Building the World’s First AI-Native Government

The United Arab Emirates has been actively developing its artificial intelligence and advanced technology, focusing on regulatory frameworks, research initiatives, and digital transformation across public and private sectors.

In response to these advancements and initiatives, the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has issued a resolution to reconstitute the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC).

The AIATC has been playing a pivotal role in shaping Abu Dhabi’s artificial intelligence and advanced technology landscape, developing and implementing regulatory frameworks, policies, and strategies that drive innovation, enhance competitiveness, and position Abu Dhabi as a global hub for emerging technologies.

This renewed mandate is closely aligned with the Abu Dhabi Digital Government Strategy 2025–2027, which envisions Abu Dhabi as the world’s first fully AI-native government by 2027. This strategy highlights how artificial intelligence can revolutionize government operations, enhance the quality and efficiency of public services, and strengthen the digital ecosystem through strategic investments and forward-looking projects.

It is noteworthy that the UAE has implemented a range of strategic and legislative measures governing artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. A key example is Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data, governing how data may be collected, stored, and processed. All AI systems that process personal data must operate in full accordance with this law.

Further, in 2025, the UAE released the Charter for the Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, outlining 12 core principles including fairness, privacy, reliability, and human control, demonstrating forward-thinking stance and the expectation of ethical responsibility from developers and users.

Also, Federal Decree‑Law No. 25 of 2018 on Futuristic Projects gives the UAE Cabinet the authority to license “futuristic technologies / AI-based projects” where no regulatory regime exists. Whereas at the free-zone level, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) amended in 2023 its Data Protection Law No. 5 of 2020 to explicitly cover autonomous/semi-autonomous systems and automated decision-making.

In another notable development this year, the General Secretariat of UAE Cabinet introduced the new Regulatory Intelligence Ecosystem that will be designed and built using advanced technological solutions to process and analyse data throughout all stages of the legislative cycle. It is worth highlighting that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, announced the establishment of the Regulatory Intelligence Office, affiliated with the General Secretariat of the Cabinet.

The re-constituted AIATC can play a key supporting role in this ecosystem, by providing the subject-matter expertise and strategic oversight for how AI and advanced technology should be regulated and deployed. In other words, while the regulatory intelligence system enables how laws evolve, the AIATC helps define what laws, policies and standards need to evolve in the domain of AI.

Looking ahead, the AIATC is poised to facilitate technology roll-out, and to drive the next generation of regulatory innovation, by identifying gaps in current legislation, proposing new frameworks for advanced AI modalities and thereby supporting the UAE’s ambition to lead globally in AI adoption and governance.

To learn more about our legal solutions in AI and emerging technologies, please contact our Director and Head of Litigation, Essa Ziad Galadari at essa@galadarilaw.com, and our Associate Mohamed El Naggar at m.elnaggar@galadarilaw.com

 

	Essa Ziad Galadari Director & Deputy Head of Litigation essa@galadarilaw.com
	Mohamed El Naggar Associate m.elnaggar@galadarilaw.com