Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, stated that the UAE leadership believes in fostering collaboration between federal government entities and local government entities, as well as building stronger ties with the private sector, aiming to enhance collective national endeavors towards the development and implementation of cutting-edge digital technologies.

This came during the first meeting of the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain held at the Ministry of Finance in Dubai, that witnessed the attendance of the council’s members; Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Chairman of the Council; Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Qasimi, Director-General of the Department of eGovernment - Sharjah Government; Sheikh Eng. Mohamed Bin Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, Head of the E-Government in Fujairah; Younis Haji Al Khoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance; Abdullah Al Saleh, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Economy; Dr Mohammed Salim Al Olama, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP); Eng. Sharif Salim Al-Olama is the Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs in the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure; Dr Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Mualla, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Education for Academic Affairs; and His Excellency Majed Sultan Al Mesmar as the Director-General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).

Among the council’s members attendees were; Mohammed bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services of the UAE Government; Hanan Mansour Ahli, Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC); Dr Mohammed Abdul Hamid Al Askar, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority; Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, Director General of the Dubai Digital Authority; Her Excellency Dina Fares, Director of the Digital Transformation at Department of Digital Ajman, Ahmed bin Saeed Al Sayah, General Manager of the eGovernment Authority in Ras al-Khaimah; His Excellency Khalid Sultan Al Shamsi, General Manager of the eGovernment Department in Umm Al Qaiwain; as well as Dr Najwa Aaraj is the Chief Researcher at the Cryptography Research centre (CRC) at Technology Innovation Institute (TII).

Omar Sultan Al Olama said that the UAE government remains dedicated towards advancing its operational frameworks, pioneering proactive resolutions to challenges, and expediting the process of digital transformation to consolidate a blueprint for the UAE that embraces futuristic technologies, and strives to cultivate a preeminent digital economy that empowers the country’s position and bolsters its international competitiveness in the fields of enhancing digital infrastructure.

Younis Haji Al Khouri, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, emphasized the Council’s pivotal role in advancing the adoption of artificial intelligence technology and digital transactions across all critical sectors in the UAE. He highlighted that the council’s efforts in developing innovative futuristic models and keeping up with the fast-paced global changes aim to expedite the digital transformation process and provide the best opportunities for future generations.

He added: “the Ministry of Finance is committed to collaborating with all relevant entities to accomplish the Council’s objectives and fulfil the visionary leadership’s ambitions of positioning the UAE as a global leader in artificial intelligence by 2031.” The council reviewed the purview of the 12 sub-committees During the council’s session, progress and key accomplishments of the 12 sub-committees operating under its purview were reviewed, along with updates on the implementation of 60 initiatives within the second phase of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The members deliberated on their strategies to foster the adoption of artificial intelligence in vital sectors, while encouraging competition among government entities. The council’s top priority was to establish artificial intelligence as a fundamental working model and a crucial tool in digital transactions across various sectors, including healthcare, energy, natural resources, blockchain, industry, transportation and logistics, and tourism.

The UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain is currently focusing on the activation in the second phase of its work, which aims to adopt artificial intelligence initiatives to embrace it’s technologies in government entities, develop AI systems, and increase the UAE’s competitiveness in priority sectors through the development of AI in the areas of customer services, in a way that contributes to improving the wellbeing, enhancing performance, and establishing an effective legislative and regulatory environment.

Under the leadership of Mohammed bin Taliah, the Government Services Committee discussed the extensive list of initiatives related to the adoption of artificial intelligence in government services. The listing exceeded 140 initiatives, with the objective of spreading knowledge and improving competitiveness among entities.