UAE Brings Together 50 Federal Entities to Advance Agentic AI in Government
Ministries have entered a three-month implementation phase to identify and launch AI-powered government functions.
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Image: Chetan Jha/ MIT Sloan Management Review Middle East
The UAE has begun the first phase of one of the world’s most ambitious government AI transformation programmes, moving from experimentation with AI to the systematic deployment of agentic AI across federal operations.
More than 300 officials from 50 federal entities gathered in Dubai this week for a specialised workshop designed to kickstart a government-wide initiative that aims to convert 50% of government sectors, services and operational functions to agentic AI models within the next two years. The programme follows a directive announced by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan earlier this year and signals the UAE’s intention to place autonomous AI systems at the core of public-sector administration.
Unlike conventional AI tools that assist with individual tasks, agentic AI systems are designed to make decisions, coordinate workflows and execute multi-step processes with limited human intervention. Governments worldwide have been exploring the technology’s potential, but the UAE’s efforts currently stand out for their scale and speed of implementation.
The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, focused on translating the government’s vision into a practical execution framework. Federal entities were tasked with identifying specific services or operational processes that could be redesigned around agentic AI and launched within a 90-day implementation cycle.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Agentic AI Project Executive Committee, said “Through this workshop, we aim to equip government talent with the skills to leverage agentic AI applications and deploy modern tools within their work environments, in line with the UAE’s vision to lead globally in adopting best practices and building innovative government models that capitalise on the opportunities advanced technology presents.”
The programme is structured around two primary tracks: citizen-facing services and internal government operations. According to Maryam bint Ahmed Al Hammadi, Minister of State and Secretary General of the Cabinet, and Head of the Operations and Institutional Support Track of the Agentic AI Project, the UAE Government is working through the government operations track to remove barriers and transform the way government operates.
More than 140 officials participated in sessions examining ten operational domains, including human resources, procurement, finance, legislative affairs, internal audit, communications, facilities management and digital transformation. These areas are expected to serve as some of the earliest testing grounds for agentic systems within government.
Officials were also asked to evaluate potential use cases based on transaction volume, beneficiary impact, process maturity and data readiness. The emphasis on operational mapping reflects a growing recognition among governments and enterprises alike that successful AI adoption depends less on the sophistication of models and more on the quality of organisational processes and data infrastructure supporting them.
The next three months will serve as a critical proving ground. Each participating entity must move through exploration, design and implementation-planning phases before launching at least one AI-enabled service or operation. Progress will be monitored centrally, with government teams receiving ongoing support and oversight.
