The UAE has recorded a 344 per cent year-over-year increase in Generative AI (GenAI) enrollments, significantly outpacing the MENA regional average of 128 per cent and the global average of 195 per cent. The findings are based on the Global Skills Report 2025 from Coursera, a leading online learning platform with over 170 million users worldwide.
The report highlights the UAE’s growing emphasis on future-ready talent, with 87 per cent of employers in the country prioritising technology literacy, AI, and big data skills. The country continues to lead the region in digital upskilling, with 13 per cent of the labor force actively engaging in online learning.
Workforce transformation driven by AI
Professional certificate enrollments rose by 41 per cent, including a 14 per cent increase in cybersecurity courses—demonstrating rising demand for job-relevant, tech-focused credentials. The report analyses skill trends and learner behavior across more than 100 countries.
The sharp increase in GenAI enrollments reflects the UAE’s broader strategy to cultivate a knowledge-based economy powered by Emirati talent, aligning with the national ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.
UAE ranks first in Arab world on AI Maturity Index
A new feature in this year’s study is the AI Maturity Index, which evaluates national readiness for AI by combining learner engagement data with indicators from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the OECD.
The UAE ranks first in the Arab world and 32nd globally out of 109 countries.
This ranking is supported by national initiatives such as the planned 5GW AI Campus and the integration of AI into public school curricula. These efforts align with the UAE’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, which aims to make AI a key contributor to over 20 per cent of the non-oil GDP by that year.
“The UAE is rapidly scaling AI learning and infrastructure to drive workforce transformation and regional innovation. Its strong performance on the AI Maturity Index, combined with high rankings in overall skills proficiency, demonstrates the country’s growing ability to close skill gaps, nurture future talent, and lead in AI readiness,” Kais Zribi, General Manager for the Middle East and Africa at Coursera, said.
Key challenges: Gender gap and skills shortage remain
Despite the UAE’s progress, challenges persist. The country ranks 38th globally in overall skills proficiency across business, technology, and data science, though it leads the Arab world. Notably, the UAE shows high proficiency in business skills (85 per cent), moderate strength in data science (59 per cent), and room for improvement in technology (52 per cent).
Among the 10.8 million learners in the MENA region, 1.3 million are based in the UAE, with a median age of 36.
Mobile learning continues to grow, with 41 per cent of users accessing content via mobile devices.
However, 72 per cent of UAE employers still cite skills gaps as a major barrier—above the global average. Increasing women’s participation in emerging tech fields remains critical. Women currently make up 32 per cent of online learners in the UAE, with just 24 per cent enrolled in STEM courses and 21 per cent in GenAI, highlighting a significant opportunity for more inclusive growth.
Beyond the risk register: Why future-ready leadership demands strategic discomfort
If your risk register doesn’t provoke discomfort, it’s incomplete. And if your future looks smooth and linear, it’s probably fiction, says these experts
The year is 2029, and vertical farming has become a symbol of national resilience in the Middle East. Governments have poured billions into hydroponic megafarms. Food security indices have climbed and export deals rolled in.
The region has also been hailed globally as a pioneer of agricultural innovation – a place where technology had triumphed over land scarcity and climate stress.
And then it all collapses.
A fungal microbe, exploiting the genetic uniformity of hydroponic crops, mutated in a single facility, sweeps through the region’s interconnected systems.
Within six weeks, 40 per cent of regional crop output is lost. Emergency imports are then scrambled at record costs. What seemed like a shining example of resilience is exposed as dangerously brittle.
The risk was known. The signals were there – just not heard, or not heeded.
This isn’t a possible “future” story about agriculture. It spotlights leadership under complexity. From pandemic blindspots to supply chain fragilities and climate volatility to AI backlash, organisations across every sector continue to be surprised by visible and often documented disruptions that were ultimately sidelined.
Known, but ignored
Why does this keep happening?
Not because the risks are invisible but because they’re inconvenient, ambiguous, or don’t fit the dominant narrative. In environments that reward momentum and performance, there is often little appetite for the slow work of horizon scanning or scenario stress-testing – especially when things appear to be going well.
