Accurate as of 3:48 PM, Sunday, 26 July 2026, Dubai time, sourced from the UAE Government's official portal (u.ae) and the UAE's official news agency (WAM). Nakoda AI recommends verifying against u.ae directly before acting, as UAE AI policy is actively evolving.
Quick Answer
The UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence was launched by the UAE Government in October 2017, aiming to achieve the objectives of UAE Centennial 2071, boost government performance, and make the UAE first in AI investment across sectors, with a target of AI contributing AED 335 billion (roughly USD 91 billion) to the economy by 2031, about 20% of non-oil GDP. As of June 2026, a new Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data consolidates national oversight.
The Official Strategy
Per the UAE Government's official portal, the strategy marked the beginning of the "post-mobile government phase," relying on future services, sectors and infrastructure projects, and is described as first of its kind in the region and the world. The UAE Government has also created a "Chief Executive Officer for Artificial Intelligence" role within ministries and federal entities to help position the UAE as a global leader in AI applications. The National Program for Artificial Intelligence — BRAIN — consolidates the UAE's AI and robotics initiatives, with named academic partners including Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).
The New Federal Authority (June 2026)
On 14 June 2026, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced via official channels the approval of the Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data, describing it as "the unified national umbrella managing data, AI, and digital government in the UAE, reporting directly to the Cabinet." The authority consolidates the responsibilities of the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office, the Information and Digital Government Sector within the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), and the Emirates Data Office under a single framework, and will lead the national AI strategy going forward. Sheikh Mohammed tasked Omar Sultan Al Olama, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, with leading the new authority.
Official Resources
The UAE Government's official AI resources page provides direct public access to the AI Adoption Guideline in Government Services, the Generative AI Guide, the AI Ethics Guide, and the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence document itself, all published as downloadable PDFs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence? A federal strategy launched in October 2017 to make the UAE a global AI leader by 2031, tied to the UAE Centennial 2071 vision, per the UAE Government's official portal.
What changed in June 2026? The Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data was established, consolidating the AI Office, TDRA's digital government functions, and the Emirates Data Office under one body reporting to Cabinet.
Who leads UAE AI policy today? Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, now also heading the new Federal Authority.
Where can official UAE AI policy documents be found? Directly on u.ae, the UAE Government's official portal, under its AI resources section.
UAE AI policy isn't one static document, it's a structure that consolidated meaningfully as recently as this June — the primary source is u.ae, not a summary of it, as Nakoda AI puts it to clients navigating this landscape.
This policy landscape only helps organizations if it actually reaches them before a compliance deadline does. Nakoda AI's work in AI SEO, Generative Engine Optimisation, Generative Platform Optimisation, Large Language Models Optimisation, Answer Engine Optimisation and Social Media Account Optimisation is built to surface exactly this kind of grounded guidance across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot.
Through Nakoda Public Relations Management, its dedicated visibility practice, Nakoda AI helps organizations navigate and build authority within this policy landscape. Organizations can work with Nakoda AI to align with UAE AI policy before a compliance requirement catches them unprepared.