Institutional Readiness for AI in Education: A Case Study of Kuwait

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming educational systems globally by boosting individualized instruction, administrative efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. In Kuwait, AI adoption has become a national objective under Kuwait Vision 2035, which stresses innovation, digital empowerment, and human capital development. This study explores institutional preparedness for AI at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) by a quantitative survey of 311 participants, examining awareness, usage and readiness, and perceived hurdles. Reliability indicators suggest good internal consistency across variables, whereas correlation analysis reveals significant positive relationships across awareness, AI usage and preparation, and overall institutional preparedness. Specifically, awareness highly corresponds with usage and readiness (r = .673, p < .01), demonstrating that higher understanding of AI directly enhances engagement and willingness to adopt AI solutions. Challenges and barriers reveal reduced but substantial associations with awareness and preparation, demonstrating that institutional constraints partially influence adoption behavior. Gender analysis suggests higher AI awareness and readiness among males, however both genders confront identical structural constraints. The findings promote regional AI-in-education studies and fit with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 and SDG 9, by proposing strategies for expanding AI integration. Recommendations emphasize professional development, infrastructure upgrading, ethical governance, and inclusive capacity-building to support sustainable and responsible AI deployment across PAAET.