The UAE on Monday unveiled plans to train 80,000 workers – from ministers to junior employees – in the use of AI agents under a mission to ensure half of government services are delivered by the emerging technology within two years.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said it would be the largest AI training programme launched by the UAE government.
He set out the UAE's vision for the future during a meeting of the UAE Cabinet at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. He said the training programme would be developed in partnership with leading universities and global tech companies.
It will focus on raising AI capabilities in five categories, covering leadership, technical skills, specialist roles, the general workforce and additional support for trainers. A dedicated digital platform, powered by Agentic AI tools, will be developed to assist federal employees through personalised learning pathways tailored to their role and skill level.
“During the meeting, we defined the governance framework setting out the roles and responsibilities of all ministries and federal entities in this national project,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
“We also launched the largest training programme in the history of the UAE government, training 80,000 employees in Agentic AI tools and technologies, from ministers and senior executives to new joiners across every ministry, authority and government entity.”
High-tech vision takes shape
Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE Cabinet had approved the first package of government services to apply Agentic AI tools.
“We approved the first package of transformational government services to be powered by Agentic AI, with service bundles designed for citizens, residents, businesses and investors,” he said. “The goal of the upcoming transformation is to be the best government in the world in adopting Agentic AI assistant technologies,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
The Dubai Ruler also set out plans to further integrate AI into the day-to-day running of the health sector under a new plan. He said the National Policy to Enhance Artificial Intelligence in the Health Sector would help to develop digital health infrastructure and equip professionals in the sector with new skills.
What is the UAE's AI strategy?
In April, the UAE Cabinet revealed its plans to embrace Agentic AI in governance, as directed by President Sheikh Mohamed. Sheikh Mohammed said the scheme would make the UAE the first government in the world to operate at such a large scale through autonomous systems.
Sheikh Mohammed said every federal employee would be trained to master AI, creating the “world’s strongest capabilities in AI-driven government”. The initiative is being overseen by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, with a task force led by Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs.
How will AI strategy be implemented?
The project aims to utilise AI agents – an autonomous model of AI capable of making decisions and achieving specific goals with limited supervision – to reshape government.
The AI agents will be used to redesign government policies, processes and procedures and will enable smart systems to perform tasks proactively to reduce operational costs and boost productivity and efficiency.
There will be a phased introduction of the scheme in ministries and federal departments, based on continuous performance and impact assessments. This will pave the way for a wider roll-out across the federal government.
