Coursera, Inc. (NYSE: COUR), a leading online learning platform, announced several new initiatives to improve access to high-quality education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and better serve the local needs of learners and institutions in the country. These efforts include launching a large catalog of learning content in Arabic and AI-powered features to make online learning more personalized and interactive. Now, top courses like The Science of Well-Being from Yale University, AI for Everyone from DeepLearning.AI, Programming for Everybody from the University of Michigan, and What is Data Science? from IBM, which have until recently been available only in English, are going to be accessible to anyone who speaks Arabic. Coursera also expands its presence in the country to serve over 60 enterprise customers as institutions across the UAE embrace online learning to equip their workforce and students with digital skills. With over 860,000 learners and 1.8 million enrollments on the platform, the UAE is the 3rd largest market for Coursera in the MENA region.
“The UAE’s ambition to play a pivotal role both regionally and globally depends on its ability to develop a skilled workforce,” said Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda. “Our mission is to create equal access to world-class learning, and today marks a big moment as we use the power of AI to bridge the language gap for millions across the country. With over 4,000 AI-translated courses now available in Arabic, learners in the UAE gain unprecedented access to the world’s best educators to develop skills for the digital future.”
Here are the new initiatives and features Coursera is unveiling in the UAE:
- More than 4,000 courses now available in Arabic, including some of the most popular courses in the UAE, such as Learning How to Learn from Deep Teaching Solutions,Introduction to Data Analytics from IBM, and Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills from University of Michigan.Now learners can access course readings, lecture video subtitles, quizzes, assessments, peer review instructions, and discussion prompts — all in the local language. The translated content will be initially accessible to Coursera for Business, Campus, and Government customers and will be rolled out to all learners in the coming months.
- Coursera Coach (beta) for Coursera Plus subscribers: A generative AI-powered virtual learning assistant that provides personalized feedback, answers questions, and summarizes video lectures and resources. Coach will also support learners with interaction in the local language.
- Coursera ChatGPT plugin: Provides enhanced personalized discovery across the Coursera catalog, enabling users of GPT-4 to quickly get recommendations of content and credentials to help them develop skills in a given subject or career field.
- Coursera Course Builder: Based on natural language prompts from human authors, the AI-powered course building tool will auto-generate content, including course structure, descriptions, readings, assignments, and glossaries. Companies and campuses can also use this feature for private authoring, using their internal experts to produce custom courses and blend them with recommended content from participating partners on Coursera. It is currently being piloted with select customers.
- Platform innovations to bridge the digital divide and build accessible learning experiences. 43% of learners in the UAE use mobile devices to access Coursera. The platform allows learners to download courses, synchronize progress and quizzes, take notes with highlights, and calendar sync – optimized for low data consumption.
- Coursera has significantly broadened its presence in the country, now serving more than 60 enterprise customers, including institutions such as Dubai Police, Ajman University, Emirates NBD, Ministry of Health and Prevention, UNDP and MBRF, Bayant, COP28, Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), and many others.
As the national digital economy is projected to increase by US$140 billion by 2031, Coursera aims to bridge the UAE’s digital skill gap and equip learners across the country with in-demand skills, supporting the country’s economic growth and prosperity.
According to Coursera’s 2023 Learner Outcomes Report, 82% of learners in the MENA region reported career benefits and 96% reported personal benefits from learning on Coursera. With a large and expanding learner base in the UAE that can now be served with local language content, Coursera is well-positioned to equip the country with skills of the future.
