BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
As the UAE marks 54 years of the Union, its classrooms and universities reflect how far the nation has come and how it is shaping a future-ready generation. Today, the country is harnessing the full potential of AI to transform how students learn, how teachers teach, and how the youth is prepared for a fast-changing digital world, experts told Aletihad.
The UAE has taken bold steps and made AI part of its long-term national agenda. Initiatives such as the UAE Centennial 2071 and the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 position innovation and talent development at the heart of sustainable national growth.
In education, specifically, the UAE is embedding AI into formal learning systems, ensuring that the next generation is equipped not only with technical skills but with an understanding of ethics and responsibility in this age of advanced technologies.
AI is now a mandatory subject from kindergarten to Grade 12 across all government schools. A thousand trained teachers deliver the first-of-its-kind curriculum covering seven key AI domains: fundamentals, data and algorithms, software, ethics, innovation, real-world applications, and policy.
"AI is enabling education to become more personalised, inclusive, and forward-looking than ever before. For educators, AI reduces routine tasks and opens space for creativity, mentorship, and meaningful human connection. Technology is not replacing the teacher, it is amplifying their impact," Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Vice President of Shared Services at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), told Aletihad.
Al Nuaimi said that AI is strengthening the UAE's workforce readiness across critical sectors, such as healthcare, agriculture, technology, and data science, which is essential for the future economy.
"Universities and schools are increasingly combining theory with real-world application through digital simulations, virtual labs, and experiential learning. This ensures graduates enter the workforce with practical, future-ready skills," he explained.
Collaboration among government, industry, and academia continues to play a pivotal role in aligning education with national priorities, Al Nuaimi said.
Embedding responsible AI principles into education ensures that innovation serves society while empowering students to use technology with wisdom and accountability, he added.
Al Nuaimi also pointed out that the role of teachers is shifting from delivering information to guiding exploration, enquiry, and creative problem-solving.
"As AI continues to evolve, its true success will depend on how it aligns with the human spirit of discovery, a spirit that has driven the UAE's remarkable progress from the start. The goal is not only to prepare digitally skilled generations, but to cultivate individuals guided by ethics, empathy, and purpose," he added.
The UAE is shaping an education system that reflects both ambition and compassion, he said, one that equips every learner with the tools to create, lead, and thrive in a smarter, more connected world.
At the university level, the UAE continues to invest in world-class research and innovation hubs.
Rawdha Almeraikhi, Director of Outreach at the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), said the institution represents how the UAE translates national priorities into global impact.
"MBZUAI was built as the world's first university fully dedicated to artificial intelligence. In only a few years, it has become one of the top 10 globally in AI-related fields, drawing researchers and students who are shaping new ideas and possibilities for the industry," Almeraikhi told Aletihad.
Nearly 80% of MBZUAI graduates choose to stay in the UAE during their first year, contributing to a rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem, she said.
"The UAE is the first in the region and among the first globally to recognise AI as a pillar of economic and societal development. It set the foundation for a future where digital transformation, research, and innovation would not just support progress, but drive it."
Across the country today, AI talent is growing, diversifying, and contributing to an increasingly sophisticated knowledge economy, Almeraikhi said.
In the Global Knowledge Index 2024, the UAE ranked first in the Arab world and 26th worldwide, a reflection of decades of investment in schools, universities, research centres, and the wider innovation ecosystem.
"This progress did not happen overnight, it is the outcome of a long-term national strategy that continues to evolve with the world's most advanced technologies," Almeraikhi said.
"As the UAE celebrates the 54th Eid Al Etihad, this story continues, one where vision is matched with investment, where institutions turn ideas into action, and where people remain at the centre of every ambition. It is a journey that honours the past while building confidently toward a knowledge-based, innovation-led future."