The UAE government is moving at an accelerated pace to implement its ambitious agentic AI transformation program, with a high-level review confirming the project is actively underway less than three weeks after its initial announcement. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, reviewed the progress of the initiative, which aims to automate a significant portion of government operations using AI agents capable of independent decision-making.
Quick Facts
- Target: Transform 50% of government services with agentic AI.
- Timeline: Full implementation is planned within two years.
- Status: The project moved directly into active implementation.
From Policy to Practice in Record Time
In a move that underscores the UAE’s rapid transition from policy to execution, Sheikh Mohammed was briefed on the program’s progress on May 12th, 2026. The review, held just weeks after the UAE Cabinet approved the framework, signals a strong commitment to the initiative’s aggressive two-year timeline.
The briefing was delivered by Minister of Cabinet Affairs, His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, who confirmed that his team is already identifying the requirements and mechanisms needed to meet the government’s targets. The review was attended by senior leadership, including H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence.
High-Level Taskforce Driving Implementation
The program is being driven by a dedicated agentic AI transformation taskforce, chaired by Minister Al Gergawi. This taskforce operates under the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, ensuring top-tier oversight. This structure, established at the framework’s launch, holds ministers and government entity heads accountable for their speed and capability in adopting the new technology.
The ultimate goal is to streamline government procedures, accelerate service delivery, and enhance the accuracy of decision-making by leveraging integrated federal data and advanced digital infrastructure. Sheikh Mohammed emphasized that integrating AI into government is a strategic priority focused on improving public service quality and efficiency for citizens.
A Two-Decade Digital Journey
This agentic AI program is the latest phase in the UAE’s 20-year digital government journey. The country’s evolution began with eGovernment and progressed through mobile government services and the unified digital identity system, UAE Pass.
The new framework represents the most ambitious stage yet, shifting the paradigm from digital service delivery to autonomous government operations. This builds on a broader federal AI strategy that already includes an AI-powered government performance system and a regulatory intelligence ecosystem designed to speed up law-making by as much as 70 percent.
About the UAE Agentic AI Program
The UAE Agentic AI Program is a government initiative approved by the UAE Cabinet on April 23rd, 2026. Its primary objective is to deploy agentic AI across 50 percent of government sectors, services, and operations within a two-year period. The program aims to create AI-based models capable of executing tasks and making decisions independently, without human intervention, to enhance efficiency, accelerate service delivery, and build national AI capabilities.
Source: Middle East AI News
