The UAE has been ranked the Middle East’s most AI-ready economy and entered the global top 20 for future skills and artificial intelligence readiness, placing 17th worldwide in the QS World Future Skills Index 2027.
Released by global higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the index evaluates 89 economies on how effectively they are preparing their workforces to harness the opportunities created by artificial intelligence.
The UAE achieved an overall score of 86.5 out of 100, ranking ahead of every other country in the Middle East and North Africa, including Israel (23rd) and Saudi Arabia (34th).
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The country’s standout achievement came in Economic Transformation, where it ranked third globally, behind only China and Taiwan, with a score of 98.9 out of 100. According to the report, the UAE outperformed every European and North American economy on the indicator, which measures how effectively countries convert human capital into productivity, innovation and economic growth.
The report said the ranking reflects the UAE’s long-term investment in skills, infrastructure and future industries, positioning it strongly as countries worldwide race to prepare their economies for the age of AI.
Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said the achievement reflects the country’s long-term vision of aligning education with economic priorities.
“This milestone reflects the UAE’s long-term strategy to align higher education, scientific research and national economic priorities,” he said.
“In a rapidly evolving regional and global landscape, the UAE is demonstrating stability, ambition and a clear sense of direction. As a global hub for education and innovation, we have invested deliberately in the skills and sectors that will define the economy in the coming years from artificial intelligence and advanced energy to digital infrastructure and our position in this Index confirms that those investments are translating into measurable national strength and progress.”
He added that the UAE would continue strengthening the connection between universities, employers and national growth sectors to ensure graduates are equipped for a competitive, knowledge-based economy.
Strongest performer in the region
The report described the UAE as the undisputed leader for future skills in the Middle East, saying it was the regional leader across Skills Alignment, Academic Readiness and Economic Transformation the strongest concentration of regional performance of any economy in the Middle East and North Africa.
The UAE ranked 17th globally for Skills Alignment, scoring 83.8, reflecting how closely graduates’ skills match employer expectations. The report credited the country’s focus on priority sectors such as artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure for helping it outperform expectations relative to the size of its higher education system.
The country also ranked 23rd globally for Academic Readiness, with a score of 85.0, and 23rd for Future of Work, scoring 78.2.
According to QS, the UAE’s performance is also underpinned by its broader economic resilience. It recorded standout scores for Economic Capacity (95.3), Workforce Readiness (94.3) and Future-Oriented Innovation and Sustainability (93.8).
The report said this combination of economic stability and forward-looking investment positions the UAE to capture the opportunities of an AI-augmented global economy while much of the wider region continues to face geopolitical uncertainty.
Dr Ashwin Fernandes, QS Vice President for Strategic and International Engagement, said the UAE had demonstrated that size is not the determining factor in global competitiveness.
“The UAE has shown that scale is not a precondition for competitiveness,” he said.
“With one of the most coordinated approaches to skills and economic policy anywhere in the world, it has built a future skills ecosystem that converts talent and investment into real economic outcomes, placing it third globally for Economic Transformation.”
He said the UAE’s leadership offers a model for emerging economies seeking to align education, industry and government around national priorities.
Source: Khaleej Times