Dubai is moving fast. The city has launched the 'Government Services Development Programme with AI Assistant', aiming to put itself at the front of digital government worldwide. The Dubai Future Foundation made it official in October 2026. The programme, called the Agentic AI for Government Services Accelerator, is built to speed up how government services use agentic artificial intelligence. The promise: better service, less hassle for users. This is not a solo effort. The Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Dubai, and the Dubai Electronic Security Centre are all on board. Emirates News Agency (WAM) confirmed the partnership. The goal is clear. Dubai wants to lead.
The first phase is big. Thirty-three government entities are joining in. More than 300 public use cases are under review for AI upgrades. Officials want to find the most useful applications. They will use certified AI tools and work with companies that have the 'Dubai AI Seal'. This seal comes from the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence, which runs the programme with Dubai Future Foundation. The seal means trust. It marks out AI companies that have been checked and approved. The aim is to help Dubai's AI sector grow, according to WAM state news agency reports.
AI drives Dubai's government vision
Dubai's leaders see this as more than a tech upgrade. It's a shift in strategy. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, says the city is focused on what people will need next. The programme uses a fast "design-develop-deploy" cycle. AI will help spot tasks, crunch data, model scenarios, test fixes, and get solutions out the door quickly. Dubai wants to set new rules for digital government. The National and other top media have covered this push.
Al Mansoori also points to teamwork. He says digital government depends on a shared pool of skills, data, and tools. Digital Dubai's job is to give this ecosystem strong digital infrastructure, reliable data, and rules that keep AI safe and responsible. The plan is to turn good ideas into real, scalable solutions. Dubai wants to stay ahead. This fits with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the city's economy and make it a global innovation center.
Security and trust come first
Dubai is not ignoring cybersecurity. Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, CEO of Dubai Electronic Security Centre, says AI-powered services must be built on security, rules, and trust from the start. The centre sets the rules. It provides Dubai's Information Security Regulation and AI Security Policy. These guide government teams to use AI safely, without breaking compliance or risking data. Digital resilience matters. These rules match UAE federal standards. The centre works with the Central Bank of the UAE and other key players to keep things tight.
Dubai's global AI ambitions
Khalfan Juma Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, ties the programme to the vision of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. The goal is for Dubai to lead the world in using AI assistants in government. Belhoul says AI lets government teams skip old steps and boost service quality fast. Dubai's flexible rules and strong infrastructure make this possible.
This new programme builds on Dubai's bigger digital goals. The city wants to set the pace for tech adoption worldwide. Agentic AI, quick prototyping, and teamwork across sectors put Dubai in the spotlight as a testbed for new public services. The city's approach is similar to what's happening in other industries, as reported earlier in Dubai's push to take its jewellery industry global through innovation and partnerships.
Dubai's government is not just following digital trends. It is building a system where AI, security, and user needs come together. The real test is simple. Can these AI-powered services deliver smooth, safe, and smart experiences for people and businesses? Dubai's record in digital change is strong. The city looks ready to make this vision real and set a new global bar for government services.
This is not just a Dubai story. The UAE federal government wants at least half of all government sectors, services, and operations to use agentic AI models within two years. The announcement came in April 2026. The federal plan lists ten main areas for agentic AI: HR, procurement, finance, internal audit, legislative work, digital transformation, tech support, communications, facilities management, and maintenance, according to BDO UAE analysis. Abu Dhabi has already built over 1,000 internal AI agents. Microsoft 365 Copilot is now used by tens of thousands of government workers. Plans are in place to train 80,000 federal staff in agentic AI. The scale is huge. Microsoft and The National have reported on the ambition behind the UAE's digital transformation.
