February 23, 2026
Methodology About Newsletter
WE THE UAE 2031
The Vanderbilt Terminal for the UAE's National Transformation
INDEPENDENT GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% | UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% |

Definition

An AI strategy is a comprehensive plan developed by a government or organization to guide the research, development, deployment, and governance of artificial intelligence technologies. National AI strategies typically address talent development, data infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, ethical guidelines, public-private partnerships, and sector-specific application roadmaps. These strategies aim to capture economic value from AI while managing risks related to workforce displacement, bias, privacy, and security.

UAE Context

The UAE was the first country in the world to appoint a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence in 2017, signaling its commitment to AI leadership. The UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 targets integrating AI across government services, transportation, healthcare, education, energy, and space. Key institutional pillars include the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world’s first graduate-level AI university, and Technology Innovation Institute (TII), which developed the open-source Falcon large language model series. Abu Dhabi’s G42 has emerged as a major AI investment and deployment company operating across the region.

Key Data

  • AI Minister appointed: 2017 (first globally)
  • National strategy: UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031
  • Key institutions: MBZUAI, Technology Innovation Institute, G42
  • Notable achievement: Falcon LLM series (open-source large language models)
  • Target sectors: Government, healthcare, transport, energy, education, space

Significance for Vision 2031

AI is positioned as a transformative enabler across every pillar of the We the UAE 2031 vision. The national strategy targets AI-driven gains in government efficiency, economic productivity, healthcare outcomes, and educational quality. By building domestic AI capability through research institutions, talent development, and sovereign AI models, the UAE aims to become a leading global AI economy and reduce dependence on foreign technology platforms.

  • Smart City - Technology-integrated urban environments
  • Blockchain - Complementary distributed ledger technology
  • Fintech - AI applications in financial services
  • HealthTech - AI applications in healthcare