The relationship between the UAE and Uzbekistan has gone beyond traditional cooperation

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in the presence of Minister of Cabinet Affairs Muhammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, witnessed the launch of the program for zeroing government bureaucracy in Uzbekistan, and the initiative of 5 million Uzbek experts for artificial intelligence orders, as part of the activities of the Uzbekistan Forum for Zeroing Bureaucracy and the Uzbekistan Forum for Artificial Intelligence, which were organized by the governments of the UAE and Uzbekistan, in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, as part of the strategic partnership initiatives in government modernization.

In his speech during the activities of the Uzbekistan Forum for Zeroing out Bureaucracy, Al Gergawi stressed the depth of the growing partnership between the UAE and the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the great convergence in their visions towards developing government work.

He pointed out that the relationship between the two countries enjoys the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, and the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the interest and follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Presidential Office, and that it has gone beyond traditional cooperation to become an intellectual and humanitarian partnership based on the exchange of experiences. And unifying efforts to build more flexible and innovative governments that put people at the heart of their priorities.

He praised the vision of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and his wise leadership to launch the “Zero Bureaucracy” program and the “5 Million Uzbek Experts for Artificial Intelligence” initiative, as two ambitious models for moving from traditional procedures to flexible, proactive and easy government services, and for adopting the skills of the future on a broad national scale. His Excellency stressed that these trends constitute a strategic vision that consolidates Uzbekistan’s position as a global model in government innovation, and demonstrates its ability to adapt to the challenges of the future and respond quickly to the needs of society.
The events witnessed wide participation by ministers and government officials from the two friendly countries, during which the best experiences and success stories in clearing government bureaucracy, and adopting and developing artificial intelligence solutions and applications in areas of government work, were reviewed.
The activities of the two forums in Uzbekistan witnessed broad government participation from both countries, as the UAE delegation included, in addition to Al Gergawi, the Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, Abdullah Nasser Lootah, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, Eng. Sharif Al-Ulama, the Head of Government Services in the UAE Government, Engineer Mohammed bin Taliah, the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice for Supportive Services, Counselor Abdulaziz Al-Raisi, and the Acting Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance for the Support Services Sector. Fatima Yousef Al-Naqbi, and Assistant Undersecretary for the Labor Market Services Sector at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Rashid Al-Saadi.
The delegation also included the CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, Khalfan Juma Belhoul, the Executive Vice President of the Dubai Future Foundation, Abdulaziz Al-Jaziri, the Executive Director of Digital Affairs and Artificial Intelligence at Dubai Health, Atef Al-Buraiki, the CEO of Information Technology and the CEO of Artificial Intelligence at the Emirates Health Services Corporation, Mubarakah Mubarak Ibrahim, the Acting Executive Director of the Financial Sector and Support Services at the Emirates Health Services Corporation, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Zarouni, and the Vice President of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University for Artificial Intelligence and Technology, Maitha. Al Taniji, and a number of officials in the UAE government.
On the Uzbek side, Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Senate President Tanzila Narbayeva attended, along with a number of ministers and senior officials.
The events witnessed the launch of the Uzbekistan Program for Zeroing Bureaucracy, which is inspired by the successful Emirati model in enhancing the effectiveness of government work and raising levels of customer satisfaction, as part of the ongoing strategic partnership between the UAE and the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of government knowledge exchange, with the aim of adopting the best international practices in public administration.
The Uzbekistan Forum for Zeroing Bureaucracy focused on the importance of simplifying government procedures and reducing administrative red tape, which contributes to raising the efficiency of government services, and enhancing the culture of innovation and flexibility within government institutions, which reflects positively on the quality of life of individuals and stimulates economic and social development.
During the Uzbekistan Artificial Intelligence Forum, the “5 Million Uzbek Experts for Artificial Intelligence Orders” initiative was launched, along with several joint sessions between Emirati and Uzbek officials on the importance of artificial intelligence in enhancing government readiness and building the future capabilities of governments.

The initiative aims to enhance innovation and economic growth by building specialized skills in artificial intelligence, accelerating innovation and supporting economic development, by training 5 million people in programming command engineering skills for artificial intelligence within three years.
The forum also discussed, in interactive dialogue sessions, the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing learning, developing skills, and creating personalized education solutions, and reviewed a number of technological solutions based on artificial intelligence in various vital fields.
It is noteworthy that the governments of the UAE and the Republic of Uzbekistan launched a strategic partnership in government modernization in 2019, which constituted a starting point for cooperation in a wide number of vital fields. In April 2021, the agreement was renewed for a period of six years, which contributed to expanding the scope of joint programs and enhancing opportunities for exchanging experiences.
In the period extending from 2023 to 2026, cooperation focused on 14 new axes, including industrial development, social development, digital transformation, health, artificial intelligence, statistics, commercial development, urban planning, and leadership development, in addition to supporting Uzbekistan’s 2040 vision by benefiting from global experiences.