Dubai is setting its sights on the next frontier of artificial intelligence
In yet another push to future-proof its economy, Dubai has unveiled a sweeping initiative to accelerate the adoption of autonomous AI across its private sector, reinforcing its ambition to lead the world in next-generation technologies.
The announcement was made on May 4 by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai via his official X account.
Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , we are launching today a new initiative to transform towards Agentic AI (self-executing and self-leading artificial intelligence) in Dubai’s private sector.
Our goal is for Dubai to become the world’s…
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) May 4, 2026
He stated, “Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, we are launching today a new initiative to transform towards agentic AI (self-executing and self-leading artificial intelligence) in Dubai’s private sector.”
The Crown Prince of Dubai stated that the goal was for ‘Dubai to become the world’s leading city in adopting these technologies economically and commercially — giving us a new competitive edge for the future’.
He explained that the transformation programme will span two years and includes specialised training for all business councils affiliated with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He added that the Chamber of Commerce was directed to establish incubators for Agentic AI companies ‘to support this transformation, create new economic opportunities for young people in this field, and set up dedicated funds to back this new shift.’
Sheikh Hamdan stressed that the objective was to empower companies to adopt the latest technologies to boost and expand business volumes and reshape the city to make the economy one of the best in the world in adopting agentic AI technologies.
He ended his post stating, ‘Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid is today leading a comprehensive movement to reshape Dubai into the world’s most future-ready city – technologically; economically; in infrastructure; and with facilities that elevate quality of life to standards no one has reached before.’
AI across the public sector
On April 24, Sheikh Mohammed announced that the UAE is set to become the first government in the world to deploy Agentic AI at scale across its public sector.
The transformation will roll out over the next two years, with the aim of embedding autonomous AI systems across half of all government services and operations.
He noted that AI systems will go far beyond traditional automation, acting as active partners in government work. He stated, “AI models can monitor changes, provide analyses, offer recommendations, manage operations, and run an independent series of actions without human intervention” and that “AI will be our government executive partner to support decisions, enhance services, boost operational efficiency, and evaluate results in real time.”
The move further builds on more than two decades of digital transformation in the UAE, including milestones such as the launch of the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 and the appointment of the world’s first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence in 2017. Together, these initiatives have positioned the country as a global leader in government innovation and emerging technologies.
Featured image: Pexels
Article image: Dubai Media Office
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