According to the Global Skills Index (GSI) 2025 released by Coursera, Kuwait has been ranked 69th globally and fifth among Gulf nations under the ‘Emerging Countries’ category. This category includes nations with skill performance scores between 25% and 49%. Kuwait displayed average performance in the fields of Business, Technology, and Data Science, but trailed behind in the AI Maturity Index, ranking 72nd globally.

In the Gulf region, the United Arab Emirates led the way by ranking 38th globally, followed by Qatar (40th), Bahrain (51st), Saudi Arabia (54th), and Oman (75th). While Kuwait surpassed Oman in overall skills ranking, it placed sixth in the Gulf on the AI Maturity Index — a key sub-index assessing readiness for artificial intelligence integration.

The top five global performers in the GSI 2025 were Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, and Finland — all demonstrating strong capabilities in technical, business, and data science skills. On the other hand, Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia, Venezuela, and Iraq ranked at the bottom of the list, largely due to systemic challenges in education and digital infrastructure.

The 2025 report highlighted a massive surge in demand for AI-related knowledge, especially generative AI (GenAI). Enrollment in GenAI courses on Coursera rose by 195% within one year, signaling a shift in the global skillset demand. Despite this, more than two-thirds of employers worldwide still cite a shortage of skilled professionals as a key obstacle to adopting emerging technologies.

The Global Skills Index analyzes data from over 170 million learners on Coursera, combined with external benchmarks from institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The assessment spans more than 109 countries and covers three core skill domains — Business, Technology, and Data Science — in addition to the new AI Maturity Index.

For Kuwait to advance its global and regional rankings, investments in digital education, AI training, and infrastructure are vital. Strategic partnerships with global learning platforms and policy initiatives to integrate AI into academic and workplace settings could help bridge the skills gap and enhance the country's AI maturity in the future.