UAE to Hand Over Half of Its Government to AI
The United Arab Emirates has launched a new government model that will fundamentally reshape governance. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid announced that half of UAE government services will be delivered using autonomous AI agents within two years. This goal will make the UAE the first government globally to operate at this scale through autonomous systems. This objective is seen as a crucial part of the nation’s step-by-step AI strategy over the past decade.
The plan envisions not only a technical transformation but also a corporate restructuring to redesign government work. All federal employees will receive AI training, and performance across government will be measured by the speed of adoption and quality of implementation. The initiative will be overseen by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Chairman of the Presidential Court, with a dedicated task force. This move is considered an indication that the transformation is being directed from the highest levels of the state.
Behind this ambitious target lies a strategic technology vision implemented in recent years. Having appointed the world’s first AI minister in 2017 and established the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in 2019, the country introduced AI as a subject across all stages of government education by 2025. Indeed, a report released by Stanford University this month confirms that these steps have borne fruit, placing the UAE among the top nations globally in AI adoption and attracting talent.