Throughout 2026, the UAE has presented a leading global model in transforming future-focused visions and strategies into tangible achievements in the field of artificial intelligence. The country launched a series of strategic initiatives and projects that extended beyond the adoption of advanced technologies to fundamentally reshape government operations and strengthen innovation across developmental and service sectors.
These achievements reflect the UAE leadership’s vision of placing artificial intelligence at the heart of national development and sustainability strategies while reinforcing the country’s position as a global hub for technology and innovation capable of actively contributing to the creation of a smart and sustainable future.
One of the most significant milestones came with the UAE’s announcement of a new governmental framework for implementing Agentic AI models within public sector operations. The initiative represents a transformative step aimed at enhancing government efficiency, improving service quality and accelerating transaction processing.
The project seeks to transform 50% of government sectors, services and operational processes to adopt autonomous and self-executing AI models within the next two years through the redesign of government policies, procedures and operational systems based on advanced AI capabilities.
The UAE further reinforced its strategic direction by renaming the Ministerial Development Council as the “Ministerial Council for Artificial Intelligence and Development.” The newly expanded council will oversee the implementation of government programmes and projects designed to accelerate the adoption of AI systems, technologies and models across various areas of government work.
During its participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, the UAE announced the launch of a new AI-powered foreign trade platform in partnership with Presight, a subsidiary of G42. Simultaneously, the country unveiled a research white paper titled “Designing the Future of Legislative Intelligence,” presenting a practical framework for a dynamic legislative ecosystem driven by artificial intelligence solutions to modernise lawmaking in line with the digital era.
The UAE also launched the Global Strategic Intelligence Programme in partnership with the World Economic Forum, aimed at enhancing the ability of governments and institutions to anticipate global transformations and accelerate strategic decision-making. The initiative includes the establishment of a global forum, academy and accelerators dedicated to strategic intelligence.
Environmental applications of AI also expanded significantly during the year. The International Fund for Houbara Conservation signed a memorandum of understanding with Space42 to apply artificial intelligence technologies to aerial imaging and monitoring of houbara birds using drones.
Meanwhile, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence strengthened its international standing through the launch of “The Academy”, a global platform dedicated to AI knowledge exchange and emerging technological research. The university also introduced the first fellowship programme combining artificial intelligence and the arts.
The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation achieved notable results within the Government Bureaucracy Elimination Programme through the adoption of AI-powered solutions, reducing procedural packages by up to 100% while significantly shortening processing times and administrative requirements.
In the transport sector, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority commenced commercial operations of autonomous taxis powered by artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms capable of making real-time driving decisions.
At the research level, a team at New York University Abu Dhabi achieved a breakthrough in particle physics after artificial intelligence independently rediscovered fundamental principles governing the universe, highlighting the UAE’s growing role in advanced scientific research.
Similarly, the Digital Future Institute at Khalifa University unveiled the first radio-frequency large language AI model capable of interpreting wireless signals with an accuracy exceeding 98% in statistical analysis.
Elsewhere, Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy announced the development of an advanced AI-powered metal sorting machine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo aimed at improving mineral quality and supporting export-oriented processing industries.
In the healthcare sector, the Emirates Drug Establishment revealed the development of the country’s first fully AI-designed drug candidate, while AI Media Lab launched the “Resha.AI” platform to support Arabic content creators through AI technologies tailored to the Arabic language and cultural context.
Reflecting the UAE’s growing commitment to expanding sovereign AI capabilities internationally, G42 signed cooperation agreements to develop sovereign AI capabilities in Vietnam and announced plans to establish an 8-exaflop AI supercomputer in India in partnership with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.
The UAE’s efforts continue to receive growing international recognition as the country increasingly emerges as a global benchmark in artificial intelligence development and adoption.
According to Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence Adoption Report for the first quarter of 2026, the UAE ranked first globally for the third consecutive time in AI adoption, recording a rate of 70.1%, nearly four times higher than the global average growth rate.
The country’s progress also reflects its success in integrating advanced technologies across both government and private sectors. A study by Boston Consulting Group classified 42% of UAE institutions among the category of “AI Leaders”.
In addition, a report by Stanford University stated that the UAE has become an emerging global AI hub, with more than 80% of employees regularly using artificial intelligence technologies and a more than 100% increase in specialised AI talent concentration between 2019 and 2025.
