From Classrooms To Offices: Should UAE Firms Build An 'AI Curriculum' For Employees?

Schools across the UAE are racing ahead with reform - introducing AI lessons , flexible timetables, and skills-based learning that better prepare students for the future. Yet in the workplace, where employees also crave structure and growth, training often lacks the same clarity. Experts say it may be time for companies in the country to build their own“curriculum of work".

“Companies are already classrooms, whether they intend to be or not,” said Dmitry Zaytsev, founder of Dandelion Civilisation.“Onboarding is essentially the first week of school, compliance training is like compulsory subjects, and leadership programmes are advanced courses." He further explained that, unlike schools, there's no clear continuity. Employees finish training but rarely feel they're on a path of growth.

Just as schools are making AI a core subject , Zaytsev believes companies should do the same.“This doesn't mean everyone has to become a data scientist,” he explained.“But every employee should know how to use AI tools responsibly, integrate them into workflows, and make better decisions with AI as a partner.”

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He also points to flexible timetables in schools as inspiration for career design.“Too often, employees are stuck in narrow lanes. Companies could offer 'career sandboxes' - role swaps, short-term projects, and exploratory assignments - so workers can test their strengths before locking into one track.”

Feedback, too, needs rethinking. Instead of waiting for once-a-year performance reviews, he suggests“growth checkpoints” every month or quarter.“In schools, feedback is part of the learning loop. In companies, it often feels like an autopsy. Frequent, lighter conversations keep people motivated and evolving.”

For employees already juggling long hours, mandatory training can feel like extra weight. Dr Rania Sawalha, a Dubai-based workplace psychologist, warned that burnout is a growing risk.

“Burnout is already widespread in the region, and when training feels like homework on top of the day job, employees disengage,” she said.“The key is design. Learning should be integrated into work, not stacked on top of it. For example, micro-learning - short, ten-minute skill bursts - works far better than sending people to three-day workshops they dread.”

She added that training must energise, not drain.“When employees see training linked to their personal goals and career growth, it feels like an investment in them, not another task.”

Some UAE firms are already testing more structured approaches. Ahmed Al Marzouqi, HR director at a regional logistics company, said a curriculum doesn't mean rigidity.

“We built a tiered framework,” he explained.“At the base, all employees cover essentials - digital tools, communication, compliance. Above that, each department has electives aligned to its roles, and employees choose projects outside their immediate function twice a year. It's structured, but with freedom.”

According to Al Marzouqi, the results are tangible.“Retention improved, and managers reported higher engagement. People felt their growth was mapped, not left to chance. The challenge was making sure training hours didn't overwhelm day-to-day work. We solved that by treating learning time as work time, not extra.”

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