Coding Education 02 November 2026 7 min read

Coding and AI in Schools: What Changed in Egypt and the Gulf?

You may have opened your son or daughter's timetable this year and found a new subject called AI or programming, with no idea what it covers or how it's graded.

You're not alone. In just two years, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have brought coding and AI into schools, each in its own way: Egypt started with the first year of secondary school, Saudi Arabia announced a curriculum for all grades, and the UAE chose to start from kindergarten with no written exams.

This article explains what changed in each country, how the rest of the world is handling the same question, whether school classes are enough, and how to prepare. Information is current as of November 2026.

What has changed in schools across the region?

What changed in schools in Egypt Saudi Arabia and the UAE

The shared idea is that coding is no longer an extra activity for those who enjoy it. It's now part of formal education, though the details differ from country to country.

Egypt: coding and AI in secondary school

In October 2024, Education Minister Mohamed Abdel-Latif announced that AI and programming would become a core subject for first-year secondary students starting in 2025, Ahram Online reported.

In December 2025, Ahram Online reported that more than 236,000 students had enrolled through a Japanese platform, with certificates accredited by Hiroshima University, and plans to extend the program to technical schools in the 2026/27 school year.

Saudi Arabia: an AI curriculum at every level

In July 2025, Saudi Arabia announced an AI curriculum across all grade levels starting in the 2025/26 school year, according to Arab News. It's being developed by the National Curriculum Center with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA).

According to Okaz, the curriculum includes specialized units suited to each age stage, taught through interactive and practical methods. It follows an "Introduction to AI" course for third-year general-track secondary students.

The UAE: from kindergarten, with no written exams

In the 2025/26 school year, the UAE began rolling out an AI curriculum in public schools, from kindergarten through grade 12.

According to Gulf News, there are no written exams, and assessment is based on projects. Classes run once every two weeks in cycles one and two and weekly in cycle three, with about 1,000 teachers trained.

How do the three approaches differ?

The three countries differ in their starting point and how they assess students. A quick summary:

Egypt: starts in first-year secondary, runs on a digital platform, and is extending to technical schools.
Saudi Arabia: an AI curriculum across all stages of general education, built by several government bodies together.
UAE: kindergarten through grade 12 in public schools, project-based with no written exams.

So what your son or daughter studies depends on the country and the type of school. Private and international schools may follow different plans.

How is the rest of the world handling this?

It's worth looking at how other countries answer the same question, because their answers differ:

1. China: caution in primary school

In May 2025, China's Ministry of Education issued guidelines barring primary students from independently using open-ended AI content generators, with use widening at higher levels, China Daily reported.

2. Estonia: a tool that asks instead of answers

In its 2025/26 pilot year, the AI Leap program covers 154 of 156 upper-secondary schools, 4,800 teachers and 20,000 students. Its app guides students with questions rather than giving answers directly.

3. Open global initiatives

In October 2025, Code.org turned its well-known Hour of Code into Hour of AI, with ready-made activities for a range of grades.

What's the difference between a coding class and an AI class?

Parents often mix them up. Coding is writing instructions a computer carries out to complete a specific task. Artificial intelligence is a field where systems learn from data to predict, classify or produce content.

The two are closely linked, since most AI systems are built with code. Students get more out of both when they start with coding fundamentals, then move on to machine learning.

Are school classes enough to learn coding?

Usually not on their own, if the goal is real skill, and that's normal. School gives every student an important foundation, but it's limited by the number of classes and the size of each group. One class every two weeks gives a good idea of the subject but isn't enough to build a full project.

That makes practice outside school a complement, not a replacement.

How can you prepare for the new curriculum?

You don't have to become a tech expert. Start with these four steps:

1. Find out what they'll study

Ask the school about the content and how it's assessed, since delivery can vary by school and by year.

2. Start with fundamentals before the curriculum

Students who understand sequence, conditions and loops take in the subject more easily. Younger learners can start with Scratch, older ones with Python.

3. Encourage them to build a project

A test measures what they've memorized, while a project shows what they understand. Projects are the basis of assessment in curricula like the UAE's.

4. Talk about safe use

Discuss when using AI on homework is fine, why answers need checking, and how to protect personal data.

What should you ask the school?

Don't wait until the end of term to find out how things are going. Ask from the start:

What content will my son or daughter cover this year?
How is it assessed: an exam, a project, or an online platform?
Does the grade count toward the final total?
How many classes a week, and is a device or special account needed at home?
What's the school's policy on using AI tools for homework?

How can you tell they need extra support?

A few simple signs can help you decide:

They memorize answers but can't explain them in their own words.
They avoid the subject and find it harder than it should be.
They finish homework with AI without understanding the solution.
They enjoy the subject and ask for more when class ends.

That last one isn't a problem at all. It's an interest worth giving more room.

How does Megaminds Academy help outside the classroom?

At Megaminds Academy, we teach students aged 6 to 16 coding, robotics and AI in live online classes, in Arabic and English, in small groups with certified instructors.

Every student builds real projects and earns an accredited certificate after each level, so the school subject becomes one step on a path they understand, not something to memorize for an exam.

Frequently asked questions about coding and AI in schools

Is coding compulsory in Egyptian schools?

The Ministry of Education announced AI and programming as a core subject for first-year secondary from 2025, expanding to technical schools in 2026/27. It's worth following ministry decisions to confirm the assessment system at your school.

What grade does the UAE's AI curriculum start from?

It starts in kindergarten and runs through grade 12 in public schools, assessed through projects with no written exams, Gulf News reported in August 2025.

Does my son or daughter need classes outside school?

Not everyone does, but they help students who enjoy the subject or need more time to practice and build projects, since school hours for it are usually limited.

Finally, bringing coding and AI into schools is a big step, but it's only a beginning. The students who practice, build and ask questions are the ones who'll get the most from these new subjects, wherever they study.

Book a trial class and help them get a step ahead of the curriculum.