UAE 2025: From vision to reality, driven by innovation 

In a world reshaped by algorithms, the UAE did not wait to be part of the transformation – it chose to lead it, writes His Excellency Khalifa Ibrahim Al Saleis, CEO & Executive Director, SIRA.

While many nations viewed AI as a foreign product or an emerging development, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recognised it as an existential opportunity; an essential tool for reshaping its relationship with time and securing its position on the global map of the future. 

The year 2025 is not just another milestone in the country’s journey; it represents a decisive turning point that brought clarity of vision, bold leadership and rapid execution.

The UAE’s leadership made the strategic decision to position AI as a central pillar of the nation’s new infrastructure, not merely as a supplementary technology, but as a foundational element that would redefine the concept of a smart state, a flexible economy, a responsive government and a knowledge-driven citizen. 

The guiding question was not, “how can we benefit from AI?”, rather, “how can we redefine everything through it?” As a result, projects were integrated and initiatives interconnected – from education to legislation, from governance to security and from concept to execution. 

The AI journey 

The journey began with education. To drive lasting transformation, the UAE understood the importance of first shaping minds. In response, the country established the world’s first research university dedicated to AI, the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.

This institution was not designed solely to produce researchers, but to cultivate digital thinkers who grasp AI from its very foundation and redirect it to benefit humanity. The university became a global hub where minds come together not only to seek careers but to reimagine the world. 

In parallel, specialised AI training centres were established, operating around the clock to equip employees across diverse sectors, especially in security, with the skills necessary to become decision-makers.

These centres went beyond offering workshops; they built a sustainable framework for transferring cutting-edge technical knowledge, providing practical environments for experimentation and development aligned with the highest standards of AI. 

The UAE did not stop at developing a new generation of specialised professionals; it turned its attention to schools and childhood, where intellectual foundations are formed. In 2025, the UAE officially incorporated AI as a mandatory subject in educational curricula across all academic stages – a pioneering step in the Arab world.

The goal was to create a generation that does not simply consume technology but actively creates it, understands its underlying mechanics and poses questions that go beyond, “how do we use AI?” to “how do we align it with our values?” 

Amid this technological openness, the UAE recognised that rapid progress requires a robust legal framework. AI brings with it unprecedented ethical and legal challenges, from data protection to the credibility of automated decisions. As such, it became essential to construct a proactive legislative framework that fosters innovation while protecting individuals from potential misuse. 

The ‘UAE AI Usage Charter’ was subsequently introduced – a groundbreaking regulatory document that outlines the values and principles every organisation utilising AI must adhere to, such as transparency, fairness, privacy and human oversight.

This charter was not merely written in legal terms but also in the language of ethics. These principles were reinforced by a comprehensive data security law that protects personal data, ensuring individuals’ right to know how their information is used, for what purposes and who has access to it. 

To ensure these principles were not just theoretical, the UAE adopted practical tools such as the ‘AI Ethical Auditor’, an evaluative mechanism that assesses technological projects from an ethical standpoint before their approval. The UAE is not simply looking to leverage AI, but is striving to set a global standard for its responsible and ethical use. 

This model was not confined to theoretical frameworks. In fact, it was brought to life through practical application. In government services, AI-driven systems issue licences, analyse complaints and assess needs even before they are articulated by citizens.

In the business sector, the UAE launched various service platforms that complete transactions across diverse fields in mere minutes, without human intermediaries, all within an automated system guided by AI for decision-making. 

In healthcare, hospitals utilise predictive systems to analyse clinical data, forecast diseases and provide early intervention. In education, smart platforms analyse student behaviour, offering personalised educational content tailored to each student’s capabilities.

Even in transportation, the UAE has implemented AI systems to manage traffic signals, analyse accidents and guide emergency vehicles. AI is no longer an addition to infrastructure; it has become the infrastructure itself. 

At the heart of the global conversation 

Recognising that every genuine transformation requires measurement, the UAE introduced rigorous standards for evaluating the adoption of AI. In 2025, the Dubai government officially included the ‘Artificial Intelligence Usage Index’ in its criteria for assessing government entities.

This index does not simply measure superficial interactions with technology but evaluates how AI is used to enhance performance, improve customer satisfaction and reduce time and costs. 

Institutions that were initially slow to adopt this technology began to view the index as a motivator, seeing the pursuit of intelligent success as imperative. Government entities now compete not on budget size or employee numbers, but on the quality of smart solutions and their ability to deploy AI effectively, safely, and creatively. 

This ambition extended beyond local borders. The UAE chose to share this innovative model with the world. To that end, the country launched the Global Emerging Technologies Governance Summit (GETS) in 2025, providing an international platform for discussing how we can govern technologies before they govern us.

The goal was not just regulatory but also philosophical: How do we create a balance between innovation and protection? How do we ensure that technology serves humanity, rather than exploiting it? 

The summit was an extension of the diplomatic and technological efforts led by decision-makers in the UAE, positioning the country at the heart of the global conversation on AI – not merely as a participant, but as a rule-maker.  

These efforts reflect a deep conviction that AI is not a fleeting technology, but a new philosophy of management. The UAE does not just adapt AI to serve its institutions; it employs it to shape a new kind of human being: More aware, faster and better prepared for the future.  

Investing in the future 

The year 2025 was not the end of a journey, but the beginning of one. Following this unprecedented momentum, the UAE has firmly established itself as a living laboratory for innovation, a safe space for experimentation and a platform for exporting intelligent and ethical solutions to the world. 

Thus, the UAE continually demonstrates that when it invests in the future, it does not simply import it – it rewrites it on its own terms, according to its own values and with its own vision.