CERTIFICATION
The Dubai AI Seal, explained.
Since the Dubai Department of Finance directive on AI procurement, certification is a business requirement for any organization selling AI to Dubai government entities — not a credential to collect eventually.
WHAT IT IS
The Dubai AI Seal is a certification programme run by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence. It verifies that an organization providing AI meets defined standards for governance, security, ethics and transparency, and it is awarded across six tiers — from entry level through to the highest standard, held by organizations including IBM and e&.
The programme has already seen over 325 applications. That volume is not enthusiasm. It is a response to procurement: Dubai government entities are required to work with certified providers, so for anyone targeting government AI contracts the Seal has moved from differentiator to entry ticket.
The evaluation rests substantially on documentation. This is where unprepared applications struggle — not because the organization lacks good practice, but because good practice that exists only in people's heads cannot be evidenced.
WHAT IT EVALUATES
Five assessment areas
Security protocols
How AI systems and the data behind them are secured, including access control around models and training data, and monitoring for anomalous behaviour in production.
Governance frameworks
Whether AI decisions have defined accountability, review cycles and reporting lines - an operating model, not a policy document in a shared drive.
Transparency practices
Whether AI-driven decisions can be explained to the people they affect, and whether the organization discloses where and how it uses AI.
Ethical AI standards
Whether ethical principles are expressed as decision rules that apply to real situations, with an escalation path when an output conflicts with them.
Regulatory compliance
Alignment with the UAE Personal Data Protection Law, DIFC Data Protection Law, the UAE Cybersecurity Law and the principles of the UAE National AI Strategy 2031.
HOW WE PREPARE YOU
Four stages, inside out
01
Certification readiness assessment
We assess the organization against the evaluation criteria for the target tier and produce a gap list: what is in place, what is missing, and what would prevent certification today. Three to four weeks.
02
Close the gaps
We build what the application requires and the organization does not yet have - the governance framework, the ethics policy, the risk register, the incident response plan, the data governance structure, the security documentation.
03
Assemble the submission
The evaluation rests on documentation. We prepare the governance evidence, the security protocol descriptions, the ethics policy and the description of AI services that forms the basis of the assessment.
04
Manage the application
Submission, follow-up, and responses to any clarification the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence requests during evaluation.
The preparation work sits inside the AI Governance and Business Setup Advisory divisions — governance builds what the application evidences, business setup manages the submission.
QUESTIONS
The Dubai AI Seal, in plain answers
What is the Dubai AI Seal?
A certification programme run by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence that verifies AI companies meet standards for governance, security, ethics and transparency. It is assessed across six tiers, from entry level through to the highest standard.
Why does the Dubai AI Seal matter commercially?
The Dubai Department of Finance issued a directive requiring government AI procurement to go to certified, compliant providers. Certification is therefore a prerequisite for AI-related government contracts in Dubai, not a nice-to-have credential.
What does the Dubai AI Seal evaluate?
Security protocols, AI governance frameworks, transparency practices, ethical AI standards, and compliance with UAE regulatory requirements. The evaluation rests substantially on documentation, which is where most unprepared applications struggle.
How long does Dubai AI Seal preparation take?
It depends entirely on what already exists. An organization with mature governance may need a few weeks to assemble the submission. An organization starting from nothing should expect several months to build the frameworks the application evidences.
Can Nakoda AI guarantee certification?
No. The assessment is made by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence, not by us. What we can do is make sure the organization meets the criteria before it applies, and that the submission evidences that clearly.
Is Nakoda AI itself certified?
We have submitted our application. We do not claim the certification before it is granted, and this page will say so when it is.