In the Coursera Global Skills Report of 2025, Kuwait is placed 5th among Gulf nations and 69th worldwide.
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Pretty crappy that Kuwait only managed to snag the fifth spot among Gulf countries and a lowly 69th worldwide in the 2025 Global Skills Proficiency Index (GSR), published by Coursera. Putting Kuwait in the "Emerging Countries" category, which includes nations with skill proficiency levels between 25% and 49%.
This report evaluated global skills across three core domains: business, technology, and data science. Kuwait showed average performance in these areas, but there's a significant lag in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Maturity Index, ranking 72nd globally and sixth among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, according to Al-Rai daily.
The UAE led the regional pack, placing an impressive 38th globally, followed by Qatar (40th), Bahrain (51st), Saudi Arabia (54th), and even stiff competition from Oman (75th). Although Kuwait outperformed Oman in the overall skills index, it ranked below most Gulf countries in AI readiness.
Now, let's talk about the global winners – Switzerland topped the overall skills ranking, followed by the Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, and Finland, reflecting strong capabilities across technology, business, and data science. On the flip side, Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia, Venezuela, and Iraq were the lowest-ranked countries, with ongoing struggles in education systems and infrastructure.
This report was based on data from over 170 million learners and supported by external indicators from the IMF and World Bank, serving as a global benchmark for workforce readiness in the digital economy. It pointed out a growing demand for generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) skills, noting a 195% increase in AI course enrollments within a year.
Despite the surge, the report highlights a persistent global skills gap, with employers worldwide citing talent shortages as a key obstacle to adopting new technologies. But hey, Kuwait ain't just sitting around whining about it – they're putting together a strategy to boost their AI game.
Kuwait is investin' big in their national digital transformation and Vision 2035, aiming to become a regional financial and tech hub. Digital transformation initiatives are driving demand for advanced tech skills, including AI. The "Smart Kuwait" initiative modernizes government services, infrastructure, and fosters an environment where digital skills, such as AI, are increasingly valued. They're also getting collab with tech giants like Google Cloud and more, enhancing technological capabilities and embedding AI awareness and training into broader digital adoption strategies.
Partnerships aside, Kuwait's education sector is ramping up AI, augmented reality, and robotics in teaching methods, providing hands-on workshops for educators, and equipping them to deliver tech-savvy, adaptive, and personalized learning experiences to students already engaged with digital platforms. Plus, there's a strong push for digital skills development, with a focus on cloud computing, data analytics, cybersecurity, and AI. This expansion aims to upskill both current professionals and students entering the job market.
With approximately 24,000 new tech positions opened up by government and private sector initiatives, there's an emphasis on recruiting individuals with expertise in AI, machine learning, and blockchain. Coding bootcamps and specialized tech training programs are increasingly readily available, offering accessible pathways for individuals to gain practical AI and digital skills.
Lastly, Kuwait's not shying away from global AI engagement. They're lookin' to participate in international AI for Good initiatives and awards, which recognize innovative applications and foster international collaboration in AI skill development and deployment.
Talk about takin' on the challenge, huh? Kuwait's approach combines targeted education reform, robust partnerships with global tech firms, and active policy support for digital and AI skills to significantly improve AI proficiency and help close the gap in AI maturity over time.
- In an effort to improve their AI proficiency and close the gap in AI maturity, Kuwait is investing in education by incorporating AI, augmented reality, and robotics in teaching methods, providing workshops for educators, and focusing on digital skills development.
- Recognizing the importance of technology education and self-development in the digital economy, Kuwait is also teaming up with tech giants like Google Cloud, offering coding bootcamps, and specialized tech training programs to equip their workforce with advanced skills such as AI, machine learning, and blockchain.
