Qatar has witnessed a significant surge in Generative AI (GenAI) enrollments, growing by 194 percent year-over-year, alongside a 55 percent increase in Professional Certificate enrollments across the country, according to a recent report by online learning platform Coursera. This trend highlights a rising demand for flexible, job-relevant credentials that align with Qatar’s national transformation ambitions.
The report shows that Qatar leads the Arab world in technology and data science skills, achieving a proficiency score of 64 percent in both fields. Additionally, the country performs strongly in business skills, with a score of 72 percent. These achievements support Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030, which aims to enhance professional competencies by 10 percent and increase the ICT sector’s contribution to 3.5 percent of the non-oil GDP by the decade’s end.
Ranking third in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for overall skills proficiency, Qatar has climbed to 40th place globally in 2025 from 76th in 2023 and 58th in 2024, according to Coursera’s Global Skills Report. This advancement reflects Qatar’s strategic push towards a diversified, knowledge-based economy and a workforce prepared for the future.
Drawing on data from Coursera’s global community of over 170 million learners, the report identifies rising skill proficiencies, existing gaps, and learner behaviors across more than 100 countries. Qatar’s growing emphasis on artificial intelligence and machine learning as national priorities is evident, with AI-related learner enrollments increasing by 145 percent. This surge supports the goals of Qatar’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy and its broader economic diversification plan, with 41 percent of employees recognizing AI as a critical reskilling path.
Kais Zribi, Coursera’s General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, commented, “Driven by a clear vision for the future, Qatar is transforming its advanced digital infrastructure into a catalyst for AI-powered innovation and sustainable economic growth.”
Among Coursera’s 10.8 million learners in MENA, over 200,000 reside in Qatar, with a median age of 36. Nearly half (49 percent) access the platform via mobile devices. Currently, 9 percent of Qatar’s labor force is actively engaged in learning on Coursera, reflecting the country’s commitment to digital fluency and workforce readiness.
The report also introduces the AI Maturity Index, which evaluates countries’ preparedness for AI by combining Coursera learner data with external metrics from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Qatar ranks 45th globally out of 109 countries and is among the top five in the region, signaling strong potential for AI-driven growth.