Risks that are uncomfortable or unfamiliar are easily dismissed as fringe. And when success stories dominate, dissenting signals – especially weak ones – struggle to break through.
The vertical farming collapse followed this exact pattern. Early warnings were buried in obscure journals, dismissed as edge-case thinking. There was no lack of intelligence. But attention was highly selective.
The illusion of the list
Many organisations believe that because a risk appears on a register, it is being managed. But listing a risk and engaging with it are two very different things.
Take the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report. Each year, it publishes a heat map identifying the most severe and likely risks facing the world over the next decade. Climate volatility. Biodiversity loss. Emerging infectious diseases. Cybercrime. Water crises. Year after year, these threats are mapped, flagged, and even color-coded – often with “blobs” so large they’re impossible to miss.
And yet the most common organisational response is to file these risks under “context”, rather than integrate them into core planning. They are acknowledged, but rarely rehearsed.
The problem isn’t the heat map. The problem is what happens after. The mere appearance of a threat on a list can create a false sense of preparedness – a box ticked, a risk “covered”.
Risk registers often serve as a checklist – useful for reporting, but misleading when it comes to real readiness. Rarely do leadership teams ask: What would we actually do if this happened tomorrow?
And most registers fail to consider how risks interact. A CEO scandal, shifting consumer ethics, a tech system failure, and policy fragmentation – individually manageable, perhaps. Together? Catastrophic.
Strategic foresight starts where the risk register ends – not with what’s on the list but with how those risks might collide.
From risk registers to risk realism
So, what does it take to build a future-ready organisation in a time of converging disruption?
We propose three shifts:
Expand peripheral vision: Build structured capacity to detect early signals from the margins – in scientific literature, startup ecosystems, citizen movements, and niche media. Weak signals are often the earliest indicators of system shifts. Unless you design for it, they won’t rise through the usual filters.
Institutionalise strategic discomfort: Challenge internal optimism regularly. Build in moments to stress-test assumptions and rehearse disruption. Reward people who challenge prevailing wisdom, not just those who confirm it.
Map risk interdependencies: Move beyond lists. Use systems thinking to explore how risks could combine. Model chain reactions and secondary effects. Ask not just “What could go wrong?”, but “What could go wrong together?”
Future-readiness is a cultural trait
Foresight isn’t about crystal balls or radical prediction. It’s about readiness for uncertainty – and a willingness to engage the uncomfortable.
The most resilient organisations aren’t those that see the future clearly but those that build the muscles to adapt to futures they can’t fully see. That begins with humility, curiosity, and the courage to ask: What might we be missing?
This demands a cultural shift. One that values critical inquiry over certainty. Signals over noise. And reflection over reaction.
In the aftermath of every high-profile shock – from pandemics to tech crashes – leaders demand tighter regulation, faster protocols, and better reporting. But those alone won’t build adaptive capacity.
Because in every one of these cases, there were warnings. The failure was not one of ignorance – but of attention. Foresight failed because it asked the system to be uncomfortable – and the system declined.
Three questions every board should be asking
Which of our success stories might be blinding us to emerging fragilities?
What signals are we currently incentivised to ignore?
If three of our “low-impact” risks hit at once – what would break first?
If your strategy doesn’t create space for doubt, it’s not a strategy – it’s a narrative. If your risk register doesn’t provoke discomfort, it’s incomplete.
And if your future looks smooth and linear, it’s probably fiction.
Doris Viljoen is the director of the Institute for Futures Research at Stellenbosch Business School and Nic Labuschagne is the head of Strategy and Crisis Management, APCO MENA.
Dubai’s higher education sector sees nearly 20% rise in enrollment
The KHDA’s City of Students initiative, part of its broader Education 33 strategy, aims to increase international student enrollment to 50 per cent by 2033
Dubai is emerging as one of the world’s fastest-growing higher education hubs, with total student enrollment at private institutions rising by around 20 per cent in the 2024–25 academic year, and international student numbers jumping 29 per cent, according to figures released by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and global consultancy L.E.K. Consulting.
More than 42,000 students are now enrolled across 41 private higher education institutions licensed by the KHDA, with international students making up 35 per cent of the total — a figure expected to rise under the emirate’s Education 33 strategy.
