29 September 2026
The UAE ranks 6th out of 98 countries and first in the Middle East in the AI-Human Skills Synergy Index, a new ranking that Coursera introduced in its Global Skills Report 2026, released on 29 September 2026 and built on data from Coursera and Udemy learners. Only Germany, France, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong are placed higher, while the United States is 8th, Singapore 10th and the United Kingdom 19th. According to the report, as summarised by Khaleej Times, 60% of the score comes from Coursera learner behaviour (proficiency, the range of skills studied and the overlap between AI and human skills learning) and 40% from the Government AI Readiness Index 2025 by Oxford Insights.
What the new index measures
The Global Skills Report is Coursera’s annual study of how people learn on its platform, and 2026 is its eighth edition. It is the first edition prepared after Coursera combined with Udemy: the analysis draws on a subset of learning data from more than 300 million learners on the two platforms, across 98 countries in six regions. Coursera describes the AI-Human Skills Synergy Index as the first ranking of its kind.
The index asks a narrow question. Are people in a country building AI skills together with the human skills needed to apply them, such as critical thinking, judgement and problem-solving, and does the national environment allow those skills to be used at scale? It rewards countries where learners show proficiency in both skill types, where the same learners develop both, where learning covers a broad range of skills and where the government is ready for AI.
| Component | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Coursera learner behaviour | 60% | Proficiency, breadth of skills studied, overlap between AI and human skills learning |
| Government AI Readiness Index 2025 (Oxford Insights) | 40% | Government capacity, policy infrastructure, technology readiness |
The 2025 edition of the report used a different measure, the AI Maturity Index, so the new ranking is not a like-for-like continuation of last year’s table. The learning data compare April 2025 to March 2026 with the previous 12 months. Coursera itself cautions that the figures describe platform learners rather than entire populations and do not show workplace outcomes.
Where the UAE stands
The UAE sits in the “Leading” tier, the top group of the ranking. The top of the table looks like this:
| Rank | Country or territory |
|---|---|
| 1 | Germany |
| 2 | France |
| 3 | Japan |
| 4 | South Korea |
| 5 | Hong Kong |
| 6 | United Arab Emirates |
| 7 | Netherlands |
| 8 | United States |
| 10 | Singapore |
| 11 | Canada |
| 19 | United Kingdom |
The example of the United States shows how the two parts of the score interact. According to Coursera’s press release, the US has the world’s leading score for AI policy, infrastructure and technology readiness, but ranks 27th of 98 for learner proficiency and behaviour, which pulls its overall position down to 8th. The UAE’s 6th place reflects a stronger combined score across the two components.
The report also cites Stanford’s 2026 AI Index, which shows high population-level adoption of generative AI in the UAE and Singapore. In such countries, the report notes, a strong score may indicate learner momentum alongside an environment that supports applying those skills. On AI governance, the report lists the UAE, together with Australia and Singapore, among jurisdictions that emphasise guidance, safeguards and assurance tools.
The Middle East and North Africa
Countries of the region appear in every tier of the index, from the UAE in 6th place to Iraq in 86th:
| Tier | Countries and ranks |
|---|---|
| Leading | UAE (6), Israel (18), Saudi Arabia (25, the last place in the tier) |
| Competitive | Turkey (41), Egypt (43), Qatar (46), Bahrain (48) |
| Emerging | Oman (66), Kuwait (67), Jordan (70), Lebanon (72) |
| Lagging | Yemen (82), Iraq (86) |
Among the main source countries of expatriate workers in the UAE, India is 40th, Pakistan 47th and Bangladesh 50th, all in the competitive tier, while the Philippines is 63rd.
What the global learning data show
Beyond the ranking, the report tracks how learning demand is shifting. Key figures for the period from April 2025 to March 2026:
- AI enrolments rose 67% year on year, and generative AI enrolments 132%;
- learners on Coursera and Udemy now enrol in generative AI content at more than 45 enrolments per minute, up from 25 per minute in 2025;
- critical thinking enrolments rose 107%, and complex problem-solving 126%;
- micro-credential enrolments grew 33%, and AI micro-credential enrolments 122%;
- in Coursera’s Micro-Credentials Impact Report 2026, 95% of surveyed employers said micro-credentials are a key differentiator between candidates, and 87% rated them as highly important in hiring.
The report warns that AI deployment is outpacing workforce skills. Nearly three in four organisations have deployed or are piloting AI, yet only 18% say most of their workforce took part in AI reskilling or upskilling in the past year. Coursera also quotes Deloitte research: 43% of leaders say their organisation is highly prepared on technology infrastructure, but only 20% say the same about talent. Anthony Salcito, Coursera’s senior vice-president and president of enterprise, said the leaders moving fastest with AI treat skills training as “equally important as investments in technology”.
What it means for companies in the UAE
The index is a ranking, not a regulatory change. It does not alter licensing, visa or tax rules, and it introduces no new requirements or fees for companies. Its practical value lies in what it says about the skills environment in which a UAE business hires and trains people.
For a company building an AI or technology team in the UAE, the findings point to several practical steps:
- confirm that the business activities on the trade licence cover the AI, software or consulting work the company actually plans to deliver;
- plan employment visas and residency in advance for specialists recruited from abroad;
- when hiring, test skills in practice and treat certificates as one signal among several, since the report itself notes that platform data do not show workplace outcomes;
- budget for AI and human skills training of existing staff, given that only 18% of organisations say most of their workforce was reskilled in AI over the past year;
- follow the AI training programmes already running in the country, such as the Dubai Chambers Academy agentic AI programme for more than 14,000 companies and the AI curriculum approved by the UAE Cabinet for all schools.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital supports companies and founders who are setting up or expanding in the UAE. For technology and AI businesses, we help choose between a free zone and the mainland, select business activities that match the planned work and complete the company registration. We also handle work visas and residency for founders and hired specialists. The steps, documents and structures are covered in our guide to company formation in the UAE.
Conclusion
The UAE’s 6th place out of 98 in the first AI-Human Skills Synergy Index puts it at the top of the Middle East and ahead of the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The ranking combines learner data from Coursera and Udemy with government readiness for AI and changes no rules for business. For employers in the country it serves as a reference point for hiring and training: demand for AI courses is growing fast, while the report finds that workforce reskilling still lags behind AI deployment.
Source: Khaleej Times, Coursera.
FAQ
What is the UAE’s rank in the AI-Human Skills Synergy Index 2026?
The UAE ranks 6th out of 98 countries and first in the Middle East in the AI-Human Skills Synergy Index, introduced in Coursera’s Global Skills Report 2026 on 29 September 2026. Only Germany, France, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong rank higher. The United States is 8th, Singapore 10th and the United Kingdom 19th.
How is the AI-Human Skills Synergy Index calculated?
The index combines two components. Learner behaviour on Coursera, including proficiency, the range of skills studied and the overlap between AI and human skills learning, accounts for 60% of the score. The Government AI Readiness Index 2025 by Oxford Insights, which covers government capacity, policy infrastructure and technology readiness, accounts for 40%.
How do other Gulf countries rank in the index?
Saudi Arabia is 25th, the last place in the leading tier. Qatar (46th) and Bahrain (48th) are in the competitive tier, while Oman (66th) and Kuwait (67th) are in the emerging tier. The UAE, in 6th place, is the highest-ranked country in the Middle East.
Does the ranking change any rules for companies in the UAE?
No. The index measures learning activity on the Coursera and Udemy platforms and government readiness for AI. It does not change licensing, visa or tax requirements and introduces no new fees. For employers it is a reference point when planning hiring and staff training.
