Dubai is actively positioning itself as a global center for artificial intelligence (AI) and is seeking the assistance of Indian entrepreneurs, startups, and talent to propel this transformation. Younus Al Nasser, the chief executive of the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment at Digital Dubai, discussed the Emirate’s ambition to become the global capital for AI development and implementation by the year 2031.

Al Nasser highlighted India’s emergence as a leader in technology development across various sectors, including AI applications, clean mobility, semiconductors, space and satellite technologies, e-commerce, and fintech. He mentioned that Dubai has adopted an “open-door policy of embracing innovation from across the globe,” which facilitates this collaboration.

The initiative gained significant traction in June 2023 when Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence. This center aims to train 1 000 government employees from over 30 entities in generative AI, support more than 20 technology startups, and enhance government service efficiency. Additionally, the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence was established as an annual plan to align AI adoption with the city’s economic objectives.

A key goal of this initiative is to contribute AED 100 billion annually to Dubai’s economy through the digital economy and improve productivity by 50 percent via digital innovation. By June 2024, 22 chief AI officers had been appointed across various government bodies, and dedicated incubators like the Dubai AI Campus at the DIFC Innovation Hub were launched to nurture Web3 and AI startups.

Indian businesses are taking notice of these opportunities. Al Nasser noted that in 2024, over 73,000 new Indian companies joined the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, a surge attributed to proactive reforms. He stated that Dubai is establishing cutting-edge infrastructure and frequently updating technology regulations to enable new companies to expand without facing regulatory hurdles or bureaucratic challenges.

The longstanding cultural and economic ties between India and the UAE also facilitate this collaboration. Al Nasser pointed out that Indians constitute over 40 percent of the UAE’s population, bringing a rich essence of Indian culture to various areas of Dubai and the wider UAE.

As Dubai rapidly advances towards its AI goals, Indian innovators play a crucial role in the city’s digital growth narrative. The push for a fully digital city reflects a commitment to technological transformation that began in 2000 with the establishment of Dubai e-Government, which developed a city-wide ERP system that now serves 75,000 government employees. By December 2021, Dubai achieved fully paperless government operations, conducting all transactions between the government and individuals digitally.

The city’s digital strategy evolved in 2021 with the creation of Digital Dubai, which focuses on citywide transformation across seven key pillars, including the digital economy and cybersecurity.

Regarding data ethics, cybersecurity, and AI regulation, Al Nasser emphasized that Dubai is coupling its aggressive AI adoption strategy with a strong focus on responsible governance. He stated, “Striking the right balance between AI innovation and safeguarding public trust is central to our strategy.” This involves utilizing innovation sandboxes—controlled environments where new AI technologies can be tested under regulatory supervision, allowing for policy adaptation based on real-world testing while ensuring public interests are protected.

Dubai’s ethical framework includes the 2019 Ethical AI Guidelines and AI Toolkit, along with the AI Policy for Government Entities, which mandates transparency, explainability, human oversight, and inclusive design. This policy also requires the establishment of internal AI ethics review committees.

As cities globally compete to become smarter and more sustainable, Dubai is advancing a data-driven and human-centric urban living model powered by emerging technologies and international partnerships. The foundation of Dubai’s data infrastructure was laid with the 2016 Dubai Data Law and Open Data Committee, leading to the launch of UAE PASS, the national digital identity platform, in 2018. This platform is now used by over nine million individuals across 15,000 service providers and has processed more than 600 million transactions.

Today, over 1 200 anonymized data sets from 24 sectors are publicly available, fostering innovation and enhancing service delivery. The Dubai Dashboard, which utilizes real-time and predictive analytics, monitors and forecasts 14 economic indicators, ranging from tourism to traffic. Al Nasser reiterated that “Dubai’s vision is not solely about technology adoption, but human-centric technology implementation,” emphasizing the city’s openness to global collaboration in creating a sustainable and inclusive digital future.