Agenticum · Thoughts · 6 min read

AI diplomas in the UAE and Saudi Arabia: three options compared

Three institutions offer three very different diplomas: a postgraduate award at UOWD in Dubai, a Pearson HND at GBS Dubai and a free Arabic-medium diploma at Majmaah University in Saudi Arabia. Below is what each one costs, how long it takes and who it suits.

Nikolay Zuykov · Agenticum · 4 November 2026

What "diploma in artificial intelligence" means in the UAE and Saudi Arabia

The same phrase is used for credentials at quite different levels. Check the level before you compare prices. The three programmes lead to different types of qualification:

Graduate Diploma (postgraduate). UOWD's Graduate Diploma in Applied Artificial Intelligence is a 48-credit-point postgraduate award. Applicants need a bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited institution.
Pearson BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND). Pearson's HND in Digital Technologies is a 240-credit qualification at Levels 4 to 5, with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Solutions and Applications pathway. GBS Dubai teaches this pathway over two years.
Applied-college diploma. In Saudi Arabia, Majmaah University's Applied College offers a two-year diploma in Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence with 71 credit hours.

UOWD requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent. GBS says academic entry requirements vary by country and asks applicants to contact it. Confirm Majmaah's requirements directly with the university.

Three AI diplomas from three different institutions, side by side

	UOWD (Dubai)	GBS Dubai (Pearson)	Majmaah Applied College (KSA)
Level	Graduate Diploma (postgraduate), 48 CP	Pearson BTEC HND, Levels 4 to 5, 240 credits	Diploma, 71 credit hours
Length	12 months, 8 subjects	2 years	2 years
Intakes	September, January, April	January, March, June, September	Admission listed as Available
Language	IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each band, or an accepted equivalent	Check with GBS	Arabic
Delivery	Check with UOWD	Weekdays, weekends or evenings, Dubai	Regular on-campus study, morning period, Majmaah campus
Total fee	AED 75,322.80 / USD 20,509.95 / SAR 76,912.32	AED 80,000 / USD 21,783.53 / SAR 81,688.22	Free
Entry	Bachelor's degree or equivalent	Varies by country; contact GBS	Check with the university
Recognition	CAA accredited, KHDA licensed	KHDA permit; Pearson qualification	Check with the university

Option 1: UOWD Graduate Diploma in Applied Artificial Intelligence (Dubai)

Who it suits: graduates, including those whose first degree is not technical. UOWD says the programme is designed for both technical and non-technical learners. Holders of bachelor's degrees in unrelated fields may be admitted subject to an interview and remedial subjects.

What you study: 8 subjects worth 48 credit points over 12 months. The foundation component (4 subjects, 24 CP) is designed for students from non-technical backgrounds and covers programming, databases, machine learning and data engineering. The core component (4 subjects, 24 CP) covers deep learning, NLP and LLMs, MLOps and agentic AI.

Entry: a bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited institution, and IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each band, or an accepted equivalent.

Fee: AED 9,415.35 per subject, VAT included. The page also shows USD 2,565 per subject.

Exit points: the 4 foundation subjects earn a Graduate Certificate in Applied AI. All 8 subjects earn the Graduate Diploma, and 12 subjects earn the Master of Applied AI. You can stop at the certificate or carry on to the master's.

Option 2: Pearson BTEC HND in Digital Technologies (AI Solutions and Applications) at GBS Dubai

Who it suits: people who need flexible class times. Classes run on weekdays, weekends or evenings in Dubai. GBS says academic entry requirements vary by country, so contact it to check whether you qualify.

What you study: 120 credits in Year 1, including a unit on Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Systems, then 120 credits of Level 5 units in Year 2. Pearson awards the qualification.

Assessment: coursework only, with no formal exams. GBS lists presentations, assignments, case studies, portfolios and reports.

Fee and intakes: AED 40,000 per year, with intakes in January, March, June and September.

Option 3: Majmaah University Applied College diploma in Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence (KSA)

Who it suits: students in Saudi Arabia who want Arabic-medium, on-campus study at no listed fee. The diploma has 71 credit hours over 2 years. Teaching is in Arabic, with morning classes on the Majmaah campus. The university lists the fee as Free and the admission status as Available.

Before you apply, check the entry requirements, whether non-Saudi residents can enrol and whether they can study tuition-free.

A Saudi option to watch: Tuwaiq Academy. Tuwaiq announced a data science and AI diploma, accredited by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), to start in December 2024 and run for 9 months. Its tracks included machine learning, data analysis with Python and Tableau, AI-based systems development and big-data management. We have not confirmed a current intake, so do not treat it as open for enrolment.

Recognition and paperwork before you pay

CAA: The Commission for Academic Accreditation of the UAE Ministry of Education. UOWD states that all its degrees are CAA accredited.
KHDA: The Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai. UOWD is licensed by KHDA. GBS Dubai holds a KHDA permit, and qualifications it grants that KHDA certifies are recognised in the Emirate of Dubai. The GBS statement covers Dubai, so if you plan to use the HND elsewhere, ask how it is recognised there.
QN: Pearson's qualification number. Pearson lists the 2021 HND in Digital Technologies under QN 603/7167/5, available in the UK and internationally, first taught on 1 March 2021. Ask GBS which Pearson specification it delivers so you can match the QN to your course.
TVTC: Saudi Arabia's Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, which accredited the Tuwaiq diploma announced in 2024.

Equivalency for UOWD: applicants must get UAE Ministry of Education attestation or equivalency of their bachelor's degree. If your degree is from outside the UAE, start this early.

What it costs in AED, SAR and USD

The conversions use the official pegs. The UAE dirham is fixed at AED 3.6725 per US dollar, and the Central Bank of the UAE still uses 3.6725 as its USD/AED reference rate. SAMA holds the Saudi riyal at SAR 3.75 per US dollar.

Programme	AED	USD	SAR
UOWD, 8 subjects (VAT included)	75,322.80	20,509.95	76,912.32
GBS HND, one year	40,000	10,891.76	40,844.11
GBS HND, two years	80,000	21,783.53	81,688.22
Majmaah diploma	Free	Free	Free

Converting the UOWD AED total at the fixed exchange rate gives USD 20,509.95. That is USD 10.05 less than 8 times the USD 2,565 per subject shown on the UOWD page.

How to choose in four steps

Do you hold a bachelor's degree? If you do, consider UOWD's postgraduate diploma and its progression route to the Master of Applied AI. If you do not, ask GBS and Majmaah whether you meet their entry requirements.
Do you need Arabic-medium study in Saudi Arabia? Majmaah teaches in Arabic on campus.
Do you need evening or weekend classes in Dubai? GBS offers weekday, weekend and evening study.
What are your budget and timeline? UOWD takes 12 months for about AED 75,300. GBS takes 2 years for AED 80,000. Majmaah takes 2 years at no listed fee.

Confirm with the institution before you apply:

UOWD: the application deadline for the intake you want (September, January or April), any application or registration fees on top of tuition, and the cost of any remedial subjects you are asked to take.
GBS: whether AED 40,000 per year includes VAT and any registration, application or Pearson fees, the minimum entry requirement for your country, and which Pearson specification and QN apply.
Majmaah: the entry requirements, whether non-Saudi residents are eligible, and whether you qualify for tuition-free study.
Tuwaiq: whether a new intake exists, and its fee and eligibility.