Agenticum · Thoughts · 6 min read

How to Learn Python for Machine Learning in 2026: A Guide for the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with Course Prices in AED and SAR

Google's Machine Learning Crash Course and fast.ai's Practical Deep Learning are both free. If you want a paid course, this guide shows what Coursera, DataCamp and Codecademy charge in dollars, dirhams and riyals, and what each plan gives you.

Nikolay Zuykov · Agenticum · 1 November 2026

What "Python for machine learning" actually means

Python comes first. Google's Machine Learning Crash Course recommends some Python experience because its exercises are in Python, and fast.ai asks for about a year of coding, preferably in Python. Next comes NumPy. scikit-learn is an open-source, BSD-licensed library for predictive data analysis, and it is built on NumPy, SciPy and matplotlib, so NumPy should come before it.

Start with Google's listed maths prerequisites: variables, linear equations, graphs of functions, histograms and statistical means. If those feel familiar, you can begin.

Which Python to install: python.org lists 3.15.2 as the latest release. The 3.15 line first came out on 9 October 2026. Python 3.10 reached end of life on 1 October 2026, so do not start a new setup on it. The latest stable PyTorch requires Python 3.10 or later. Before installing Python 3.15, check which Python versions the current PyTorch release supports.

A learning path in five steps

Python basics. Get comfortable writing and running small programs. fast.ai says a year of coding experience is enough for its course.
NumPy. Learn NumPy before scikit-learn, since scikit-learn is built on NumPy, SciPy and matplotlib.
First models. Codecademy's Build a Machine Learning Model skill path teaches building ML models with Python and averages 23 hours. DataCamp's Machine Learning Scientist in Python track is the longer option at about 85 hours.
Machine learning concepts. Google's Machine Learning Crash Course takes about 15 hours. The other choice is the Machine Learning Specialization on Coursera, taught by Andrew Ng and created by DeepLearning.AI and Stanford Online. It has 3 courses, and Coursera estimates about 2 months at 10 hours a week. The page's FAQ uses a different pace of 5 hours a week, so treat the 2-month completion time as an estimate.
Deep learning. fast.ai's Practical Deep Learning has 9 lessons of about 90 minutes each, roughly 13.5 hours of video.

Free routes

Google Machine Learning Crash Course: free, online, self-study, about 15 hours. It teaches fundamental machine learning concepts and principles.
fast.ai Practical Deep Learning: free and designed for people with some coding experience. 9 lessons of about 90 minutes.
DataCamp's free Basic account: gives you only the first chapter of each course.

Google's course and fast.ai, used in steps 4 and 5, cost AED 0 / SAR 0.

Three paid options from three companies, with prices in USD, AED and SAR

Prices are the USD list prices from each vendor's pricing page. AED figures use the 3.6725 peg and SAR figures use the 3.75 peg. They are conversions, not quotes the vendors give in the region.

Vendor and plan	USD	AED	SAR	Billing	Trial or refund	Relevant ML course on the platform	Hours	Certificate
Coursera Plus, monthly	59 a month	216.68	221.25	Monthly, cancel anytime	7-day free trial on Coursera Plus	Machine Learning Specialization (DeepLearning.AI, Stanford Online)	About 2 months at 10 h a week	Not stated in our sources
Coursera Plus, annual	399 a year	1,465.33	1,496.25	Yearly	14-day money-back guarantee	Same	Same	Not stated in our sources
DataCamp Premium	28 a month, billed annually (336 a year)	102.83 a month (1,233.96 a year)	105.00 a month (1,260 a year)	Billed annually	Not stated	Machine Learning Scientist in Python track	About 85	Certificates and certifications included
Codecademy Plus	11.99 a month billed annually, or 14.99 billed monthly	44.03 / 55.05	44.96 / 56.21	Annual or monthly	Not stated	Build a Machine Learning Model skill path	About 23 on average	Check the course page
Codecademy Pro	15.99 a month billed annually, or 19.99 billed monthly	58.72 / 73.41	59.96 / 74.96	Annual or monthly	Not stated	Same	Same	Check the course page

Each row names the ML course on that platform. Our sources do not confirm which plan tier includes each course or its certificate, so check the course page before you pay.

Local programmes in the UAE and Saudi Arabia

Programme	Cost	Who can apply	What it covers	Status on 1 November 2026
Samsung Innovation Campus UAE	Free, with free learning materials. Seats are limited	UAE nationals aged 18 to 29	GenAI, Python programming and libraries, probability and statistics, machine and deep learning	The 2026 application window ran from 28 September to 16 October 2026 and is closed. Check the Samsung page for any future intake
KAUST Academy, Saudi Arabia	Free for students	Saudi nationals and residents	See KAUST for current programmes	Based on a 2022 KAUST announcement. Check the current terms before you apply

Which option fits you

Profile	Start with	Then	Example costs and billing commitments
Complete beginner	Python basics and Google's maths baseline	Machine Learning Specialization, a beginner-level programme that uses Python	Example: 3 months of Coursera Plus monthly is USD 177 (AED 650.03, SAR 663.75). From the 7th month, the USD 399 annual plan costs less than paying monthly
Analyst who already codes	Google's crash course, free, about 15 hours	DataCamp Machine Learning Scientist in Python track, about 85 hours	AED 0 for the crash course. DataCamp Premium is billed annually at USD 336 (AED 1,233.96, SAR 1,260)
Developer moving into deep learning	fast.ai, free, for people with about a year of coding	PyTorch on Python 3.10 or later	AED 0 / SAR 0
Company upskilling a team	DataCamp Teams, for 2 or more users, USD 28 per user per month billed annually	One track per role	Example: 10 seats cost USD 3,360 a year (AED 12,339.60, SAR 12,600)
UAE national aged 18 to 29	Samsung Innovation Campus UAE, if a new intake opens	Google's crash course or fast.ai while you wait	AED 0

Before you pay: regional pricing and checkout

Will I pay the AED or SAR figure shown here? Not necessarily. Coursera's terms say fees may vary based on your location and other factors, so a checkout in Dubai or Riyadh can show a different price from the USD list price. The vendor prices are listed in USD; the AED and SAR amounts are conversions, and the example totals are calculated.

Why convert at the peg? The UAE Central Bank sets the dirham reference rate at 3.6725 per US dollar, and SAMA keeps the riyal at 3.75. The AED and SAR figures are those pegs applied to the USD prices. They are not quotes from the vendors.

What should I check? Read the final price at checkout, in the currency shown, before you confirm. Coursera Plus offers a 7-day free trial, and the annual plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee.