His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, announced a landmark directive on Thursday: 50% of government sectors, services, and operations will run on Agentic AI within a two-year deadline. The initiative, carried out under the directive of President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, represents one of the most ambitious national AI adoption plans ever attempted.
Agentic AI to Redesign Government Work
In a social media statement, Al Maktoum declared that AI has evolved beyond a mere tool. “It analyses, decides, executes, and improves in real time. It will become our executive partner to enhance services, accelerate decisions, and raise efficiency.” The performance of these AI-driven systems will be measured by speed of adoption, quality of implementation, and the mastery of AI in redesigning government workflows. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed has been appointed to oversee the entire transformational project, tasked with replacing the current government model with a faster, more responsive, and more impactful one.
Mandatory AI Training for All Federal Employees
No federal worker will be left behind. Al Maktoum emphasized that all public servants will undergo training to “master AI,” building the capabilities necessary to operate within an AI-driven government. This broad workforce upskilling program is designed to ensure human oversight and effective collaboration with autonomous agents. The training initiative is expected to be one of the largest public-sector reskilling efforts in the region.
Building on a History of AI Government Innovation
The UAE has been steadily integrating AI into its governance framework. In April 2025, Al Maktoum launched the Emirates’ first AI-based legislative system, which uses AI agents to develop laws, monitor their effects through data analysis, and propose amendments. The new government operations pivot extends this logic to nearly every public service, from permit approvals to citizen engagement. Observers note that if successful, the model could set a global benchmark for AI-enabled public administration, while also prompting deeper debates about accountability, data privacy, and the ethical boundaries of autonomous decision-making by government AI systems.
“The world is changing. Technology is accelerating. Our principle remains constant. People come first,” Al Maktoum concluded. The two-year timeline is seen as highly ambitious, but given the UAE’s track record in rapid digital transformation, many analysts believe the target is achievable.