UAE Advances Agentic AI Agenda With Federal Framework for Ministries
The Cabinet has approved a national framework targeting 50% deployment of agentic AI across services, operations, and workforce development.
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Image: Chetan Jha/ MIT Sloan Management Review Middle East
A month after announcing the deployment of agentic AI across half of all public services within two years, the UAE cabinet has approved an implementation strategy for ministries and federal entities. This is a step towards rolling out automated systems to manage workflows, services, and operational processes with limited human intervention.
The move makes the UAE among the first governments worldwide to attempt to operate independent AI systems to this extent. These systems, capable of multi-step tasks and making decisions, will coordinate across public-sector functions.
“The journey to UAE Government 4.0 has begun. We will convene a national retreat to develop the full transformation strategy, and Sheikh Mansour will lead and oversee this journey. Our ambition is clear: to be the world’s leading government in adopting Agentic AI,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE.
The meeting was attended by senior UAE leadership, including Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Ministers of the UAE.
Under the approved framework, every federal ministry and entity will have a specialized implementation team led by a minister or agency head. Apart from overseeing deployment across public services, these teams will also oversee digital infrastructure and internal operations and develop metrics to measure outcomes.
The first phase of the initiative will focus on four categories: citizen services, resident services, business services, and other public-facing government operations. The Cabinet also approved the first package of AI-enabled government service bundles aimed at citizens, residents, investors, and businesses.
Alongside the operational rollout, the UAE government unveiled what officials described as the country’s largest federal AI workforce training initiative to date. The program aims to train 80,000 federal employees — from ministers and senior executives to entry-level staff — in agentic AI technologies and governance.
Developed in partnership with institutions and companies, the initiative includes leadership, technical, specialist, workforce, and “train-the-trainer” tracks. A digital learning platform run by agentic tools will personalize learning and skills development.
The Cabinet also approved a national policy to advance AI-powered digital healthcare services, as part of building an AI-run national healthcare ecosystem.
The UAE is positioning itself as a global testbed for AI governance, digital public infrastructure, and sovereign ecosystems. In recent years, the Gulf state has invested heavily in national AI capabilities, launched initiatives, and integrated automation into numerous public sectors.
Beyond AI initiatives, the Cabinet approved 15 international agreements and memoranda of understanding covering trade, investment, financial regulation, diplomacy, and meteorological cooperation. It also approved the hosting of several international conferences and scientific events in the UAE, including the Fourth World Congress of University Research and the Congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.