Four new international universities opened in the current academic year alone, signalling strong investor confidence in Dubai’s education sector.
The data was released at an exclusive high-level briefing hosted by L.E.K. Consulting’s Global Education Practice recently in Dubai.
The event brought together policymakers, investors, and higher education leaders to discuss Dubai’s ambitions to become a world-class destination for transnational education.
Dubai is a key regional hub for education
“Dubai’s continued growth as a global hub for higher education is testament to our leadership’s vision and the ambitious goals of the Dubai Plan 33,” said
Dr Wafi Dawood, CEO of the Strategic Development Sector at KHDA. “Through E33, we are building a future where Dubai is not only a destination for quality education, but a centre of knowledge, innovation, and opportunity.”
The KHDA’s City of Students initiative, part of its broader Education 33 strategy, aims to increase international student enrollment to 50 per cent by 2033, bolstering the emirate’s reputation as a top-tier study destination.
Ashwin Assomull, partner and head of the Global Education Practice at L.E.K. Consulting, said Dubai’s higher education sector represents “one of the most compelling growth markets globally,” citing its student-friendly infrastructure, global university presence, and favourable cost and regulatory environment.
“Dubai presents a significant opportunity for international universities to meet the evolving needs of both local and international students,” he said, noting that increasing regulatory restrictions in traditional anglophone markets are pushing institutions and students to seek new education hubs.
The briefing also highlighted increasing participation from Emirati students, with enrollment in international universities up 22 per cent year-on-year — underlining Dubai’s dual appeal to both domestic and overseas learners.
Middle East travel spend set to soar 50% by 2030: report
The report’s findings confirm that travel growth in the Middle East is incredibly strong, with annual growth averaging more than 7 per cent through 2030
Travel spending in the Middle East is projected to climb 50 per cent by 2030, reaching nearly $350bn, driven by surging inbound tourism, expanding luxury and business travel, and increased investment in sports and entertainment, according to the ATM Travel Trends Report 2025 released by Arabian Travel Market in collaboration with Tourism Economics.
The report forecasts that inbound travel to the region will grow by 13 per cent annually between 2025 and 2030, significantly outpacing global averages.
Key source markets fueling this rise include Asia and Africa, alongside strong demand from Europe, where the UK and India remain the top international leisure contributors.
“Travel growth in the Middle East is incredibly strong, with annual growth averaging more than 7 per cent through 2030,” said Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME at Arabian Travel Market. “Bold national visions, game-changing developments, and enhanced connectivity are key drivers behind this upward trajectory.”
Travel spending in the region is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by 54 per cent in 2024, and business travel is set to grow at 1.5 times the global average, making the Middle East the world’s second-fastest growing region for business tourism.
Travel industry driven by key developments in regional aviation and hospitality sectors
The report also underscores the region’s transformation into a global aviation hub, with Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and Saudia placing close to 780 aircraft orders with Boeing and Airbus, underscoring long-term growth ambitions.
Meanwhile, luxury travel continues to thrive. With nearly 100 of the Middle East’s 170 luxury hotels located in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and more underway in Saudi Arabia’s giga projects, the region is becoming a magnet for high-net-worth travellers.
According to the report, nearly 60 per cent of visitors to the Middle East spend on luxury experiences, compared to less than 40 per cent globally.
“Travellers drawn to the Middle East tend to spend more overall, attracted by exceptional hospitality, curated experiences, and premium cultural events,” Curtis said.
Sports tourism is another major growth driver. Following events such as Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup and Dubai Expo 2020, the region is set for a 63 per cent increase in sports-related travel, with the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia expected to further boost the sector.
The report highlights rising interest and investment in football, golf, motorsports, cycling, and esports.
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has recorded a strong start to 2025, posting significant year-on-year growth across its ecosystem in Q1, as investor confidence and international interest in the UAE capital’s financial centre remain high.
Backed by major regulatory developments, global engagement and jurisdictional expansion, ADGM‘s Q1 performance reflects the continued momentum from a record-breaking 2024.
“ADGM’s Q1 2025 performance marks the beginning of another landmark year,” said Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, chairman of ADGM. “This is not just a reflection of ADGM’s capabilities to deliver sustained growth, but also the trust it has gained among global and regional institutions.
