The UAE consolidates its position as one of the most prominent leaders in artificial intelligence in the world… and 42% of its institutions are in the “pioneers” category.

The United Arab Emirates has established its leading international position as one of the most prominent leaders in artificial intelligence in the world, as a recent study by the global Boston Consulting Group classified 42% of business institutions in the country into the category of “artificial intelligence leaders,” confirming that Emirati institutions are remarkably keeping pace with their global counterparts and showing exceptional progress in applying advanced technologies.
The study, titled “Unleashing Potential: How GCC Organizations Can Transform the Momentum of Artificial Intelligence into Sustainable Value on a Large Scale,” and which was based on a survey of 200 senior executive leaders and an assessment of 41 digital capabilities in 7 sectors, showed that 37% of organizations in the Emirates have already reached the “expansion” stage of digital maturity, which reflects a decisive shift from limited pilot projects to comprehensive application, with the country leading the regional scene with an average maturity degree of 46 points, while the percentage of institutions that registered a slowdown was limited to only 13%.
Commenting on these results, Dr. Lars Littig, Managing Director, Partner and Head of Technology and Digital Advantages for the Middle East at Boston Consulting Group, confirmed that the remarkable progress of the UAE as a developed market, and the classification of a large percentage of its institutions within the category of pioneers, directly reflects the strength of strategic investments in infrastructure, and the firm commitment to the Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031.
He pointed out that the achievement by institutions of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including the UAE, of significantly higher returns by adopting these technologies, demonstrates that major investments in the government and private sectors are successfully transformed into measurable value, which is clearly evident in the direct financial impact, as institutions classified as “pioneers” in the Gulf achieve total returns to shareholders that are 1.7 times higher, and operating profit margins that are 1.5 times higher compared to their counterparts who are slower to adopt.
At the regional level, the study showed the success of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in narrowing the adoption gap with global markets, as 39% of the region’s institutions are now classified as pioneers, compared to a global average of 40%. The results revealed exceptional leadership for the Gulf government sector, which has achieved the highest levels of maturity in artificial intelligence in the world among all markets included in the study, which reflects a radical change in the way regional institutions deal with technology. The study also indicated the future direction of the region, as 38% of Gulf institutions have already begun testing applications. Advanced “artificial intelligence agents”.