Mohammed Al Gergawi, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, stated that the United Arab Emirates, under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, is adopting a proactive and comprehensive approach. This approach entails a forward-thinking design for the future, addressing its changes, opportunities, and challenges.
He added, “The announcement by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum regarding the establishment of a national artificial intelligence system as an advisory member in the councils of ministers and the ministerial council for development, starting in January 2026, signifies that the UAE does not wait for the future; rather, it creates it.”
Al Gergawi noted, “This initiative marks a groundbreaking governmental advisory role globally. Incorporating artificial intelligence at the highest levels of governmental decision-making will generate extraordinary opportunities for the future. The new member will be a digital entity supported by advanced AI technologies, participating in cabinet meetings to provide members with immediate data and analysis that aid in strategic decision-making.”
He stated, “The historic step that will be realized in less than six months is the result of proactive planning and foresight from the UAE leadership. Eight years ago, in 2017, the Council of Ministers, under Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, launched the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy, at a time when many were still unaware of the extent of the future changes that AI technologies would bring to the world.”
According to him, the national strategy aims to accelerate the implementation of development programs and projects, relying on artificial intelligence for services and data analysis at a rate of 100% by 2031. It seeks to enhance government performance, speed up achievements, and create innovative work environments, positioning the UAE government as a global leader in utilizing AI across various vital sectors, thereby creating a promising new market with high economic value in the region.
Proactive Planning
He emphasized that the AI agenda has consistently received attention from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who, in 2017, appointed the world’s first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence. This initiative addressed long-term national future needs and aimed to instill skills and knowledge of future technology, as part of an early vision that “the next global wave is artificial intelligence.” This approach positions the UAE as the most prepared and quickest to adapt to its changes.
Al Gergawi highlighted that the state’s strategy in the AI sector, aimed at localizing future and innovative technologies, has been backed by concrete, proactive steps. This was reinforced by the establishment of the “Mohammed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence” in 2019, which is the first graduate university dedicated to AI research globally. Moreover, the national strategy has solidified the UAE’s status as a global center for creating exceptional opportunities, transforming it into one of the leading global hubs in the field, attracting projects and innovations that contribute to its development and capitalize on its opportunities.
The Future is Being Shaped Today
He continued, “The current generations in the UAE, along with future generations, will reap the benefits of these proactive measures we are experiencing today. The decisions being made pave the way for exceptional future opportunities through optimal investments in AI technologies, making them essential for driving development and fostering innovation locally, regionally, and globally. This secures the UAE’s position as the future capital of the world in a crucial sector poised to alter economic, investment, scientific, and knowledge balances across all human societies and globally in the coming decades.”
Cognitive Analytics
The main tasks of the AI advisory membership in the Council of Ministers, starting in January, will include providing strategic advice based on comprehensive cognitive analyses of ministerial files, preparing real-time analyses during meetings for agenda topics to support confidentiality and decision-making quality, and generating immediate knowledge reports relevant to the discussions to enhance meeting outcomes and decision-making.
Additional responsibilities will involve conducting real-time benchmarking against relevant international policies and practices, producing future scenarios using predictive models to examine the options available for each decision, and simulating the impact of proposed policies, strategies, and legislation across various sectors before their approval.
Supporting Characteristics
Artificial intelligence possesses numerous characteristics and advantages that can be leveraged in council activities, as well as in all federal councils where it will serve as an advisory member. These include analyzing presentations and summarizing their key points, providing real-time data-driven analyses to support decision-making, and enabling quick and accurate access to information from reliable internal and external sources. Additionally, it will reference decisions to relevant policies, legislation, or previous studies. The key learning channels available to it will include resources from the Council of Ministers, such as laws and executive regulations, decisions, organizational decrees, strategies, and policies, as well as reports previously submitted to the council. It will also utilize federal sources like studies, national databases, and varied external resources, particularly trustworthy external databases and high-reliability official websites.