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3 min. Read
|Nov 8, 2025 4:33 PM

Microsoft Pledges to Train 1 Million UAE Residents in AI by 2027

Sahiba Sharma
By Sahiba Sharma
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Microsoft has significantly expanded its commitment to the UAE’s digital transformation, announcing the growth of its ‘Microsoft Elevate UAE’ initiative.

This program, part of a broader global skilling effort, aims to equip one million people across the UAE with essential Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills by the end of 2027.

The ambitious goal aligns directly with the UAE’s National AI Strategy 2031 and is anchored by Microsoft’s substantial $15.2 billion investment in the country by the end of the decade.

The initiative focuses on bridging the critical AI skills gap, strengthening the nation’s workforce pipeline, and ensuring the UAE remains a global leader in AI adoption and innovation.

The investment package combines technology, talent, and trust, specifically funding advanced AI and cloud data centers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while simultaneously creating massive upskilling opportunities.

Strategic Focus Areas and Key Partnerships

The ‘Microsoft Elevate UAE’ initiative is multi-pronged, targeting different segments of the UAE’s population through strategic collaborations with government, education, and non-profit organizations.

1. Government and Public Sector Skilling

A major focus is on building AI capability within the public sector to drive innovation and enhance service delivery.

  • Target: Train and credential 55,000 UAE federal government employees in AI over the next 12 months.
  • Partnership: Collaboration with G42 (the UAE’s sovereign AI company) and the JAHIZ platform.
  • Programs: The program offers specialized AI courses combining foundational skills with practical applications. It also includes leadership development programs for senior executives, focusing on digital transformation and responsible AI adoption and governance.

2. Education and Future Workforce

The initiative is deeply embedding AI literacy across the entire education spectrum, from primary schools to advanced research institutions.

  • Target: Equip over 250,000 students, staff, and faculty with in-demand AI skills.
  • School-Level Programs: A partnership with GEMS Education (the UAE’s largest private school provider) aims to train 10,000 teachers and 150,000 students, embedding AI-focused content, custom AI agents, and Copilot workshops directly into the curriculum.
  • Higher Education: Collaborations with institutions like Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), UAE University, and the Higher Colleges of Technology advance AI literacy and research, strengthening the local talent pipeline. A new technical graduate skilling track is also being launched to empower Emirati graduates to develop and train future AI models.

3. Broad Community Skilling

Microsoft is also working with non-profit partners to ensure widespread access to foundational AI skills.

  • Non-Profit Engagement: Through partnerships like INJAZ UAE, the initiative delivers AI Fundamentalscourses via the Skills Spot platform. This effort has already credentialed tens of thousands of learners in foundational AI skills, digital safety, and practical use cases.
  • Local Startups: The initiative supports the wider ecosystem by spotlighting local startup achievements, demonstrating the practical impact of AI in areas like mental health (Takalam) and property technology (PRYPCO).

The $15.2 Billion Investment by Microsoft

Microsoft’s massive financial injection into the UAE inextricably links to the commitment to training 1 million people.

Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, stated that the investment strengthens the partnership. It achieves this by building the talent that makes AI transformative.

This investment is not merely capital for infrastructure; it is a strategic move to create a fully AI-ready ecosystem.

Analysts project that Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem alone could generate over 152,000 new jobs in the country.

This highlights the urgency to rapidly upskill the local workforce to meet future demand.

The skilling initiative thus acts as the human capital engine. This engine is necessary to realize the economic return on the large technological investment.

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