UAE creates dedicated artificial intelligence and data authority to ‘build government of the future’
The new authority will merge three government bodies’ portfolios and lead digital transformation under a single mandate
The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is to establish an artificial intelligence and data authority that will consolidate public data, AI and other digital government capabilities into a single national body as part of the country’s focus on AI-powered digital transformation.
The new Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority – which was approved by UAE prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid on 14 June – will merge the Office of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications and the UAE Data Office, and will incorporate the digital government portfolio of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority.
The government said the authority will lead digital government under a single mandate; unify national priorities; propose national policies; oversee the UAE’s national AI strategy; design and deliver proactive, integrated digital government services; and integrate and manage government data platforms.
It will set standards and guidelines for data and AI management, digital transformation and government services to firm up compliance across federal bodies; build national capabilities in AI and digital transformation through research, development and technical advisory services; and work “to increase the digital economy’s contribution to the country’s GDP”.
It is also tasked with “enhancing international coordination”, establishing AI, data and digital government partnerships, and supporting cybersecurity efforts.
Read more: United Arab Emirates launches training programme for chief AI officers
‘Using technology to serve people’: UAE PM
Underscoring the government’s ambition, Sheikh Mohammed said that the UAE was committed to developing “a more efficient, agile, and proactive global government model” that leverages data and AI in decision-making and to improve public services.
“Our goal is a government that is faster, smarter and always one step ahead, one that uses technology to serve people and build a better future for the next generation,” he said, adding: “We are building the government of the future… [one] that runs on data and agentic AI… never stops improving [and is] built around people, not paperwork”.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s minister of state for artificial intelligence, has been appointed chair of the new authority.
Read more: UAE regulates AI in national elections to promote transparency
Zayed, the UAE’s AI-generated spokesperson
Four days after the new authority was announced, the UAE government also announced the launch of an AI-generated spokesperson, named Zayed, that would serve as a “virtual champion” of the UAE Presidential Count’s strategies and global objectives.
Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, head of the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, said that launching Zayed reflected the government’s commitment to “embracing transformative technologies in ways that enhance the International Affairs Office’s communication and create deeper, more meaningful engagement with audiences across generations”.
She added: “The UAE’s journey in artificial intelligence is rooted in a clear vision set by our leadership, a vision that sees innovation not simply as technological advancement, but as a force that empowers societies and strengthens human connection.”
In July 2025, the Digital Dubai Authority – which aims to leverage advanced technologies to serve people and enhance community wellbeing – launched an AI-powered family designed to represent Emirati society and reflect “its values and aspirations”.
The avatars of the family of four – a man, woman, boy and girl – deliver what the government described as “engaging and educational messages about Dubai’s digital services in a light and relatable manner for all segments of society”, and raise awareness of digital services in “an amusing, interactive, and meaningful way”.
“Through this effort, Digital Dubai seeks to harness the power of AI to create a more resilient and people-centric digital future,” the authority said.
About Jack Aldane
Jack is a British journalist, cartoonist and podcaster. He graduated from Heythrop College London in 2009 with a BA in philosophy, before living and working in China for three years as a freelance reporter. After training in financial journalism at City University from 2013 to 2014, Jack worked at Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters before moving into editing magazines on global trade and development finance. Shortly after editing opinion writing for UnHerd, he joined the independent think tank ResPublica, where he led a media campaign to change the health and safety requirements around asbestos in UK public buildings. As host and producer of The Booking Club podcast – a conversation series featuring prominent authors and commentators at their favourite restaurants – Jack continues to engage today’s most distinguished thinkers on the biggest problems pertaining to ideology and power in the 21st century. He joined Global Government Forum as its Senior Staff Writer and Community Co-ordinator in 2021.
