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Coursera Report Shows Surge In UAE Interest In AI Upskilling

The Emirates lead the Middle East and North Africa for skill proficiency and come second globally for business.

Published

2 years ago

July 2, 2024

coursera report shows surge in uae interest in ai upskilling

Applications for generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) courses in the UAE have rocketed by over 1,100% during the past year, according to Coursera’s Global Skills Report 2024.

The enrolment rate easily surpassed the MENA region’s already impressive 861% year-on-year growth and the worldwide rate of 1,060%, signifying an increase in interest from UAE learners in AI and machine learning skill sets.

“Compared to other markets, the UAE has a higher number of expats, so the workforce structure may be more inclined to adopt technology-related or technology-impacted roles,” said Nikolaz Foucaud, Coursera’s managing director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

According to Coursera, the Emirates is now a leader in AI education, ranking third globally in the GenAI sector behind the USA and China. During the first quarter of 2024, over 1 million UAE users were active on the platform, with a median age of 35.

The MENA region is set to become a key player in digital transformation and trade, according to the report, as significant investments continue to be made in technology infrastructure and logistics. However, there is still a pressing need to boost technology skills proficiency, which currently sits at around 40%.

Also Read: The Most AI-Proof Career Opportunities In The Middle East

“When you speak to employers, they emphasize skills that AI disruption cannot easily replace or enhance in the short term – social skills, human skills, interpersonal skills, the ability to collaborate, lead teams, and communicate effectively, including public speaking,” Coursera’s Foucaud added.

Coursera’s report also highlights the importance of career-focused, accessible skill development, along with initiatives to further gender inclusivity in the online learning sector. Women in the UAE currently comprise 33% of Coursera learners, with 27% studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Related Topics:Artificial Intelligence United Arab Emirates

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Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.