UAE interest in AI upskilling surges, Coursera report says

Country ranks first in the Middle East and North Africa region for skill proficiency and second worldwide for business

Data from the e-learning platform Coursera shows an increase in UAE interest in AI education courses. Photo: Bloomberg

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.