In 2017 the UAE was the first country in the world to establish the post of Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence. The post was created to make the UAE a global leader in AI by 2031, create new economic and social opportunities for citizens and generate economic growth, develop AI policies and best practices, invest in AI and develop the UAE government's performance in AI, and provide funding for private and public AI projects.
Initiatives:
* March 2018: UAE established the AI Council
* April 2018: UAE Blockchain Strategy 2021: set the goal of 50% of government transaction to be conducted using blockchain technology
* May 2018: UAE AI Camp: first AI camp in the region
* May 2018: one year AI program for government employees
* July 2018: UAE India AI Bridge: annual meeting between UAE and India to invest in AI start-ups
* March 2019: Think AI Initiative
* April 2019: AI Everything Summit: AI summit for businesses and governments
* October 2020: Code Hub: open source platform to encourage and accelerate AI advancement in the UAE
Achievements and statistics:
* UAE became the first country to establish the post of Minister of State for AI
* More than 60 AI-driven companies in the UAE
* Abu Dhabi and Dubai are in the top 50 Smart Cities in the world
* By December 2020, an AI program will be launched in 196 schools around the UAE
* Constructed 73 robotics labs in schools across the UAE