Saudi Arabia Accelerates Digital Upskilling with 165% Surge in GenAI and 73% Growth in Professional Certificate Enrollments: Coursera

Coursera, a leading online learning platform, today announced a significant 73% year-over-year increase in Professional Certificate enrollments in Saudi Arabia, signaling strong national demand for flexible, job-relevant credentials that align with the Kingdom’s transformation goals, according to the platform’s annual Global Skills Report.

Now in its seventh year, the report also revealed a 165% surge in Generative AI (GenAI) enrollments, further highlighting Saudi Arabia’s rapid progress in building an AI-ready workforce capable of driving future innovation.

This growth in enrollments comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates its economic transformation, with the labor market evolving at an unprecedented pace. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects that 45% of work tasks in the Kingdom will be automated by 2030, exceeding global averages.

In response, employers are prioritizing skills in technological literacy, AI, big data, and cybersecurity. Furthermore, with 38% of companies expected to remove degree requirements to broaden talent access, the shift toward skills-based hiring continues to gain momentum, underscoring the increasing importance of agile, future-ready reskilling models.

Drawing on data from Coursera’s global community of over 170 million learners, the Global Skills Report 2025 identifies where skill proficiencies are rising, where gaps remain, and what drives learner behavior across more than 100 countries. The report confirms Saudi Arabia’s bold strides in AI-driven transformation, noting that 73% of Saudi organizations are already running AI programs and 82% are committed to large-scale upskilling initiatives.

New to this year’s report is the AI Maturity Index, which assesses countries’ readiness for AI by combining Coursera data with external metrics from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Saudi Arabia ranks 37th globally out of 109 countries, placing it among the top three performers in the region. Major investments, including Project Transcendence, a US$100 billion partnership with global tech leaders, and Neom’s US$5 billion AI data center, demonstrate the Kingdom’s sustained commitment to digital innovation.

Based on the set of skills emphasized in the Future of Jobs Report 2025, artificial intelligence and machine learning have emerged as the most in-demand skills among employers, with Saudi learner enrollments in these areas growing by 140%. While AI/ML lead this growth, other employer-prioritized skills such as customer service, systems thinking, and talent management remain important, though learner engagement with these varies. According to the report, cybersecurity enrollments also rose by 61%, a reflection of the Kingdom’s broader emphasis on building a secure and resilient digital ecosystem.

These trends align with the Kingdom’s strategic focus on talent development. Under the Human Capability Development Program, Saudi Arabia is cultivating a highly educated, tech-savvy labor force to power long-term growth across critical sectors such as healthcare, tourism, and technology. These efforts also support the National Skills Platform’s objectives to equip the workforce with future-ready capabilities and advance the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Kais Zribi, Coursera’s General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, said: “Strategic investment in human capital is critical to navigating the evolving landscape of AI and the future of work. Coursera’s Global Skills Report 2025 highlights Saudi Arabia’s proactive approach to upskilling and reskilling through accessible digital learning solutions that empower Saudi learners in building in-demand skills and advancing their careers. This commitment, reflected in strong growth across enrollments in Professional Certificates, GenAI, and cybersecurity, aligns directly with workforce development, a cornerstone of Saudi Vision 2030.”

The report places Saudi Arabia 54th globally in overall skills proficiency and among the top five countries in the MENA region. Domain-level scores show 60% proficiency in business skills, 40% in technology, and 52% in data science.

Of the 1.5 million Coursera learners in Saudi Arabia, 29% are women. Among them, 39% are enrolled in STEM courses, 25% in GenAI, and 24% pursuing Professional Certificates. Closing the gender skills gap and expanding women’s participation in high-demand fields will be critical to unlocking the full potential of Saudi Arabia’s talent pool and driving sustainable economic growth and inclusive prosperity.