Agenticum · Thoughts · 5 min read

AI prompt engineering courses in the UAE and Saudi Arabia: options and prices in AED and SAR (2026)

You can learn prompt engineering from Google, Vanderbilt University, DeepLearning.AI or Anthropic, or through the One Million Prompters initiative in Dubai. In Saudi Arabia, citizens can also train in AI through SAMAI. This guide covers what each option offers and what it costs in dirhams and riyals.

Nikolay Zuykov · Agenticum · 31 October 2026

Who each course suits, and what Anthropic says to set up first

The options below suit different readers. Google's course needs no prior experience, while DeepLearning.AI's course needs a basic understanding of Python.

Anthropic's documentation says that before you start prompt engineering, you need a clear definition of the success criteria for your use case and a way to test against them empirically.

Anthropic also says that not every failing criterion is best fixed by prompting. Sometimes a different model improves latency and cost more easily. So if your problem is latency or cost, consider testing a different model.

Courses compared: Google, Vanderbilt University, DeepLearning.AI and Anthropic

Coursera prices in this guide are in US dollars. For Google Prompting Essentials, Coursera says the $49 price applies in the US and Canada and that prices may vary in other countries, so check the price shown in your own account before you pay.

ProviderCoursePlatformKey detailsPrice (USD / AED / SAR)
GoogleGoogle Prompting Essentials (4-course beginner specialization)CourseraSelf-paced, under 10 hours, no prior experience needed$49 a month after a 7-day free trial (US and Canada) / AED 179.95 / SAR 183.75
Vanderbilt University (Dr. Jules White)Prompt Engineering for ChatGPTCourseraSelf-paced, about 2 weeks at 10 hours a weekFree to enrol; also included in Coursera Plus ($59 / AED 216.68 / SAR 221.25 a month)
DeepLearning.AI (Isa Fulford, Andrew Ng)ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for DevelopersDeepLearning.AIHands-on practice with the OpenAI API; basic Python neededFree for a limited time during the platform beta
Anthropic, with Prof. Joseph Feller and Prof. Rick DakanAI Fluency: Framework & FoundationsAnthropic Academy (Skilljar)Final assessment and certificate of completionFree to register
AnthropicInteractive prompt engineering tutorialGitHub9 chapters with exercises, plus an appendix of advanced methodsFree

The DeepLearning.AI course has you write and iterate on prompts yourself using the OpenAI API, so it suits developers. Anthropic built AI Fluency with Prof. Joseph Feller of University College Cork and Prof. Rick Dakan of Ringling College. Anthropic's own docs say its GitHub tutorial was written for Claude 3 models, and that you should follow the current prompting best practices wherever the two differ.

Programmes in Dubai and Saudi Arabia: One Million Prompters and SAMAI

One Million Prompters is a Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) initiative that aims to train one million people in AI prompt engineering. Participants receive accredited certificates. Gulf News reports that signing up is free of charge. The official announcement from the Dubai Media Office does not mention cost.

SAMAI is the One Million Saudis in AI initiative. The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), together with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, has urged citizens to register at samai.futurex.sa. SAMAI offers free access and official certification from SDAIA. The Saudi Press Agency reports that SAMAI has trained and certified more than one million citizens in AI.

What it costs in AED and SAR

The UAE dirham has been pegged to the US dollar since February 2002, at 1 USD = AED 3.6725. SAMA maintains the official rate of 3.75 riyals to the dollar. The conversions below use the official exchange rates of AED 3.6725 and SAR 3.75 per US dollar. Coursera says its prices may vary in other countries, so what you pay may differ.

ItemUSDAEDSAR
Google Prompting Essentials, per month (US and Canada)49179.95183.75
Coursera Plus, per month (7-day free trial)59216.68221.25
Coursera Plus, per year (14-day money-back guarantee)3991,465.331,496.25

Example: annual Coursera Plus for five people at $399 each works out to AED 7,326.64 or SAR 7,481.25. Registration for Anthropic's AI Fluency course is free, and Anthropic's GitHub tutorial is free. Vanderbilt offers free enrolment, DeepLearning.AI offers free course access during its platform beta, and SAMAI offers free access. Gulf News reports that One Million Prompters is also free to sign up for.

Which course fits which reader

Rolling prompt engineering out to a team: start with success criteria, not a certificate

Steps 1, 2 and 4 restate Anthropic's documentation. Step 3 is our own suggestion.

  1. Write the success criteria. For each use case, define clearly what success looks like before you work on prompts.
  2. Have a way to test against them. Make sure you can check results against those criteria empirically.
  3. Pick a course for each role. Use the list above. Send business users and developers to different courses rather than putting everyone through the same one.
  4. Check whether prompting is the right fix. Not every failing criterion is best solved by prompting. If responses are too slow or expensive, consider testing a different model.

FAQ

Is there a free AI prompt engineering course in the UAE?

Gulf News reports that One Million Prompters, the DCAI programme, is free to sign up for. Registration for Anthropic's AI Fluency course is free, and Anthropic's GitHub tutorial is free.

Do the courses give certificates?

AI Fluency gives a certificate of completion after a final assessment. One Million Prompters gives accredited certificates, and SAMAI gives official certification from SDAIA.

How long do they take?

Google Prompting Essentials takes under 10 hours. The Vanderbilt course takes about 2 weeks at 10 hours a week. Anthropic's GitHub tutorial has 9 chapters with exercises, plus an appendix of advanced methods.

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