Massive AI Surge: UAE's GenAI growth hits 344%, leading the region

Gulf Business

2 days ago

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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.
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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.