DataCamp and GEMS Education Partner to Expand AI and Data Skills Across UAE Schools
GEMS Education and DataCamp have announced a partnership that will provide 60,000 students and 10,000 teachers across the GEMS network with access to DataCamp’s AI and data learning programmes. The partnership will provide students and educators with access to DataCamp’s catalogue of interactive courses through the DataCamp Classrooms initiative. It represents the largest single commitment to date under DataCamp’s programme to provide free access to its platform as part of an effort to expand AI and data skills among teachers.
The programme will initially be introduced to selected cohorts during the current academic year, with GEMS planning to extend access across its wider network. Courses will cover areas including artificial intelligence, data literacy, Python and SQL, alongside other technology skills relevant to the evolving workplace.
GEMS also plans to incorporate AI and data learning into existing subjects rather than treating them solely as standalone courses. The aim is to give students opportunities to apply these skills as part of their regular learning, while teachers will be able to develop their own capabilities and explore how AI and data tools can be used in classroom settings.
The programme will also provide students and teachers with pathways towards industry certifications from organisations including Microsoft, AWS and GitHub. For students pursuing higher education or careers in areas such as engineering, computer science and analytics, the certifications are intended to provide an early introduction to widely used technologies and recognised skills.
The initiative comes as demand for AI-related skills continues to grow in the UAE. According to PwC’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer, the country has emerged as one of the fastest-growing markets for AI talent, reflecting the increasing role of AI across the economy.
“AI fluency is becoming an essential part of being ready for the world students are entering, but fluency means more than knowing how to use the latest tool. It means understanding how AI and data work, knowing how to question what they produce, and being able to apply them responsibly to real problems,” said Dino Varkey, Group CEO, GEMS Education. “Our partnership with DataCamp gives our students and teachers the opportunity to learn by doing. It further enables us to make practical data and AI skills part of a future-ready education.”
Sam Davoodi, GTM Lead, Middle East & Africa at DataCamp, said the partnership reflects the UAE’s broader focus on developing AI capabilities.
“The UAE now ranks first in the world for growth in AI talent concentration, and AI became a mandatory subject in government schools here this academic year. The region has decided where it is going,” he said. “We see the same pattern in the enterprises we work with across the region — banks, government entities, and logistics groups are all going back to the fundamentals, because the teams that get real value from AI are the ones who understand how data and models actually work. GEMS is applying that logic years earlier in a learner’s life. A student who has written Python, queried a dataset, and earned a Microsoft or AWS credential before leaving school starts their career already ahead — and across 60,000 students within the group, that sets a benchmark for the region.”
The partnership is part of GEMS Education’s wider AI strategy, which includes teacher development, student AI literacy, AI-enabled learning and research, and collaboration with technology companies.
GEMS has also established the Global Education AI Hub and operates initiatives including the GEMS School of Research and Innovation, which provides opportunities for research and experimentation around AI and emerging technologies in education.
