Microsoft on track to train 1 million learners in AI by 2027

Microsoft is on track to train one million learners in AI by 2027, as emphasized by Amr Kamel, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, during a speech at GISEC 2026. Microsoft's partnership with the UAE government is aimed at building AI skills at scale, which Kamel described as a core pillar of the country's national AI vision. The UAE government is not only adopting AI but also industrializing it across government and society.

This is evident as the UAE aims to run 50 percent of federal government operations on AI agents within the next two years, a target Kamel considers a firm government plan rather than a distant ambition.

Kamel highlighted that Microsoft and G42 are working together on three pillars: technology, skills, and trust. Many organizations are currently stuck in the "pilot" phase of AI, running small experiments, proofs of concept, or isolated use cases. Kamel stressed that enterprises should not consider the pilot as the finish line, but rather as a starting point for scaling skills.

The third major element Kamel emphasizes is security by design, which involves defining what AI is authorized to do and building a guardrail, governance, and identity control. This approach is meant to accelerate innovation rather than holding it back.

Microsoft believes that skills development, not just technology deployment, will determine how quickly and safely the transformation happens. The UAE government's 50 percent-agentic target is now framed as policy rather than aspiration, according to Kamel. He believes that Microsoft's bet is that skills development will be crucial in how swiftly and securely this transformation unfolds. The race to stay cyber ready is on as AI adoption progresses.