Enrolments in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) courses in the UAE have soared by 1,102 per cent over the past year, outpacing regional and global trends, according to Coursera's Global Skills Report 2024.
The country's enrolment rate surpassed the Middle East and North Africa's 861 per cent year-on-year growth and the global rate of 1,060 per cent, highlighting the increasing interest among UAE learners in advancing their AI and machine learning skills.
“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,” explained Nikolaz Foucaud, Coursera's managing director in Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
The report said this surge places the Emirates at the forefront of AI education globally, ranking third in the GenAI sector after the US and China.
Coursera attributes this growth to heightened interest among UAE learners in acquiring skills vital to AI and machine learning.
However, Saudi Arabia led the way in the Middle East overall for GenAI course enrolment, with 1,788 per cent year-on-year growth.
“The launch of ChatGPT as a global phenomenon for sure has impacted the appetite for learning,” said Mr Foucaud, explaining the continued momentum of AI curiosity after OpenAI's introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022.
Regarding overall skills proficiency, the UAE leads the Mena region and ranks 34th globally in business, technology, and data science.
The report also highlights, however, a pressing need to enhance technology skills proficiency, currently at 42 per cent.
The top skills UAE learners seek include leadership development, resilience, blockchain, and supply chain systems, which are aligned with roles such as operations manager, IT project manager, and business analyst.
“Given the job titles that are of primary interest to learners, there is a heightened requirement for technology skills compared to other countries,” Mr Foucaud said. “To meet the demands of local employers, we see that the expectation for technology assessments could be even higher.”
The Mena region, propelled by significant investments in technology infrastructure and logistics, is set to become a leader in digital transformation and trade, said the report.
Coursera's report also added that establishing The Council of Arab Ministers for Cybersecurity during the 2023 Arab League Summit underscored the region's proactive approach to cybersecurity, driving a 17 per cent year-over-year increase in cybersecurity course enrolments.
“The urgency of understanding the technology has never been so high, and it's not just ChatGPT-related,” Mr Foucaud said. “It's more of a phenomenon of 'it's becoming real' for people,” he said, noting the overall quickening pace of AI introduction in corporate environments.
He also said that the potentially impersonal technological aspects of AI were creating a renewed interest on other qualities for those seeking to gain an advantage in the job market.
“What's interesting is that when you speak to employers, they emphasise 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,” he said.
The UAE also ranks third globally for training the highest percentage of its labour force on Coursera.
As of the first quarter of this year, Coursera said the UAE had more than 1 million users on the platform, with a median age of 35.
The country also holds the highest percentage of its population learning on the Coursera platform, Mr Foucaud said.
Women in the UAE represent 33 per cent of Coursera learners, with 27 per cent pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. As for Saudi Arabia, 28 per cent of learners are females with 33 per cent in STEM fields
Despite these strides, the report underscores the importance of accessible, career-focused skill development and initiatives to promote gender inclusivity in online learning.
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Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
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9pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Chiefdom, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Australia men's Test cricket fixtures 2021/22
One-off Test v Afghanistan:
Nov 27-Dec 1: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
The Ashes v England:
Dec 8-12: 1st Test, Gabba, Brisbane
Dec 16-20: 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)
Dec 26-30: 3rd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
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The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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