UAE aims to be leading global voice in 'battleground' for AI policies

Adopting AI principles crucial for supporting growth, Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq says at Gitex

Abdulla bin Touq, Minister of Economy, speaking on the first day of Gitex Global in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

The UAE aims to become a leading voice in the global “battleground” for artificial intelligence policies, as adoption of the technology continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq said.

Such policies – which are also being adopted in other major economies such as the US, Europe and China – are crucial for supporting economic development, Mr bin Touq said at the Gitex Global technology conference in Dubai on Monday.

“The government is pushing – there's a lot of building capacity, engaging with companies and working on so many challenges,” he said, adding that the policies have also served as guidance for investors on where to concentrate their finances.

The UAE is aiming to grow its economy by 7 per cent each year to hit Dh3 trillion ($816.7 billion) by 2030. New technologies – those which would have an impact in the near to medium term – will play a key role in achieving this, Mr bin Touq said.

“Every industrial revolution had one thing, which is [building] efficiency in humans. AI is doing that as well – 10 times more. That's an important aspect … moving forward,” he said.

Mr bin Touq's comments come after the UAE Cabinet on Friday revealed an international policy on artificial intelligence to help to prevent the misuse of the technology. Under this, the UAE will participate in international forums to help develop the use of AI, advocate for transparency to enable governments to enforce ethical and accountability standards, and support the establishment of international alliances for governing AI systems.

In May, the UAE Cabinet also approved the establishment of a chief executive for AI in all major federal entities, which experts said highlights the level of preparation required to achieve long-term benefits and position the country as a leader in technology.

The UAE's regulations rank among the highest in terms of standards, having accomplished a lot in a short period of time “because there was a focus, direction and a target to reach”, Mr bin Touq said.

Driving into the future

Meanwhile, the future of autonomous transport in the UAE is expected to happen seamlessly, and there will be no negative effects on the country's transport workforce, Mr bin Touq said.

“I don't think we have the challenge of labour, logistics and transportation. Actually, the UAE is the best place for autonomy,” he said, noting that the country will be able to utilise driverless transport more efficiently compared to other larger countries like the US.

There will also be the benefit of reduced costs for companies and carbon dioxide emissions, also in line with the UAE's sustainability agenda, the Minister added.

The UAE has been focusing on boosting smart mobility. Chinese company WeRide was granted the first preliminary national licence for self-driving cars by the UAE Cabinet in July 2023.

Last month, ride-hailing company Uber Technologies said it will begin using self-driving cars from WeRide in its Abu Dhabi fleet later this year.

In October last year, Abu Dhabi unveiled the Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry (Savi) cluster at clean energy hub Masdar City, aimed at establishing the emirate as a major centre for the development of high-tech vehicles.

It is also aimed at helping the emirate diversify its economy and create thousands of jobs: the hub is expected to contribute between Dh90 billion and Dh120 billion ($24.5 billion and $32.7 billion) to the UAE's economy and generate up to 50,000 jobs, officials said at the time.

Meanwhile, Dubai also began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its public roads in October last year after US self-driving tech company Cruise, which is backed by General Motors and Honda Motor, was issued with a trial permit.