DBT Bureau
Pune, 8 Nov 2025
To prepare the United Arab Emirates’ next generation for an AI-driven workforce, Microsoft is providing an update on its ambitious commitment to skill one million people across the UAE with an expansion of its global skilling initiative, Microsoft Elevate.
With Microsoft Elevate UAE, the company is making significant progress toward its goal with programs that will equip more than 250,000 students, staff, and faculty and more than 55,000 government employees with in-demand AI skills. Through sustained programs and new partnerships, Microsoft Elevate is providing advanced AI tools, in-demand credentials, and comprehensive training to the region as the company continues to work together with partners to provide growth and opportunity for all.
As shared earlier this week, Microsoft will invest USD 15.2 billion in the UAE before the end of this decade in a sustained commitment that brings together technology, talent, and trust to help the nation seize the opportunities of the AI era.
Together with its partners, Microsoft will continue to ensure the region is uniquely positioned to harness this pivotal moment and remain at the forefront of AI use and innovation.
Advancing AI skills for the UAE’s next generation
As an update to its broader commitment to drive AI literacy and readiness across the UAE, Microsoft is announcing new partnerships with leading educational institutions and nonprofits to equip educators and students with essential AI skills and valuable credentials.
In close collaboration with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications over the next year, Microsoft will provide training for more than 30,000 educators and 70,000 students across the UAE to ensure technology adoption is broad-based and that students are equipped to become leaders in AI for the future. Moreover, Microsoft’s technical graduate skilling program will upskill Emirati graduates, empowering them with the expertise needed to develop and train future AI models.
Microsoft’s work with GEMS, the largest private school provider in the UAE, is embedding AI skills into all its schools and expanding training programs for 10,000 teachers and 150,000 students. This includes custom-built AI agents, Copilot workshops, and AI fluency programs for teachers, administrators, and students. Because preparing the future workforce starts with skilling educators, Microsoft is also focused on AI teacher readiness, with Copilot and Learning Accelerator access for almost 10,000 teachers and students in private schools across the UAE.
Through partnerships with nonprofits like INJAZ UAE, Microsoft is delivering AI Fundamentals courses to the UAE. The Skills Spot platform hosts signature courses for students, educators, and developers, credentialing over 58,000 learners in foundational AI skills, digital safety, and practical applications.
And in higher education, Microsoft has partnered with leading UAE institutions to deliver impactful skilling programs that empower both students and educators. Through collaborations such as the partnership with MBZUAI, which was awarded a Microsoft Economic AI Institute research fellowship, Microsoft is advancing AI literacy and research in the region. Microsoft has also established agreements focused on training with the Higher Colleges of Technology and UAE University. These programs are designed to equip participants with cutting-edge knowledge in artificial intelligence and digital skills, fostering innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of the UAE’s academic community. By investing in these trainings, Microsoft is helping to build a robust talent pipeline that supports the nation’s vision for a knowledge-based economy and positions graduates and educators to thrive.
Credentialing 55,000 UAE government employees and empowering future leaders
Last year, Microsoft partnered with UAE government entities to launch an initiative to upskill 120,000 government employees across the Federal Government, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.
In partnership with G42, Microsoft has developed three specialized courses for government employees, delivered through the JAHIZ platform to ensure federal workers have a front-row seat in advancing their skills. This ambitious upskilling initiative for UAE federal government workers is designed to provide both foundational knowledge and real-world applications of AI for the public sector, with the goal of credentialing 55,000 federal employees over the next year. This investment in human capital will help ensure the UAE’s government is equipped to lead in digital transformation and meet the challenges of tomorrow with confidence.
Microsoft Elevate: A promise to the UAE
As AI and digital transformation reshape the world, closing the digital divide and expanding opportunities for all require collaboration across government, education, civil society, and industry. That’s why skilling is at the core of Microsoft’s commitment.
The UAE stands out as a leader in AI adoption, according to Microsoft’s AI Diffusion Technical Report. Yet, a significant skills gap remains, with more than 40% of working-age adults not yet using AI in the region. Initiatives like those announced today in partnership with the Ministry of Education and others will continue to help address these gaps—and Microsoft is not done.
Microsoft looks forward to continuing its three decades of partnership across the region and bringing its capacity-building programs to the UAE through Microsoft Elevate. Its work together with local partners is not just a program; it is a promise to support the nation’s vision, empower its people, and help create universal opportunity.