“ADGM continues to expand and diversify with purpose, welcoming leading firms, deepening international partnerships, and driving digital and sustainable transformation across sectors.”
At a glance: ADGM’s key growth areas in Q1
Assets under management (AUM): AUM grew 33 per cent from Q1 2024. A total of 119 fund and asset managers now manage 184 funds.
Licences: The number of new licences issued increased by 67 per cent year-on-year.
Entities: Operational entities surged 43 per cent to 2,781. Financial services entities rose 26 per cent to 367.
Workforce: More than 29,000 people are now employed on Al Maryah Island, up 17 per cent from the previous year.
Work permits: 3,509 new work permits were issued for businesses establishing on Al Reem Island.
Expanded international presence and strategic engagements
In January, an ADGM delegation attended iConnections Global Alts in Miami, held bilateral meetings in New York and Washington, and joined a panel titled “Abu Dhabi: The Capital of Capital”.
In February, ADGM participated in a high-level UAE-China delegation led by ADDED, supporting efforts to deepen bilateral economic ties.
In April, ADGM conducted nearly 30 strategic meetings in Japan with institutions focused on private banking, wealth management and family businesses.
Al Reem Island integration and new incentives
More than 600 new businesses established on Al Reem Island and 500 existing firms migrated to ADGM licensing during Q1.
ADGM revised its fee structure in January, slashing commercial licence fees by 50 per cent or more for non-financial and retail businesses. A flat licence fee of Dhs1,000 was introduced to boost SME access.
Digital and blockchain developments
In March, ADGM signed an MoU with Chainlink to enable compliant tokenisation frameworks.
Stacks Asia and Bitgrit joined ADGM under its DLT Foundations framework.
ADGM launched an all-in-one mobile app offering compliance tools, licence renewals and regulatory updates.
A new digital real estate platform was introduced, enabling fully virtual sale and purchase transactions.
The Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration reached 170 signatories, including Aquila Capital, Century Financial, Oryx Global Partners, PwC and Olive Gaea.
The initiative continues to promote ESG integration in the region’s financial sector.
Human capital and UAE National empowerment
ADGM Academy created 800 job placements for UAE Nationals across nine career tracks.
Signed strategic MoUs with Arab Youth and the Federal Tax Authority to support upskilling in technology and finance.
Published six research papers on the impact of AI in the UAE financial sector via the ADGMA Research Centre.
As the financial centre continues its expansion and regulatory innovation, it expects further growth in 2025, particularly from financial markets in Europe and Asia.
Ethara’s Danny Klima on project management and its role in global sporting events
Klima reflects on how PMI certifications have shaped his leadership, fostered sustainability, and driven innovation — all while ensuring Abu Dhabi remains a world-class events destination
In the high-stakes world of international events, delivering flawless execution while juggling complex logistics, tight timelines, and diverse stakeholders is no small feat.
Danny Klima, venue portfolio director at Ethara, shares how project management principles are at the heart of the success of iconic events like the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year.
With over two decades of global experience and 18 years in the UAE, Klima reflects on how certifications from the Project Management Institute (PMI) have shaped his leadership, fostered sustainability, and driven innovation — all while ensuring Abu Dhabi remains a world-class events destination.
Danny Klima/ Image: Supplied
How has your project management training supported the successful delivery of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
Live events have their own set of inherent uncertainties and risks involved with anything from weather conditions, logistical issues and last-minute changes impacting deliverables..
We need to be agile and quick to adapt and turn things around whatever the disruptions as the event has to go live.
My Project Management Professional (PMP) and Program Management Professional (PgMP) certifications gave me the tools to lead cross-functional teams with a leadership style that balances decisiveness and collaboration. These qualifications also helped me foster synergy across technical teams and international stakeholders while embedding a culture of accountability.
In the end, the outcome is the most crucial part of it all, and if we are able to navigate the challenges and have a process-driven approach while remaining quick on our feet to counter unexpected challenges on the way, we have a win-win situation in hand.
Sustainability is another key focus. I used my training to embed sustainability within every phase of the project — from work breakdown structures and programme architecture to delivery and post-event evaluation.
