IIT AI courses for UAE and Saudi readers in 2026-27: costs, exams and how to choose

"IIT AI course" is a broad search term that covers several programmes. Below we compare NPTEL, the IIT Madras online degree track, an IIT Delhi CEP certificate and the IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi campus. We set out what each costs and, for NPTEL and IIT Madras, where UAE and Saudi residents sit the exams.

Nikolay Zuykov · Agenticum · 5 November 2026

"IIT AI course" covers several different products

The term "IIT AI course" can refer to several programmes. Different organisations run them, and each has its own credential, fees and rules. This guide covers four of them:

• NPTEL is an initiative of the IITs and IISc, funded by India's Ministry of Education [1].
• The IIT Madras online programme runs from a BS up to a PG Diploma and an MTech in AI & ML [5].
• A Data Science, AI & ML certificate is offered by the Continuing Education Programme (CEP) of IIT Delhi, with Emeritus as the service provider [6].
• IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi began teaching in January 2024 [7].

NPTEL and IIT Madras both explain how residents outside India sit their exams [2] [4].

Option 1: NPTEL, free to learn, paid exam you can sit in the UAE

Anyone can join NPTEL courses from the IITs and IISc and study them for free. The proctored exam is optional, and you only need it if you want a certificate [1]. Courses last 4, 8 or 12 weeks and run twice a year [3]. IIT Madras's Python for Data Science was the fourth most-enrolled NPTEL course in July to December 2026, with 80,134 learners [1].

From the UAE: you sit the exam in person at a centre in Dubai, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi, and you bring your own laptop [2]. For UAE and Saudi residents, the exam fee is 3,000 INR per course, payable during registration. In Bahrain and Kuwait it is 4,000 INR [2].

From Saudi Arabia: residents of countries without a centre sit remote-proctored exams [2].

Steps before the exam:

1. Submit your residence and ID proofs. NPTEL checks these documents, and you can sit the exam only after approval [2].
2. Take the System Compatibility Test before the exam date. Every candidate outside India must take it [2].
3. Plan to pass both parts. For most courses you need at least 40/100 on your average assignment score and at least 40/100 on the final exam [3].

Option 2: IIT Madras online degree track up to a PG Diploma and an MTech in AI & ML

Learners from any country can join this programme. Anyone who has passed Class 12 or an equivalent can apply, whatever their age or academic background [4]. Applications for the batch starting January 2027 are open. The application fee for General and OBC applicants is ₹4,000 [4].

The IIT Madras programme offers successive qualifications, from the BS to the PG Diploma and MTech. Its exit points include a BS in Data Science and Applications, a PG Diploma in AI & ML and an MTech in AI & ML [5]. The curriculum includes Introduction to Deep Learning and Generative AI, with a project [5].

This fee table applies to students who join at Foundation level from the January 2026 term onward. Each term you pay only for the courses you register for [5].

• Exams: UAE residents sit in-person exams in Dubai, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi, roughly once a month. Learners in Saudi Arabia sit remote-proctored exams [4].
• Extra fees: an Additional Exam Fee applies to everyone who writes exams outside India [5]. An additional exam facilitation fee applies if you write the Qualifier Exam at a centre outside India [4].
• Waivers: fee waivers don't apply to students outside India [5].
• Time: expect about 10 hours per course per week. The PG Diploma takes 1 to 2 years. You have up to 8 years from the start of Foundation to finish the MTech [5].

Option 3: IIT Delhi CEP and Emeritus, a 6-month live online certificate

CEP IIT Delhi offers this programme. Emeritus Erulearning Solutions Private Limited, a company registered in India, is the service provider [6]. Batch 12 began on 19 July 2026 and runs for 6 months, with a live online session of 3 hours every Sunday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM [6]. Session recordings are not guaranteed [6]. If you miss a live session, a recording may not be available.

• Entry: a degree or diploma (10+2+3) in any discipline as on 26 June 2026, with at least 50% in Maths/Stats in Class 12 [6].
• Content: large language models, generative AI applications, agentic AI and RAG [6].
• Completion: to earn the certificate, score at least 50% in aggregate across any two of the three quizzes, satisfactorily complete a group project and maintain at least 70% attendance. CEP IIT Delhi issues an e-certificate only [6].
• Career services: the Emeritus career service is only for Indian residents [6].
• Fee: the page shows no amount and says GST is charged at checkout [6]. We don't quote a price. Ask for one in writing.

Side-by-side comparison

Is there an IIT in the UAE? IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi

Yes. IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi started teaching in January 2024. Its first programme was an M.Tech in Energy Transition and Sustainability [7]. The live admissions page gives selection criteria only for that M.Tech [9]. If you want an AI programme there, ask admissions directly.

• M.Tech fee: the complete programme fee for AY 2026-27 is AED 159,000 in either the 2-year or the 3-year mode [8].
• Part-time: part-time students complete the programme over three years while working full time [7]. They get no scholarship. UAE nationals get a 100% tuition waiver, and waivers for international students are decided case by case on application [8].
• Full-time assistantship: AED 5,000 a month for international students or AED 10,000 a month for UAE nationals, plus a 100% tuition waiver [8].
• Deadline: applications from UAE nationals and residents for the 2026 intake closed on 20 July 2026 [9].
• B.Tech: annual tuition for AY 2027-28 is AED 77,500. The full programme comprises 144 to 148 credits. UAE nationals get a 100% tuition waiver [10].

Which route fits you: individual, manager, or company

• Low cost, plus a certificate: NPTEL. Learning is free, and for UAE and Saudi residents the exam costs 3,000 INR per course [1] [2].
• A long degree path into AI & ML: IIT Madras, if you can give about 10 hours per course each week [5].
• Live sessions and a short certificate covering LLMs and agentic AI: IIT Delhi CEP, once you have the fee in writing and confirmation that it accepts residents outside India [6].
• An M.Tech in the UAE: IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi. Its part-time option takes three years alongside full-time work [7] [8].

KSA residents: NPTEL and IIT Madras both offer remote-proctored exams [2] [4].

Companies: NPTEL lets staff study for free, and you pay exam fees only for the people who want a certificate [1] [2]. If you plan to send a cohort, ask each provider about group terms in writing before you commit.

Confirm these points before you pay:

1. IIT Delhi CEP: whether it accepts learners living in the UAE or Saudi Arabia, the fee including GST, the next batch date and how the Sunday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM sessions fit your time zone.
2. IIT Madras: the amounts of the Additional Exam Fee for exams outside India and the Qualifier Exam facilitation fee.
3. NPTEL: which AI courses run next semester and when exam registration opens.
4. IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi: the 2027 application dates and whether an AI programme is open.

Sources

• [1] https://nptel.ac.in/
• [2] https://nptel.ac.in/international
• [3] https://nptel.ac.in/faq
• [4] https://study.iitm.ac.in/ds/admissions.html
• [5] https://study.iitm.ac.in/ds/academics.html
• [6] https://iitd.emeritus.org/iitd-certificate-programme-in-data-science-machine-learning
• [7] https://iitdabudhabi.ac.ae/mtech-minds
• [8] https://iitdabudhabi.ac.ae/postgraduate-fee-scholarship
• [9] https://iitdabudhabi.ac.ae/pg-admissions
• [10] https://iitdabudhabi.ac.ae/undergraduate-fee-scholarship