By Staff Reporter
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and sixth globally on Coursera’s new AI-Human Skills Synergy Index.
The ranking, featured in Coursera’s Global Skills Report 2026, measures how effectively learners in 98 countries are developing artificial intelligence skills alongside human capabilities needed to apply the technology.
The UAE ranked ahead of the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, China and India.
The report said AI learning is accelerating in the UAE, with AI course enrolments rising 75% year-on-year. Generative AI enrolments increased 117%, while agentic workflow courses rose 100% and AI security courses surged 243%.
Human skills are also gaining traction, with enrolments in complex problem-solving increasing 56%, critical thinking 39% and innovation 7%.
The country’s growing AI skills base comes amid wider investment in artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index Report puts generative AI adoption in the UAE at 64%.
Meanwhile, PwC’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer found that the share of UAE job vacancies requiring AI skills increased from 1% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2025.
Micro-credential enrolments also rose 38%, with AI-related micro-credentials increasing 101%.
Coursera General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, Kais Zribi, said skills development needed to keep pace with investment in AI technology.
“Skills development must keep pace with investment in AI technology,” Zribi said, stressing the role of employers and educators in connecting learning with practical experience.
Source: Dubai Focus
