Microsoft Elevate UAE will skill 300,000 people in AI, supporting the UAE’s innovation vision through education, partnerships, and public-sector training.
DUBAI: Microsoft has announced a major expansion of its commitment to the UAE’s digital future with the launch of Microsoft Elevate UAE, a national initiative aimed at empowering 300,000 individuals with AI skills. The announcement was made during the Dubai stop of the Microsoft AI Tour, a global event series focused on advancing responsible AI adoption.
The new programme will equip over 250,000 students, faculty, and education professionals—plus more than 55,000 federal government employees—with in-demand AI and digital skills. This comes as part of Microsoft’s broader goal to skill one million people in the UAE by the end of 2027.
At the event, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said, “Today’s investment strengthens our partnership with the UAE by building the talent that makes AI transformative,” noting the importance of aligning skills, technology, and trust to unlock opportunities and drive sustainable growth.
Microsoft Elevate UAE includes expanded access to AI curricula and practical learning tools for all education institutions, including programmes targeting 10,000 teachers and 150,000 students in GEMS Education schools. In partnership with the JAHIZ platform and G42, the initiative will also train and credential 55,000 government employees within the next year.
The Dubai edition of the AI Tour featured a keynote by Smith and a fireside chat with Peng Xiao, CEO of G42, and Samer Abu-Ltaif, Microsoft EMEA President, to discuss the impact of Microsoft’s recent $15.2 billion UAE investment.
Microsoft also showcased startup success stories from the UAE’s innovation ecosystem. These included Takalam, an AI-powered mental health platform; PRYPCO, a property tech firm; and Otera, an enterprise AI automation platform. The event’s Connection Hub highlighted these ventures, with Smith personally meeting their founders to reaffirm Microsoft’s commitment to local entrepreneurship.
Amr Kamel, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, said, “AI represents one of the most transformative opportunities of our time… we are proud to help translate the UAE’s bold AI vision into progress through Microsoft Elevate UAE.”
Alongside immersive demos of tools like Microsoft Copilot, Azure OpenAI, and Microsoft Cloud, the event solidified Dubai’s role as a leader in AI transformation in the region.
