UAE directive to convert 50% of government operations to Agentic AI in two years: Al Gergawi

DUBAI: Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the National Committee for the Agentic AI Project, affirmed that the UAE is entering a new phase of government development built on deploying Agentic AI in the design of public services, policies and procedures, advancing the leadership's vision of building the world's most effective and forward-looking government.The announcement came during the Agentic AI workshop organised by the Presidential Court and the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs in Dubai, with the participation of 600 employees from both entities, as part of the UAE Government's national project to convert 50 percent of federal government operations, procedures and services to Agentic AI models within two years.The workshop reviewed the targets of the next phase of AI-powered government transformation and explored new operating models designed to raise government efficiency, improve output quality, accelerate delivery and strengthen decision-making.Al Gergawi said the directive to convert 50 percent of government operations to Agentic AI models within two years represents a defining strategic step in redesigning how government works, making it more efficient, more productive and more capable of delivering world-class services, in line with the UAE's global leadership in harnessing advanced technology for the benefit of people and communities.He added, The world is going through a fundamental shift driven by artificial intelligence, and the UAE, thanks to its forward-thinking vision and early investments, has positioned itself at the forefront of nations ready to embrace and capitalise on this transformation. Agentic AI does not replace people, it makes them more capable, and opens wider possibilities for creativity, innovation and impact.Al Gergawi also announced the launch of the Top 3 AI Agents Award within the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, designed to drive innovation and reward the development of AI agents that deliver measurable impact across government work areas.Haitham Al Rais, Secretary-General of the National Committee for the Agentic AI Project, presented the ministry's transformation plan to convert 75 percent of its operations, services and specialised functions to Agentic AI models, focusing on improving operational efficiency, raising output quality and enabling employees to concentrate on higher-value work.Key targets include accelerating task completion, strengthening information reliability, supporting evidence-based decision-making, and reducing the time needed to complete institutional support functions, strategies, policies and legislation.Implementation runs across four stages: assessment and readiness, capability building, pilot deployment and the launch of specialised AI agents, through to full-scale rollout.Shamsa Jaber Al Falasi, Executive Director of Transformation and Development at the Presidential Court, took part in a session titled Thinking Beyond Human Limits, sharing the Presidential Court's work in building advanced national capabilities in artificial intelligence.She made the case that real transformation goes beyond adopting new tools. It starts with changing how people think and expanding their capacity to see further and decide better.Al Falasi explored the role of Agentic AI in shifting the government employee from a tool user to a system driver, enabling government institutions to develop smarter, more comprehensive solutions and make better use of the data and knowledge already at their disposal.She also presented a series of initiatives underway at the Presidential Court, including a sovereign AI technical infrastructure, the Diwan GPT platform as a secure AI environment, an AI culture framework and dedicated capability-building programmes for employees.Al Falasi conveyed the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, to accelerate the shift to Agentic AI.The directives include converting 75 percent of the Presidential Court's services to Agentic AI-powered models within the next two years, alongside the launch of its own Top 3 AI Agents Award as a dedicated incentive initiative for Presidential Court employees.A panel discussion brought together Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence; Maryam bint Ahmed Al Hammadi, Minister of State and Secretary-General of the Cabinet, and Huda Al Hashimi, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategy.The panellists shared practical experiences in applying artificial intelligence within government settings and discussed the critical shift from experimentation to full institutional adoption, showcasing AI agents developed to support Cabinet operations, strategic planning and legislation.Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future and Chairwoman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, outlined the government's commitment to upskilling 80,000 federal government employees on Agentic AI tools and solutions.Al Roumi affirmed that Agentic AI will give rise to new working models where human employees and AI agents collaborate as one team, driving productivity, improving service quality and unlocking new opportunities for innovation, calling on government employees to develop both their digital and human skills to lead this transformation.The workshop concluded with seven specialised workshops on Agentic AI delivered in partnership with leading global technology companies and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, spanning seven tracks focused on accelerating Agentic AI adoption, designing AI agents tailored to real government needs and building the practical skills employees need to drive this transformation forward.