Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE is setting a global model in building a future-ready, AI-driven workforce through decisive investments in digital education, Coursera CEO Greg Hart told Aletihad on Wednesday.
“The UAE is driving that rapid transformation toward a knowledge-based economy,” Hart said, highlighting “visionary” initiatives such as We the UAE 2031 and the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031.
Coursera, one of the world’s largest online learning platforms, identifies the UAE as one of its fastest-growing markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). As of September 30, the platform counts 1.46 million learners in the country, marking a 23% year-on-year increase.
Across MENA, Coursera now serves over 12 million learners, reflecting an 18% increase year over year.
The UAE currently ranks first regionally on Coursera’s AI Maturity Index, with 131,000 enrolments in generative AI (GenAI) courses to date.
“These learners are focused on building job-ready skills in areas like AI, data, business, and project management,” Hart said.
The top 5 GenAI courses in the UAE in 2025 include Google AI Essentials, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI for Everyone, Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT, and Introduction to Generative AI.
Globally, Coursera is seeing 14 enrolments per minute in GenAI content in 2025 compared to eight enrolments per minute in 2024, making GenAI the most in-demand skill in the platform’s history.
Learners across the MENA region are averaging one enrolment per minute in generative AI-related content on Coursera - up from 1 enrolment every five minutes in 2023.
A recent Google – Public First study estimates that GenAI could contribute Dh298 billion ($81 billion) to the UAE economy.
“Realising that potential is going to require large-scale upskilling and reskilling initiatives, and online learning is one of the most scalable ways to enable that,” Hart said.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report predicts that 56% of the UAE’s workforce will need retraining by 2030, as 41% of core job skills are expected to change.
Despite global concerns about job displacement, Hart believes AI’s rise will ultimately enhance productivity and opportunity.
“Every economic transformation in history has changed jobs,” he said. “I think it’s imperative that people lean into the opportunity that GenAI represents.”
While AI will eliminate some roles, it will also create new opportunities for those who are prepared, he explained, noting that reskilling is key.
Micro-Credentials a ‘Currency of Employability’
Coursera’s data shows that UAE learners are embracing new forms of digital certification.
“Micro-credentials, or what we call professional certificates, are transforming both hiring and higher education,” Hart said. “They're becoming a currency of employability.”
Here in the UAE, 97% of students believe that earning a professional certificate increases their appeal to employers, and 97% of employers across MENA say they are willing to offer higher salaries to candidates with such credentials, according to Coursera.
So far, UAE learners have completed 171,000 enrolments in professional certificates, a number Coursera expects to grow as universities and businesses further integrate its learning programmes.
The platform makes learning more accessible through AI-driven translations and dubbing, Hart said. Its catalogue now offers content in 26 languages, including Arabic, and more than half of its 12,000 courses are available in multiple languages.
In the next three months, 2,000 new Arabic courses will be added, further expanding access to learners across the region.
When learners can study in their own language, they stay engaged longer and achieve higher completion rates, Hart said.
Coursera is also integrating AI directly into its learning experience. The platform’s AI tutor, Coach, available in 97% of courses, provides real-time support to learners, while the recently introduced Role Play tool enables learners to practise skills in realistic scenarios using AI-driven simulations.
To further enhance access to AI learning, Coursera has teamed up with OpenAI as its exclusive online education partner in the ChatGPT app ecosystem.
Users can now get Coursera course recommendations directly within ChatGPT, preview course videos, and enrol seamlessly.
In the UAE, Coursera works with over 100 institutions, including 75 businesses and 15 government entities, to equip employees, students, and civil servants with future-ready skills.
