Seed Group and global skilling major upGrad join forces to drive AI-driven workforce transformation across MENA

⬇ Download PDF: Press release on the partnership announcement between Seed Group and upGrad

Dubai, UAE; Mumbai, India—15 April 2025—In an effort to elevate global education for advanced career development, Seed Group, a company of The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, has entered into a strategic alliance with upGrad, a global skilling and lifelong learning major. This joint venture seeks to accelerate AI-based learning adoption and workforce upskilling across enterprises and businesses in the UAE and the broader MENA region.

Headquartered in India and with a presence in over 15 countries, upGrad is one of Asia’s largest integrated skilling and forever learning majors that helps facilitate a range of new-age online and hybrid skilling degree programs, certifications, and bootcamps under its Consumer (B2C) portfolio. As a technological facilitator of higher education, it also enables top Indian and global universities to deliver their Diploma, Master’s, and Executive Doctorate programs to learners worldwide and thus ensure world-class higher education at scale. Recognised by GSV Global EdTech 50 and FT Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies, upGrad is at the forefront of equipping various stakeholders with strong AI expertise and other emerging domains.

Conveying the significance of this strategic association, Hisham Al Gurg, CEO of Seed Group and The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, remarked, “As Dubai invests in human capital development, the need for industry-aligned upskilling has never been greater. upGrad’s outcome-focused innovative programs in domains like GenAI will bridge skill gaps.” He continued, “In turn, this will empower businesses with the advanced knowledge needed to excel in a high-powered digital economy such as Dubai. The institution’s distinguished expertise in professional education makes it an invaluable addition to our network of strategic partners.”

“We are making significant investments to expand our footprint across global markets. We are proud to launch this partnership with Seed Group, a market leader in driving innovation, so there is no doubt that with the support of the Seed Group leadership strategy in the UAE and MENA, we will drive stronger adoption of AI-led upskilling. Acquiring new-age hands-on capabilities has become a global imperative and is essential for both individuals and organisations to remain competitive. Business and government leaders across the UAE’s economy are recognising the growing influence of AI on organisational capabilities and are increasingly looking to invest in advanced technologies,” said Myleeta AgaWilliams, CEO of International Consumer Business at upGrad, while talking about their recently developed market expansion. “Over the years, upGrad has built a truly global, outcome-focused pedagogy designed to equip individuals with hands-on skills and help businesses enhance productivity while building a future-ready talent pipeline. As the UAE embraces innovation and diversification, this is an opportune moment to scale our offerings globally,” she added. 

Through this partnership, Dubai and the wider MENA region stand to benefit from increased access to a higher education portfolio to upskill themselves or extend skilling solutions to their clientele. In the months ahead, Seed Group and upGrad will be among the fundamental drivers that enrich the future of education and subsequently breed a competitive, digitally ready workforce.

About upGrad

Started in 2015, upGrad is one of Asia’s largest integrated Learning, Skilling, and Forever Learning majors that facilitates a range of new-age online and hybrid skilling degree programs, certifications, and bootcamps under its Consumer (B2C) portfolio through its revolutionary technology platform. As a technological facilitator of higher education, upGrad enables top Indian and global universities to deliver their Diploma, Master’s, and Executive Doctorate programs to students worldwide. Additionally, select programs are tailored for Enterprise clients under the corporate skilling division, along with other recruitment and staffing services. For more information, visit www.upgrad.com.

About Seed Group

For over 20 years, Seed Group has formed strategic alliances with leading global companies representing diverse regions and industries. These companies have propelled their business interests and goals in the Middle East and North Africa region through the support and strong base of regional connections of the Seed Group. The Group’s goal is to create mutually beneficial partnerships with multinational organisations and to accelerate their sustainable market entry and presence within the MENA region. Seed Group has been a key point in the success of all its partners in the region, helping them reach their target customers and accelerate their businesses. The Private Office was established by Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum to directly invest in or assist potential business opportunities in the region, which meet The Private Office’s criteria. For more information, visit www.seedgroup.com.

upGrad Media Contact

Neha Prasad
+91 9546 9388 38
neha.prasad@upgrad.com

Seed Group Media Contact

Nomarie Jean Lacsamana
+971 4 373 5068
jean@seedgroup.com