The United Arab Emirates is making artificial intelligence a required subject for all students, from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The move is part of a larger effort to position the UAE as the region's top hub for AI research and development.
Starting with the 2025-26 school year, every public school in the UAE will offer mandatory AI classes for all grade levels, according to Bloomberg. Students will learn about foundational concepts, ethical considerations, and real-world applications of artificial intelligence, as reported by the state news agency WAM.
The goal is to prepare young people for a future shaped by technology, giving them the skills they'll need in an increasingly AI-driven workforce. The new classes are just one part of a broader national strategy aimed at cementing the UAE's leadership in artificial intelligence across the Middle East.
Other countries have made similar announcements—China, for example, plans to introduce AI courses in primary and secondary schools—but the UAE is going further by making AI education mandatory for every student nationwide.
UAE pushes for AI in government and lawmaking
Alongside its education reforms, the UAE is developing an AI-powered legislative system designed to analyze existing laws in real time and update them as needed. According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE, the goal is to make lawmaking both faster and more accurate. The country has set up a new "Regulatory Intelligence Office" to lead this effort, with the government predicting that AI could cut the time required for legislative processes by as much as 70 percent.
These changes are part of a wider push to digitize government operations. The UAE launched the MGX investment fund in 2023 to channel resources into AI infrastructure. Among other projects, MGX is backing a $30 billion infrastructure fund with BlackRock and Elon Musk's xAI. The G42 group, chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, has established partnerships with OpenAI, Microsoft, and Cerebras.
A PwC study identifies the UAE as the current technology leader in the Middle East. By 2030, artificial intelligence could add as much as $96 billion to the country's gross domestic product.
