DUBAI, May 5, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The United Arab Emirates will introduce artificial intelligence lessons for schoolchildren of all ages, officials said, in its latest initiative to stay at the technology's forefront.

AI instruction in government schools, including at kindergarten level, would start from the next academic year, Dubai ruler and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said.

"Our goal is to teach our children a deep understanding of AI from a technical perspective, while also fostering their awareness of the ethics of this new technology," he posted on X on Sunday.

"Our responsibility is to equip our children for a time unlike ours, with conditions different from ours," the Dubai royal added.

The UAE, one of the world's biggest oil exporters, is betting on AI to help it diversify its economy away from crude.

The Gulf monarchy established the world's first AI ministry in 2017 and has a university dedicated to the technology in the capital, Abu Dhabi.

In February, the UAE pledged 30-50 billion euros to build a giant AI data centre in France.