Abu Dhabi: The Federal National Council (FNC) has taken a significant step toward strengthening the UAE’s artificial intelligence (AI) landscape by adopting a series of forward-thinking recommendations during its 3rd meeting of the second ordinary session of the 18th legislative chapter.
Presided over by Speaker Saqr Gobash, the session featured the attendance of Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work.
The council delved into discussions surrounding AI governance, legislation, and strategies, culminating in recommendations to enhance the UAE’s global AI leadership.
Key Recommendations
The council underscored the necessity of revisiting current legislation to integrate evolving AI concepts, particularly in technical and data protection domains. Specific proposals included:
- Data Governance: Enacting comprehensive legislation to govern the classification, storage, exchange, and privacy of government data, balancing transparency with confidentiality.
- Unified Data Platform: Creating a shared platform for open data exchange between public and private sectors, fostering collaboration and innovation.
- Support for AI Entrepreneurs: Providing financing, marketing, and technical support to empower startups in the AI sector.
- Public-Private Partnerships: Strengthening R&D collaborations between government entities and private organizations to enhance AI strategy outcomes.
- Efficiency Metrics: Implementing quality indicators for AI-powered government services to measure effectiveness and citizen satisfaction.
The FNC decided to forward these recommendations to the Committee on Technology, Energy, Mineral Resources, and Public Utilities for refinement before submission to the government.
Omar bin Sultan Al Olama outlined the UAE’s comprehensive AI strategy, which began in 2002 with e-government initiatives and evolved into smart transformation and AI adoption.
The strategy, launched in 2017, is anchored on eight objectives and three phases: foundational development, AI integration, and global leadership. Each phase lasts three to four years.
Key initiatives include specialized training programs under the National AI Program in collaboration with the University of Oxford.
These programs aim to equip government and private sector employees with skills essential for future AI-driven roles, aligning with the UAE Vision 2071.