This structured approach helped us integrate innovations like renewable energy and waste-reduction strategies into the planning and execution process.
What are some of the key sustainability initiatives at the Grand Prix?
Sustainability is a fundamental part of our event blueprint. The Grand Prix operations teams are quite process-driven to ensure efficiency and they are already dialed into sustainability. Our sustainability initiatives, be it around advanced technology to reduce our energy consumption — all of our track lights are LED so it reduced our electricity demands — or our renewable project, where we commissioned a one-megawatt solar car park, are really a fundamental part of the business.
F1 has a sustainability steering committee that ensures sustainability is embedded into department objectives. For a massive event like this where we have 70,000 spectators coming to an event for a 10-hour day, the impact can be huge. We focus on plastic and waste, wellbeing, energy use, fan travel, how fans get to the venue, how the event impacts the local community, and, of course, carbon. And we think about air quality. We think about noise. We think about groundwater pollution.
We initiated a shift to e-tickets as part of our waste management agenda a few years ago. We didn’t have to produce the plastic cards, or the lanyards. We didn’t need planes and trains and buses to ship the tickets all around the world. So we eliminated all of that waste and logistics from the event, which we’re really proud of.
We’re an old venue. Yas Marina Circuit has been operating since 2009, so we have a lot of old technology. Converting everything to LED lighting has definitely helped. Even simple solutions like having water diffusers on the bottom of taps has helped to reduce wastage especially when we have 70,000 people using the venue.
We work with suppliers with sustainability strategies, who have frameworks and net-zero ambitions, and help us deliver our objectives as well.
As for how we measure the success of our sustainability drive, we have a robust customer feedback survey which enables us to work around our limitations and scale up our success. We also ensure we are up to date with our certifications which showcases our adherence to sustainable measures. We also get scored by Formula 1 for our sustainability plan around plastic and waste, well-being and nature, energy, fan travel, local community and carbon. Formula 1 sets some stringent guidelines and their feedback mechanism through scoring and awards enable us to ensure we are on the right path.
Looking back at the 2024 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — what was a key learning from this edition?
The 2024 edition marked the culmination of a high-stakes season, and delivering such a multifaceted event reinforced the importance of stakeholder alignment and agile planning. Whether coordinating race-day operations or managing back-to-back headline concerts, the key learning was the need for real-time responsiveness grounded in a robust project framework. These insights will help us elevate future editions even further.
How has technology — especially AI and data analytics — changed how you plan and execute events?
Adaptability is key to success in this field. Data analytics has helped us optimise resource allocation, forecast demand, and reduce waste. For Formula 1, we often need to know attendee needs before they do — and AI is helping us do just that. Emerging tools are improving our ability to anticipate issues and personalise experiences, and I’m excited about the continued role of AI in shaping how events evolve in the coming years.
You’ve lived in the UAE for nearly two decades. How has the local culture influenced your approach to event management?
The UAE’s emphasis on hospitality and inclusivity aligns beautifully with our goals in event delivery. Working in Abu Dhabi has taught me the value of adaptability and cultural sensitivity. The local tradition of blending innovation with heritage has helped shape my approach — whether it’s integrating advanced technology or meeting global standards while honouring local customs.
What does the future look like for Abu Dhabi as a global events destination?
Abu Dhabi’s transformation into a holistic world-class leisure and lifestyle destination is purely a byproduct of the leadership’s ambitious vision backed by heavy investment into innovation that marries technology with sustainability. There are of course challenges with regards to climate and logistics and navigating permits, regulations and legal requirements. But at the end of the day, the steadfast vision to offer a memorable experience for all visitors backed by best-in-class practices and world-class infrastructure along with a robust investment into skilled workforce has ensured the emirate has been able to attract a diverse range of footfall. There is huge potential here for the global events industry and what makes the venue truly unique is the adherence to local culture while not compromising on offering the very best of services to guests.
An international event like the Formula 1 Grand Prix draws its own unique crowd – from spectators to vendors to the real heroes on track. The emirate has proved over the years that it can host world class events where technology, innovation and creativity come together intricately to offer a truly memorable experience for all involved. And the cred
