The Future of Learning: How Artificial Intelligence is Reshaping Education in the Middle East

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly recognized as a transformative force in education, reshaping learning environments, pedagogical practices, and institutional strategies worldwide. In the Middle East, this transformation is unfolding within distinct socio-cultural, economic, and policy contexts that shape both the opportunities and constraints of AI adoption. This study advances a regionally grounded conceptual synthesis of how AI is influencing learning processes, teaching roles, and institutional governance across the region. Drawing on a structured qualitative synthesis of peer-reviewed scholarship (2019–2025), the paper develops an interpretive framework that situates AI-driven change within broader debates on ethics, digital readiness, and educational reform. While AI offers significant potential for personalization, data-informed decision-making, and institutional modernization, its impact remains uneven and contingent upon governance capacity and contextual alignment. By integrating fragmented regional evidence into a coherent analytical perspective, this study contributes a context-sensitive conceptual framework that clarifies the structural, pedagogical, and policy dimensions of AI-enabled educational transformation in the Middle East (ME).