scroll. Hustle tutorials one swipe, self-care mantras the next.

3. Multicultural mirrors

Raised among 200+ nationalities, every value meets its opposite in minutes. Global passports ride alongside hometown bakeries.

4. Pandemic after-shock

“We’ve seen it all… I think we are still reeling from the shock.”

They’ve seen the biggest human lock-down in history. Plans evaporated overnight, so hedging every bet feels safer than single-track dreams.

What This Demands—Fast

These young people are dressed for ambition — tailored by ambition, stitched with contradictions.

The biggest realisation has been that a power suit alone isn’t enough if the seams tear under pressure. This is because power doesn’t come from a perfect fit.

It comes from holding it all together.

UAE gen z needs wardrobe engineering that balances thrust with thermoregulation.
Weave reinforced wellness seams into ambition-driven fabrics—stretch zones for recovery, hidden pockets for local pride, vent panels for global aspiration. Design runways where high-polish networking meshes with genuine peer stitching, and luxury features link directly to impact commitments. Only outfits built for both power and pressure will fit this generation’s multitrack drive.

Don’t just tailor to one side. Learn to cut for complexity.

Culture decoded. By The Home of Disruption.