UAE Orders 50% of Government Operations to Run on Agentic AI by 2028

The UAE announced a directive to transition 50% of federal government sectors, services, and operations to Agentic AI within two years, positioning itself as the first nation to deploy autonomous systems at that scale.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, revealed the framework during a Cabinet meeting on April 23 under directives from President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

What the UAE’s Agentic AI Plan Involves

Unlike conventional digital tools, Agentic AI systems independently analyze data, make decisions, execute multi-step processes, and improve without constant human input.

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The UAE plans to embed these as operational partners across federal workflows, with Sheikh Mohammed describing the shift as a fundamental change in how government works.

“AI will be our government executive partner to support decisions, enhance services, boost the efficiency of operations, and even evaluate results and introduce improvements in real time,” read an excerpt in the announcement citing the Vice President and Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed.

The directive includes mandatory AI training for all federal employees. Ministers and directors-general will face performance evaluations based on adoption speed, implementation quality, and how effectively they redesign operations around AI.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan will oversee execution, with a dedicated taskforce chaired by Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs.

A Decade of AI Groundwork

The announcement builds on the UAE’s existing infrastructure. In 2017, the country became the first to appoint a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and launched its AI Strategy 2031.

The appointment built on the belief that AI would be the next major revolution, with the UAE leveraging the first-mover advantage.

“Artificial Intelligence is the next major revolution of our times – our goal is to be one of the most advanced countries in this regard,” Sheikh Mohammed said at the time.

It later established a dedicated ministry for AI, digital economy, and remote work in 2020.

Other nations are pursuing similar goals. Estonia’s KrattAI network and Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative both integrate autonomous agents into public services.

However, no government has set a comparable scope or deadline for deploying Agentic AI across half its federal operations.

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