The United Arab Emirates has placed 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.
The UAE sits ahead of the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, China and India.
The Index is the first of its kind. It measures how far learners across 98 countries are building AI skills alongside the human skills needed to apply them, while factoring in each country's broader AI readiness.
The report points to a UAE where skills development and practical conditions for AI reinforce each other. Stanford's 2026 AI Index Report puts generative AI adoption in the country at 64%, among the highest rates recorded. The UAE has also approved a federal Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority to coordinate AI, data and digital government, while the AI for All initiative, launched with Google, aims to widen access to foundational AI skills.
Learner activity reflects the momentum. AI course enrollments in the UAE rose 75% year over year, with generative AI up 117%, agentic workflows up 100% and AI security up 243%. Human skills are growing too, with complex problem-solving enrollments up 56%, critical thinking up 39% and innovation up 7%.
Demand from employers is climbing. PwC's 2026 AI Jobs Barometer shows the share of UAE job postings requiring AI skills grew from 1% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2025. Micro-credential enrollments increased 38% overall, and AI-related ones rose 101%.
Kais Zribi, Coursera's General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, said the ranking reflects the strength of the country's AI ambitions and the commitment of its learners.
"Skills development must keep pace with investment in AI technology,"
he said, adding that employers and educators have a role in connecting learning to practical experience.
News Source: Burson Global
