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Gulf Business
09-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Business
Massive AI Surge: UAE's GenAI growth hits 344%, leading the region
Image credit: Getty Images The UAE has recorded a 344 per cent year-over-year increase in Generative AI (GenAI) enrollments, significantly outpacing the MENA regional average of 128 per cent and the global average of 195 per cent. The findings are based on the Global Skills Report 2025 from Coursera, a leading online learning platform with over 170 million users worldwide. Read- The report highlights the UAE's growing emphasis on future-ready talent, with 87 per cent of employers in the country prioritising technology literacy, AI, and big data skills. The country continues to lead the region in digital upskilling, with 13 per cent of the labor force actively engaging in online learning. Workforce transformation driven by AI Professional certificate enrollments rose by 41 per cent, including a 14 per cent increase in cybersecurity courses—demonstrating rising demand for job-relevant, tech-focused credentials. The report analyses skill trends and learner behavior across more than 100 countries. The sharp increase in GenAI enrollments reflects the UAE's broader strategy to cultivate a knowledge-based economy powered by Emirati talent, aligning with the national 'We the UAE 2031' vision. UAE ranks first in Arab world on AI Maturity Index A new feature in this year's study is the AI Maturity Index, which evaluates national readiness for AI by combining learner engagement data with indicators from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the OECD. The UAE ranks first in the Arab world and 32nd globally out of 109 countries. This ranking is supported by national initiatives such as the planned 5GW AI Campus and the integration of AI into public school curricula. These efforts align with the UAE's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, which aims to make AI a key contributor to over 20 per cent of the non-oil GDP by that year. 'The UAE is rapidly scaling AI learning and infrastructure to drive workforce transformation and regional innovation. Its strong performance on the AI Maturity Index, combined with high rankings in overall skills proficiency, demonstrates the country's growing ability to close skill gaps, nurture future talent, and lead in AI readiness,' Kais Zribi, General Manager for the Middle East and Africa at Coursera, said. Key challenges: Gender gap and skills shortage remain Despite the UAE's progress, challenges persist. The country ranks 38th globally in overall skills proficiency across business, technology, and data science, though it leads the Arab world. Notably, the UAE shows high proficiency in business skills (85 per cent), moderate strength in data science (59 per cent), and room for improvement in technology (52 per cent). Among the 10.8 million learners in the MENA region, 1.3 million are based in the UAE, with a median age of 36. Mobile learning continues to grow, with 41 per cent of users accessing content via mobile devices. However, 72 per cent of UAE employers still cite skills gaps as a major barrier—above the global average. Increasing women's participation in emerging tech fields remains critical. Women currently make up 32 per cent of online learners in the UAE, with just 24 per cent enrolled in STEM courses and 21 per cent in GenAI, highlighting a significant opportunity for more inclusive growth.
Khaleej Times
05-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE employees most skilled in Arab world, report says
Employees in the UAE are the most skilled in the Arab world especially in the new-age technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. According to Global Skills Report 2025 released by Coursera on Wednesday, Gen AI enrollments surged 344 per cent in the UAE and 165 per cent in Saudi Arabia year-on-year, with learner behaviour aligning with significant region-wide investments in AI and other digital technologies. Ranked 38th globally, the UAE has been placed second in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, followed by Qatar (40th), Bahrain (51st), Saudi Arabia (54th), Kuwait (69th), Morocco (71st), Tunisia (73rd), Oman (75th) and Jordan (83rd). Notably, the UAE is even ranked higher on the AI Maturity Index, placed at 32nd place. 'The UAE is positioning itself for a technology-driven future, with 87 per cent of employers emphasising technological literacy, AI, and big data as their top priorities. Notably, 13 per cent of UAE's labour force actively trains on Coursera — the highest in the region among spotlight countries — showing widespread enthusiasm for digital upskilling,' it said. The nation aims to be a knowledge-based economy driven by skilled talent, attracting more professionals than blue-collar workers. As reported by Khaleej Times, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, said the UAE will become a leading global hub for the new economy in the next years on the back of legislative developments and economic policies adopted by the country over the past few years. 'We now have an ambitious vision, which is to build a national economy based on knowledge and innovation by the next decade, to become a strong driver in achieving comprehensive development for the UAE, and to contribute in achieving the sustainable development goals,' he said during the Sharjah Investment Forum last year. Mohamed Al Shorafa, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport, also said at a forum in February 2025 that the focus is on knowledge-based sectors that employ white-collar professionals, and reduce the blue-collar workforce. Coursera reported that professional certificate enrollments in the UAE grew 41 per cent, outpacing regional averages. While 72 per cent of organisations cite skill gaps as a major barrier — above the global average, the UAE's workforce development programmes like Nafis are exceeding private-sector employment targets, it added. In the UAE, enrollments for AI and machine learning, cybersecurity and customer service increased while top learner skills were corporate accounting, predictive analytics, emerging technologies, leadership development and competitive intelligence.
