Abu Dhabi, UAE – The United Arab Emirates is preparing to celebrate its 54th National Day on December 2nd, amidst significant achievements that reflect its rapid progress towards the future.
Especially in the field of artificial intelligence, which has become one of
the most prominent pillars of national development and the knowledge economy in the country.
This year’s National Day comes amid what the UAE is described as “unprecedented technological leaps”,
This has made it one of the world’s leading countries in the development
and application of artificial intelligence technologies.
This is thanks to an ambitious national strategy, huge investments,
and specialized research and educational institutions that rival major global centers.
A national strategy that looks to the future
The UAE launched the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 as part of its vision to become a global hub for artificial intelligence.
In line with the goals of the UAE Centennial 2071.
The strategy includes eight key objectives, among them enhancing the country’s global reputation in this field.
Developing human capabilities, empowering vital sectors, and adopting artificial intelligence in government services.
According to official estimates, artificial intelligence is expected to contribute
around 335 billion dirhams to the national economy by 2031.
This step confirms the state’s direction towards diversifying sources of income
and strengthening its position as a global center for innovation.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence: A global scientific beacon
The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is one of the most prominent symbols of scientific progress in the country.
Hundreds of students of various nationalities have graduated from it, and it has established advanced research laboratories in Abu Dhabi and Silicon Valley in the United States.
In 2025, the university expanded by launching its first Bachelor’s program in Artificial Intelligence,
Open models that compete globally
The UAE has emerged as a competitive technological force in developing open-source language models.
This is done through projects such as Falcon, which is affiliated with the Technology Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi.
Therefore, it has been described as one of the most efficient models in the world.
In addition, the UAE has launched multilingual models,
including Jais in Arabic, Nanda in Hindi, and Sherkala in Kazakh.
This enhances the linguistic and cultural presence in the field of generative artificial intelligence globally.
Global partnerships and investments
The year 2025 witnessed the signing of a number of major partnerships
that strengthened the UAE’s position in the global technology market.
The most prominent example is Microsoft’s $1.5 billion investment in the UAE-based company G42.
This is in addition to the creation of a $1 billion fund to develop talent in artificial intelligence.
Furthermore, the Institute of Technology Innovation collaborated
with AWS to make Falcon models available across cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Bedrock,
This has enabled researchers and companies to use these technologies in diverse fields.
Artificial intelligence is a pillar of the national economy
Economic analyses have indicated that artificial intelligence technologies could contribute up to 14% of the UAE’s GDP.
This is by 2030, and by about 20% of non-oil output by 2031.
Artificial intelligence solutions are being implemented in the energy, transportation, tourism and government services sectors.
This is to improve efficiency and enhance quality of life, within the state’s vision to become a global hub for future technologies.
