UAE Hits 97% AI Utilization With New National Readiness Index

This achievement strengthens the UAE’s position as one of the most active adopters of AI technology worldwide and reflects years of investment, policy development, and large-scale digital transformation.

What the New AI Readiness Index Measures

The new index is a national tool that evaluates how well government entities are integrating AI into their daily operations. The index was introduced by Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, during the Annual Meetings. It focuses on practical adoption, internal capacity, data readiness, and the ability of each ministry or federal department to use AI to improve public services.

WAM explains that the goal is not only to measure progress but also to push every institution to reach higher levels of automation and smarter service delivery. The UAE is one of the few countries that has created a dedicated federal framework to assess and compare AI readiness within the government.

How the UAE Reached 97 Percent AI Utilization

According to WAM’s official report, almost all federal government entities use AI in some form. This includes digital assistants, smart platforms, predictive analytics, automated processing, and AI-powered decision support tools. The UAE’s approach has been clear and consistent. Every ministry is encouraged to find practical ways to use AI to improve efficiency and deliver services faster.

The government highlights that AI is meant to enhance human capability, not replace people. Al Olama stated that the UAE sees AI as a way to multiply national productivity. By adopting AI across government services, the UAE aims to boost economic output and deliver more responsive services to residents and businesses.

A Long Term Strategy That Started Early

The UAE began building its AI leadership years earlier. Several foundational decisions made between 2017 and 2020 created the momentum behind today’s 97 percent adoption rate.

Key moves include:

• The launch of the UAE National AI Strategy

• The appointment of the world’s first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence

• The creation of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence

• The release of national AI ethics guidelines

• Scaling AI use cases across healthcare, education, energy, transportation and public services

By investing early in talent, infrastructure and policy, the UAE built exactly the environment needed to scale AI quickly.

Global Rankings Support the UAE’s Leadership

Independent global indexes support the UAE’s strong position.

The Stanford AI Index ranks the UAE among the top five countries in overall AI vibrancy. The Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index places the UAE first in the Arab world and within the top twenty globally.

These rankings show that the UAE’s progress is not only self-reported. It is also validated by international assessments that measure policy, talent, digital capability and readiness at both government and national levels.

Large Scale Investments Accelerate Progress

Beyond government adoption, major investments from global technology companies are expanding the UAE’s AI infrastructure.

Reuters confirmed that Microsoft will invest more than 15 billion dollars in the UAE by 2029. This includes cloud expansion and access to advanced AI hardware such as Nvidia chips. Abu Dhabi’s G42 is also scaling national AI computing capacity with support from international partners.

These investments give businesses in the UAE access to world class AI tools and platforms. This allows the private sector to adopt AI at nearly the same pace as the public sector.

What This Means for the UAE Economy

PwC estimates that AI could contribute about 96 billion dollars to the UAE economy by 2030. This represents more than 13 percent of the national GDP. It is one of the highest projected economic contributions of AI in the region.

With 97 percent of government services already using AI, the next phase of growth will come from the private sector. Finance, retail, healthcare, logistics and energy are all accelerating AI adoption to streamline operations and innovate new services.

The UAE’s goal is to become a global testbed for AI powered business models. With strong infrastructure, clear regulation and high government adoption, the country is positioned to attract global investors and leading AI companies.

A New Benchmark for Digital Governments

The UAE’s announcement is one of the highest levels of government AI adoption reported anywhere in the world. While countries like the United States, China and the United Kingdom lead in research and private sector investment, the UAE stands out for the speed of AI deployment in government operations.

By launching a national AI Readiness Index and reaching 97 percent utilization, the UAE is setting a benchmark for digital governance. It represents a practical and results driven model that brings policy, education, infrastructure and innovation together under one national AI vision.

Conclusion

The UAE’s rapid rise in artificial intelligence is the result of early planning, strong investment and clear leadership. The new AI Readiness Index and the 97 percent utilization rate underline how seriously the government treats AI as a national priority.

As global interest in AI grows, the UAE offers a powerful example of how countries can accelerate national transformation with the right strategy and commitment. With its current momentum, the UAE is positioned to remain one of the most AI-ready nations in the world.