New research from Pearson and AWS suggests Saudi Arabia’s higher education sector is making significant progress in preparing graduates for an AI-enabled workforce. The findings highlight strong collaboration between universities and employers while identifying opportunities to expand practical AI experience.
A new study from Pearson and AWS has found that 88% of higher education leaders in Saudi Arabia describe AI investment at their institution as significant or moderate, reflecting the Kingdom’s focus on developing AI-ready talent in support of Vision 2030.
The report, AI Readiness: Building the Bridge from Higher Education to Work, draws on more than 2,700 responses from learners, higher education leaders and employers across six countries, including Saudi Arabia.
The research found that around 90% of Saudi employers believe graduate workplace readiness is much or somewhat better than it was five years ago, significantly higher than the cross-market average of 60%. Meanwhile, 43% of Saudi learners consider themselves highly prepared for an AI-enabled workforce.
The study also revealed strong engagement between education providers and industry, with 94% of Saudi higher education leaders reporting regular interaction with employers.
“Saudi Arabia has created strong momentum for AI readiness by placing skills, education and workforce alignment at the centre of its national agenda. With AI talent development now a clear priority and large-scale capability-building already underway, the opportunity is to translate this ambition into practical, workplace-ready graduate skills. Pearson and AWS are working together to bridge the gap between higher education and employers, supporting institutions with learning, assessment, and credentials that prepare Saudi talent for an AI-enabled economy,” said Tony Lteif, Global Revenue Officer, English Language Learning and Saudi Country Ambassador for Pearson.
The report identified applied experience as a key area for development, with one in three learners seeking more workplace-relevant opportunities to build practical AI skills.
To help organisations address these challenges, the report introduces an AI Readiness Friction Framework designed to identify barriers that can slow progress from education into employment.
AI Readiness: Building the Bridge from Higher Education to Work is now available in both Arabic and English.
