Key Takeaways:

• UAE’s foundation-first AI approach focuses on infrastructure and regulations before applications.
• UAE hosts over 800 AI companies, with two-thirds choosing Dubai as their primary location.
• First-ever AI university positions UAE as leader in developing next-generation AI talent.

Instead of rushing to create AI applications like many other countries, the UAE is first building the foundation needed for long-term success. From reducing traffic congestion by 15% to achieving 98% accuracy in medical diagnoses, the country aims to use AI to improve daily operations while positioning itself as a global leader in technological developments. 

UAE’s goals in AI and technology confirm its aggressive, forward-thinking approach in embracing and leading in innovation. AI is set to add $96 billion to the UAE’s economy by 2030 and make up 14% of its GDP. 

More than 800 companies working on AI have already set up offices in the country, and two-thirds of them picked Dubai as their main location. This success started with a bold move in 2017, when the UAE became the first country to create a position for an AI Minister.

Creating Strong Partnerships for Expansion

The UAE is backing up its plans with real investment. From reducing traffic congestion by 15% to achieving 98% accuracy in medical diagnoses, the country aims to use AI to improve daily operations while positioning itself as a global leader in technological developments.

Take the recent $1.5 billion partnership between Microsoft and Abu Dhabi’s G42. The partnership is about building the computing power needed for advanced AI research. Some of the plans include building a $1 billion data center in Kenya that uses natural heat from the earth for power, showing how the UAE wants to develop AI in a way that’s good for the environment and can help other countries too.

The UAE has also been cautious about how it handles data. While many countries are getting stricter about data use, the UAE has found a middle ground. For example, it lets AI companies use medical data for training their systems, but only after removing personal information, an approach that helps push AI forward while still protecting people’s privacy.

One of the UAE’s most important investment–if not the most–is in its people. The country built the world’s first university focused entirely on AI research–the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence–to prepare the new generation of AI talent. 

Creating an Artificially Intelligent Future for Future Generations

While challenges exist, including regional competition from Saudi Arabia’s reported $40 billion AI investment fund, the UAE’s foundation-first approach positions it uniquely in the global AI landscape. By prioritizing infrastructure, data frameworks, and talent development before rushing to market applications, the UAE is  creating an ecosystem where AI innovation can flourish naturally, steadily.

In the race to lead in AI, success isn’t measured by speed alone, but by the strength of the foundations laid today for tomorrow’s innovations. The UAE is showing that taking time to get the basics right might be the best way to lead in AI’s future.