The UAE Strategic Steps Toward AI Leadership

On September 17th, the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to discuss strengthening cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and application. This meeting underscores the UAE’s commitment to becoming the world’s leader in the field of AI, grounded in the country’s 2031 vision and 2071 centennial goals.

The UAE and OpenAI meeting can be interpreted as a strategic move from the UAE to advance its AI ecosystem. The country has been working to develop a comprehensive AI infrastructure, allying with “We the UAE 2031.” Continuing its hard work, the country is expected to reach a 100% automated data analysis system in all governmental sectors and build a digital, rapid, solutions-driven system that keeps pace with global developments.

Additionally, transformative digital developments will happen in governance. In line with the UAE’s goal of having a future-driven government, these developments suggest that AI could propose changes to legislation that better suit citizens’ needs, integrate pertinent solutions that link all sectors and people together, and ensure that all governmental plans will be geared toward future opportunities.

The UAE had already taken strategic steps to enhance its position in leading AI developments. Last May, Stargate UAE was launched as part of the UAE-U.S. AI partnership, providing an opportunity for the UAE to benefit from OpenAI’s tools in vital sectors such as government, healthcare, education, and energy. Under this partnership, the UAE will become the first country in the world to provide open access to ChatGPT all over the country. The UAE is adopting a comprehensive strategy to achieve the 2071 centennial plan’s 4 pillars: future-focused government, excellent education, a diversified knowledge economy, and a happy and cohesive society.

The UAE’s leveraging its partnership with OpenAI in research and development (R&D) could be a key to developing AI as a foreign policy and soft power tool. The country’s high potential to implement digital projects driven by AI research will make the UAE the regional leader in AI projects and digital cooperation. The country could export its digital progress with its partners in the Middle Eastern region through Emirati digital projects, thus enhancing its position in digital diplomacy.

These partnerships could include AI integration in energy, logistics, healthcare, and educational projects. The UAE is already advancing in these areas and could possibly collaborate with its regional partners, exporting Emirati AI-generated projects, for instance, the Emirati Smart Clinic or the Emirati Automated Admin System in healthcare and business. Another example in education is developing and exporting an Emirati Interactive Learning System tailored for different cognitive levels and learning capabilities of students.

Leading R&D in AI, will leverage the UAE’s regional and global position, where the country will have the ability to anticipate future trends and potential business sectors and support digital transformation in neighbouring countries, becoming a regional and global centre for future-orientated diplomacy.

Collaboration and investments in R&D between the UAE and OpenAI could potentially develop a UAE ChatGPT-like system tailored for Emiratis’ needs and society’s developments. Such a system will contribute to the overall digitalisation of the UAE infrastructure, enhancing citizens’ experience with governmental transactions and services, similar to the Dubai AI platform. The country is on the radar to quickly bolster smart modules, reaching all the milestones in the UAE Centennial 2071 plan, and at the same time, enriching the capabilities and opportunities of future generations.

Parallel to these developments, the UAE is a model for maintaining the Arabic linguistic and cultural heritage, where the country launched several AI-powered projects to integrate the Arabic language in various areas, such as the “GPT Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language” project, displaying a huge archive consisting of more than 20 million Arabic words. Accordingly, many similar ambitious initiatives can occur in the future as part of the UAE’s contributions to the revival of the Arabic language using smart modules.

In conclusion, these developments will enhance the Emiratis’ capabilities, empowering society to become more future-orientated and ensuring the prosperity of citizens. The meeting with the OpenAI CEO reflects the UAE’s strategic steps toward leadership in AI-driven solutions in all areas of life. The ongoing achievements consolidate the UAE’s role as a digital power, where the country will have the most pioneering AI and superior systems.

The UAE Centennial Plan 2071 aims to leverage the country’s position globally as an influential power. The UAE is moving steps ahead and toward a more futuristic forecasting approach, as collaboration with OpenAI is one of the many strategic steps to achieve AI leadership. The country’s pioneering in the AI field will contribute to the prosperity of citizens, enhance the future generation’s capabilities, and predict the needs and demands while providing innovative AI-powered solutions.