AI security enrollments grew 243% and generative AI 117%, alongside increases of 56% in complex problem-solving and 39% in critical thinking.
Abu Dhabi, UAE,September 2026: The United Arab Emirates ranks first in the Middle East and North Africa and sixth globally on the new AI-Human Skills Synergy Index featured in Coursera’s Global Skills Report 2026, ahead of the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, China, and India. The Index, the first of its kind, measures the extent to which learners across 98 countries are developing AI skills alongside the human skills needed to apply them, while accounting for each country’s broader AI readiness.
The report identifies the UAE as a country where skills development and the conditions for putting AI into practice reinforce each other. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index Report estimates generative AI adoption in the UAE at 64%, among the highest country rates reported. The UAE has also approved the establishment of a federal Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority to coordinate AI, data, and digital government. On skills development, the AI for All initiative, launched in collaboration with Google, aims to broaden access to foundational AI skills and support responsible use across age groups and professional backgrounds.
Now in its eighth edition, the Global Skills Report 2026 draws on a subset of learning data from more than 300 million learners across Coursera and Udemy. The report combines insights into AI and human skills development with broader national readiness data from Oxford Insights’ Government AI Readiness Index.
Across the UAE, enrollments in AI courses increased by 75% year over year. Trending AI learning themes include AI and machine learning foundations, as well as data and analytics. Generative AI and agentic AI are also prominent themes, with enrollments in generative AI rising 117% and agentic workflows growing 100%. AI security enrollments increased 243%.
Learners in the UAE are also developing the human skills needed to evaluate AI outputs and guide their use at work. Communication and presentation, people leadership and management, and ethics and governance are among the trending human skills themes, together with critical thinking and judgment. Enrollments in complex problem-solving increased 56% year over year, while critical thinking grew 39% and innovation rose 7%.
The report examines which AI, and human skills learners develop together more distinctively than the global average. In the UAE, stakeholder alignment and influence is a common thread across three pairings: AI and machine learning foundations, prompting and AI interaction, and generative AI. These combinations can help people translate stakeholder needs into effective prompts, explain AI trade-offs, and coordinate technical and nontechnical teams during implementation.
Demand for AI skills is also growing in the UAE’s labor market. According to PwC’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer: UAE analysis, the share of UAE job postings requiring AI skills increased from 1% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2025. Against this backdrop, micro-credentials offer individuals a way to demonstrate specific skills verified through assessment, giving employers evidence of what they know and can do. Coursera’s report shows that micro-credential enrollments in the UAE rose 38% year over year overall, with AI-related micro-credential enrollments increasing 101%.
Kais Zribi, Coursera’s General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, said: “The UAE’s position on the Index reflects the strength of its AI ambitions and the commitment of learners to developing both AI and human skills. Skills development must keep pace with investment in AI technology. Employers and educators have an important role in connecting learning to practical experience, helping people apply their skills confidently and responsibly. That is how the UAE can translate its investment in AI into lasting gains in productivity and opportunity.”
About Coursera:
Coursera was launched in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. Coursera partners with leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, and degrees. Coursera’s platform innovations — including AI-powered personalized guide and features, like Role Play and Course Builder, and role-based solutions like Skills Tracks — enable instructors, partners, and companies to deliver scalable, personalized, and verified learning. Institutions worldwide rely on Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, students, and citizens in high-demand fields such as GenAI, data science, technology, and business, while learners globally turn to Coursera to master the skills they need to advance their careers. Coursera is a Delaware public benefit corporation and a B Corp. Coursera recently combined with Udemy to create one of the world’s most comprehensive skills development platforms. Together, the Coursera and Udemy platforms reach more than 300 million learners and 12,000 enterprise customers worldwide.
