UAE Launches ‘Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority’

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the creation of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority. In a definitive move, this decision cements the nation’s position as a global tech superpower.

What Is the UAE Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority?

This powerful new national body consolidates the UAE’s core technological portfolios—unifying AI, data management, and digital government functions under a single, streamlined mandate.

Reporting directly to the UAE Cabinet, the newly formed Authority will be chaired by Omar Sultan Al Olama, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.

A Government Built on Agentic AI

Commenting on the launch, Sheikh Mohammed affirmed that the UAE is actively building a future-proof government. This next-generation approach is explicitly designed to enable faster decision-making, optimize public service delivery, and foster a culture of continuous institutional improvement.

“That runs on data and agentic AI.”

Three Bodies Merged Into One

To achieve this, the new entity absorbs and merges the responsibilities and assets of three major existing bodies:

• The Office of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications
• The Digital Government Sector at the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA)
• The UAE Data Office

By dissolving these silos, the UAE aims to create an interconnected ecosystem where data flows seamlessly to power advanced AI systems.

Empowering the Digital Economy and Public Services

The Authority arrives with an expansive, high-stakes mandate aimed at both economic growth and public sector evolution.

Key Pillars of the Authority’s Mandate

• Economic Impact: Directly driving and increasing the digital economy’s overall contribution to the nation’s GDP.
• National AI Strategy: Designing, executing, and leading the overarching national roadmap for artificial intelligence.
• Unified Data Architecture: Overseeing federal government data to guarantee high quality, strict availability, and secure sharing across all federal entities, alongside operating AI-powered national data platforms for evidence-based policymaking.
• Next-Gen Citizen Services: Designing proactive, integrated digital services centered entirely around individual needs, moving away from bureaucratic hurdles.
• Standards and Security: Setting federal benchmarks for digital transformation, data management, and cybersecurity, while simultaneously upskilling national talent through dedicated research and advisory pipelines.

By centralization, the UAE is positioning itself to not just adopt global technological trends, but to set the standards for how sovereign nations govern in the age of intelligence.