The UAE continues to develop a more efficient, flexible and proactive global government model

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, announced the establishment of the “Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data,” in a new strategic step aimed at unifying the data, artificial intelligence, and digital government system at the national level, and enhancing the readiness of the UAE government for a new phase of digital transformation supported by artificial intelligence.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stressed that the UAE is continuing to develop a more efficient, flexible and proactive global government model that relies on data and artificial intelligence in decision-making, developing government services, and raising the quality of life, in a way that enhances the country’s competitiveness and global leadership in the digital economy.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, in a blog post on the “X” platform, yesterday: “We approved the establishment of the Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data to be the unified national umbrella for managing data, artificial intelligence and digital government in the UAE, and it will report to the Council of Ministers… We assigned Omar Sultan Al Olama to lead the authority… Our goal is a more efficient, flexible and proactive government, and employing technology to serve humanity and create a better future for future generations.”

His Highness added: “We will continue to develop the government of the future…a government with tools supported by data and assistive artificial intelligence…more rapid in performance, decision-making and efficiency, and with the ability to serve humanity, create the best opportunities and develop services.”

The establishment of the “Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data” comes within the UAE’s vision, which aims to anticipate global transformations, accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies, and build a unified digital government system, based on efficiency, flexibility, and readiness for the future. The competencies and resources related to data, artificial intelligence, and digital government will be transferred to the new authority, including the Office of the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, the Information and Digital Government Sector in the General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunications Sector and Digital Government, and the Emirates Data Office. A Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Chairman of the new authority, in a way that enhances the integration of national efforts and unifies government directions in the fields of digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

The new authority will assume leadership of the data, artificial intelligence, and digital government system in the country under a unified umbrella, ensuring the integration of digital policies, initiatives, and projects at the national level, enhancing the efficiency of government work, and developing proactive digital government services. The authority’s most prominent competencies include unifying national trends and priorities in support of a unified digital government system using Agentic AI techniques, proposing national policies, legislation, and strategies, and ensuring alignment and integration between digital initiatives and projects at the federal and local levels.

The authority will also prepare and lead the artificial intelligence strategy, increase its contribution to the country’s domestic product, manage and integrate government data, ensure its quality, standardization, availability and sharing among entities in accordance with advanced governance frameworks, and develop and operate national data platforms supported by artificial intelligence technologies to support data-based government decision-making.

The Authority is also responsible for enabling the effective use of data in developing artificial intelligence applications in various vital sectors, developing the federal digital infrastructure, enhancing its readiness to support integration and connectivity between government systems and platforms, managing a system for designing and providing integrated and proactive digital government services that employ artificial intelligence to enhance the customer experience, in addition to employing data and artificial intelligence techniques in designing and providing integrated and proactive digital services that enhance the customer experience by simplifying procedures and integrating channels.

The Authority will also set standards, specifications, and work guides in the fields of data management, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and government services, ensure federal agencies’ compliance with them, unify research and development efforts, and build national capabilities in the fields of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, provide technical consultations to various federal agencies, in addition to international coordination and building partnerships in the fields of artificial intelligence, data, and digital government, and provide empowerment to support cybersecurity efforts and government information security management, thus consolidating the UAE’s position as a global center for digital innovation and smart government solutions.

Mohammed bin Rashid:

• The Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data will be the unified national umbrella for managing data, artificial intelligence, and digital government in the Emirates.

• We continue to develop the government of the future… a government with tools supported by data and assistive artificial intelligence.

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