Abu Dhabi, UAE: A majority of UAE technology leaders identify cloud (93%) and Generative AI (GenAI) (89%) transformation as top business priorities over the next three years, recognizing both as foundational to future growth. That’s according to new research from leading global online learning platform Coursera, Inc. (NYSE: COUR), developed in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Titled From Cloud to AI: How Tech Leaders are Investing in Skills Development to Drive Transformation, the report offers key insights into how organizations and their senior technology leaders are strategically addressing skills gaps to meet their digital transformation goals.

Core findings show that UAE tech leaders view keeping pace with technology (61%) and staying ahead of security threats (60%) as the most critically important drivers of skills development. Optimizing cloud spend (59%) and managing complex infrastructures (52%) were also cited as major concerns, underscoring the urgent need for a skilled workforce.

Kais Zribi, Coursera’s General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, said: “While automation is vital to transforming teams, workflows, and business operations, the UAE data reveal that strategic investments in human capital through upskilling and reskilling will be crucial to driving innovation. As organizations look to fully harness the potential of cloud and AI, investing equally in technology and people will be foundational to building a future-ready workforce.

“This report delivers a clear mandate for technology leaders: investing in skills development must be a cornerstone of every transformation strategy.”

The report also highlights that 95% of tech leaders worldwide view cloud transformation as a key business goal. Globally, foundational skills are prioritized, with 63% ranking cloud skills, such as cloud development and engineering, as the most critical, followed by data (58%) and cybersecurity (54%). AI skills rank fourth, with 47% identifying them as important over the next three years.

Globally, tech leaders report clear benefits from investing in skills development, including enhanced performance and productivity (72%), greater workforce agility (67%), and improved talent mobility (58%).

More than half (52%) of global tech leaders expect 30-50% of tasks to be automated. Nearly all (99%) anticipate their codebases will be partially AI-generated or developed with AI assistance in the next three years, with 86% expecting 20-50% of their codebase to involve AI in its creation. Yet, 88% believe human contributions remain irreplaceable, emphasizing that AI success depends on greater investment in talent development. In fact, 77% of leaders globally recognize that upskilling existing employees will be essential to achieving transformation goals within the next 12 to 18 months.

The global study was conducted across the US, the UK, India, the UAE, France, and Mexico between March and April 2025. It captures insights from more than 750 technology leaders responsible for large-scale digital transformation initiatives at organizations with over 1,000 employees and average annual revenues exceeding US$100 million (with UAE-based companies averaging US$21.6 billion).

About Coursera

Coursera was launched in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. It is now one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with 183 million registered learners as of June 30, 2025. Coursera partners with over 350 leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, and degrees. Coursera’s platform innovations enable instructors to deliver scalable, personalized, and verified learning experiences to their learners. Institutions worldwide rely on Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, citizens, and students in high-demand fields such as GenAI, data science, technology, and business. Coursera is a Delaware public benefit corporation and a B Corp.