In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to ensure that Dubai is the world’s fastest, and most agile and future-ready city, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, launched the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence, a yearly plan focused on harnessing the potential of technology to achieve quality-of-life focused outcomes.

Unprecedented achievements

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed affirmed that Dubai’s annual plan to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence applications embodies the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to enhance the city’s leadership as a global technology and innovation hub. The plan also reflects Dubai’s commitment to leverage new artificial intelligence technologies to create a brighter future in all sectors.

His Highness said: “In 1999, Dubai commenced its journey towards the future by launching its digital transformation venture, which has continued to achieve major milestones leading to the recent unveiling of the Dubai Digital Strategy last year. We have realised record-breaking accomplishments that have established Dubai as the premier hub for billion-dollar global enterprises in the technology and artificial intelligence sectors within the region.

His Highness added:“In recent years, the evolution of artificial intelligence has accelerated, presenting numerous opportunities for nations and governments adept at utilising it, while posing challenges to those unable to keep pace. This has necessitated swift and adaptive action plans responsive to rapid changes in technology and artificial intelligence.”

His Highness further said: “To enhance Dubai’s global leadership, today we launch Dubai’s Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence applications, which will achieve the targets of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 by contributing AED100 billion annually to Dubai’s economy through the digital economy and increasing the economy’s productivity by 50% through the adoption of innovative digital solutions.”

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said: “Through the first phase of the plan for this year, we will work on appointing a Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer in every government entity in Dubai, launch AI and Web3 incubators as well as announce an AI Week in educational institutions. Land for data centres will be fast tracked, and a new  commercial licence for artificial intelligence will be introduced.”

His Highness emphasised that the key goal of the plan is to ensure the well-being of Dubai’s citizens and residents. “We will annually review, update, and launch new projects to ensure that the plan keeps pace with all developments. Dubai is a city whose focus is humanity, and we will harness all our capabilities to make our society the happiest in the world,” he said.

Dubai’s annual plan for accelerating the adoption of AI applications and implementations serves as a roadmap for enhancing the well-being of its people by adopting AI across all sectors and areas crucial to the emirate’s future. The plan aims to make Dubai the city that offers the most conducive environment for economic growth, the best city for technology utilisation, and the fastest in adopting advanced applications.

Plan’s objectives

The plan aims to provide the best environment for artificial intelligence companies and global talent by enhancing competitiveness in facilitating business operations, supported by an advanced technological infrastructure, flexible legislative environment, and a supportive system that encourages the development of AI technologies and advanced technology-related industries. This will contribute to empowering companies in this sector to grow and expand the benefits of AI solutions in accelerating progress in various fields and contributing to building a better future for new generations.

The plan also aims to make Dubai a leader in the adoption of artificial intelligence in government operations. This will be achieved by implementing artificial intelligence tools in government projects and future initiatives, as well as supporting these entities in effectively adopting future technologies.

Further, this initiative seeks to position Dubai as the world’s most prepared city for radical transformations across vital sectors. Moreover, it aims to enhance employee productivity, improve government performance, and deliver superior government services leveraging future technologies.

The annual Dubai plan also aims to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence applications, transforming Dubai into a global hub for AI governance and legislation. This initiative involves providing necessary resources to attract innovators and leading technology companies. Additionally, it entails ongoing development of regulations and laws for AI utilisation across sectors. The plan has a strong focus on AI governance to effectively harness advanced technological tools and employ them in developing vital sectors to enhance human and social well-being.

The plan also aims to create the best AI applications in strategic sectors by empowering government teams with essential AI skills and tools, introducing them to the latest practices and future opportunities. This support will empower them to develop innovative applications based on these skills, facilitating the adoption of advanced technology tools to create services, products, and solutions, while also keeping pace with the rapid transformations across various spheres.

First phase of the plan

The first phase of Dubai’s annual plan to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence for this year includes the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer for Artificial Intelligence in each government entity in Dubai, who will spearhead specialised plans and programmes in the field of artificial intelligence and advanced technology. The broader goal is to enhance government performance by investing in the latest AI technology solutions and tools. The Dubai Center for Artificial Intelligence, which is part of the Dubai Future Foundation, will assess candidates for this role.

Furthermore, as part of the first phase, Dubai is set to inaugurate its AI and WEB3 Incubator. This initiative aims to establish the largest hub for AI and technology companies, with the objective of attracting innovators, startups, and AI frontrunners from across the globe, and supporting them in transforming their innovative concepts into success stories as well as facilitating their global expansion out of Dubai.

Additionally, the first phase of the plan involves launching AI Week in educational institutions to integrate AI applications into the educational system to enhance the quality of educational outcomes. This also encompasses providing students with skills aligned with future market needs, educating school and university students about AI and coding, and introducing them to the latest tools and methods in this field.

Moreover, the first phase of the plan includes the launch of the Dubai Commercial Licence for Artificial Intelligence aimed at enhancing investments in the field of artificial intelligence, attracting specialised companies and talented individuals from all over the world to work in an enabling environment that supports companies in achieving more growth and development, and contributing to solidifying Dubai’s position as the preferred business destination for technology and innovation companies.

The first phase of the plan also includes allocating land for data centres to contribute to providing an environment conducive to attracting foreign investments and continuing to develop world-class infrastructure to support the delivery of solutions that enhance Dubai’s digital transformation journey.

Digital transformation

The annual Dubai plan supports accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence applications to achieve the objectives of the D33 Agenda, which seeks to generate an annual contribution of AED100 billion from digital transformation projects to the emirate’s economy. This aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to solidify Dubai’s position as a global hub for the digital economy and a significant player in the global digital ecosystem.

The plan also supports achieving other key objectives of the D33 agenda, including establishing Dubai as one of the world’s top three urban economies and increasing economic productivity by 50% through innovation and the adoption of digital solutions. Dubai places the highest priority on fostering an innovation-friendly environment and building local talent and capabilities. Dubai also prioritises the adoption of digital solutions, which will support the creation of a smart and advanced economy characterised by leadership, sustainability, knowledge-based growth, innovation, and future technological applications, and consolidate the city’s competitiveness and position as a leading global hub for the digital economy.

Dubai’s annual plan for accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence applications contributes to solidifying the city’s status as a preferred destination for technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence companies. The emirate is home to the headquarters of eight technology unicorns, which have leveraged the economic and investment opportunities provided by its technology sector and large-scale digital transformation projects, to grow and succeed.

Dubai ranks first globally in foreign direct investment in artificial intelligence, first in the Middle East in technology entrepreneurship, and seventh globally in readiness for artificial intelligence applications.