Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – April 2025: Coursera, a leading online learning platform, today released its Micro-Credentials Impact Report 2025, offering new insights into how micro-credentials are transforming education and employment. Drawing on insights from students and employers across six regions, the report underscores the rising global momentum behind micro-credentials, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a regional leader in adopting skills-based hiring.
Findings reveal that 98% of employers in Saudi Arabia are already leveraging or exploring skills-based hiring practices to build a future-ready workforce. This aligns with a global trend, as rapid technological change and economic uncertainty drive demand for fast, flexible, and job-relevant learning. Micro-credentials are emerging as a powerful solution—accelerating onboarding, improving salaries, and reducing training costs. With employers and learners reporting strong returns, Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of this global shift, advancing a knowledge economy in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
The report highlights the tangible value of micro-credentials for both learners and employers. In Saudi Arabia, 96% of employers say micro-credentials strengthen a candidate’s application, and 97% are willing to offer higher starting salaries to micro-credential holders. Employers also show strong preference for candidates with credit-bearing credentials (94%) and those focused on Generative AI (70%), indicating they are more likely to hire such candidates over those without these credentials.
“Micro-credentials are emerging as a game-changer for Saudi Arabia’s workforce transformation. Employers are not only recognizing their value but also rewarding it with higher salaries and faster hiring decisions,” said Kais Zribi, Coursera’s General Manager for the Middle East and Africa. “As the Kingdom accelerates toward Vision 2030, industry-aligned credentials will play a pivotal role in bridging skill gaps and preparing talent for the jobs of the future.”
The report also identifies the skills in greatest demand. In Saudi Arabia, employers place the highest value on everyday skills such as Resilience and Adaptability, Collaboration, and Business Communication, particularly in new hires with micro-credentials. This trend reflects the region’s shift toward continuous, agile learning. Among technical skills, demand is highest for Generative AI, Cybersecurity, and Software Development.
Over the past year, 84% of Saudi employers have hired at least one candidate holding a micro-credential, highlighting a growing shift toward skills-based recruitment. To further accelerate this momentum, the report recommends that institutions align credential programs with the Kingdom’s economic diversification agenda. It calls for deeper collaboration between academia, industry, and government to ensure programs address in-demand skills and support national workforce development.
Across the broader MENA region, the uptake of micro-credentials continues to grow. More than two in five students have already earned at least one micro-credential—one of the highest adoption rates globally. Learners are increasingly focused on outcomes, with 94% of students in MENA believing that earning a micro-credential will help them succeed in their jobs.
This confidence is shared by employers across the region: 92% believe entry-level employees with micro-credentials demonstrate stronger capabilities in areas like problem-solving and communication, and 94% agree that these individuals possess skills that are immediately applicable in the workplace. Additionally, 97% of MENA employers are willing to offer micro-credential holders higher starting salaries, and 91% believe hiring them reduces the time and cost of first-year training.
The findings of the Micro-Credentials Impact Report 2025 provide the strongest evidence yet that students and employers are realizing real returns from these credentials, signaling a clear path forward for education systems looking to stay relevant in an evolving job market.
About Coursera:
Coursera was launched in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. It is now one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with 175 million registered learners as of March 31, 2025. Coursera partners with over 350 leading universities and industry leaders to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, and degrees. Coursera’s platform innovations enable instructors to deliver scalable, personalized, and verified learning experiences to their learners. Institutions worldwide rely on Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, citizens, and students in high-demand fields such as GenAI, data science, technology, and business. Coursera is a Delaware public benefit corporation and a B Corp.
