UAE launches largest training programme in its history, to train 80,000 employees in AI

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has chaired the UAE Cabinet meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The meeting was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence; and Lt. General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Sheikh Mohammed said: "Today I chaired a Cabinet meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, where we discussed the national transformation strategy directed by the UAE President to make the UAE the first government in the world to deploy Agentic AI across 50% of its services and operations. During the meeting, we defined the governance framework setting out the roles and responsibilities of all ministries and federal entities in this national project.”

Sheikh Mohammed added: "We also launched the largest training programme in the history of the UAE Government, training 80,000 employees in Agentic AI tools and technologies, from ministers and senior executives to new joiners across every ministry, authority, and government entity… We approved the first package of transformational government services to be powered by Agentic AI, with service bundles designed for citizens, residents, businesses, and investors.

Sheikh Mohammed said: "We also approved the National Policy for Advancing Digital Healthcare Services and Artificial Intelligence in the Health Sector, built on three foundations: developing a national AI-driven medical system, building an advanced digital health infrastructure, and equipping our healthcare workforce with the AI capabilities tomorrow's healthcare demands… The journey to UAE Government 4.0 has begun."

Sheikh Mohammed said "We will convene a national retreat to develop the full transformation strategy, and Sheikh Mansour will lead and oversee this journey. Our ambition is clear: to be the world's leading government in adopting Agentic AI.”

During the meeting, the UAE Cabinet approved the list of federal government services to be transitioned under Phase One of the Agentic AI Project, covering 4 principal categories: Citizens' Services, Residents' Services, Business Sector Services, and General Public Services.

Additionally, the Cabinet approved the Federal Government Employees' Skills and Capabilities Development Programme in the field of Agentic AI, in direct support of the UAE Government's recently announced plan to transition 50 per cent of government services and operations to Agentic AI models within two years.

Developed in partnership with leading national universities and specialised global technology companies, the Programme will train 80,000 federal employees across 5 occupational categories: The Leadership Category, the Technical Category, the Specialist Category, the General Workforce Category, and the Train-the-Trainers Category.

A dedicated digital platform, powered by Agentic AI tools, will be developed to deliver continuous capability-building for federal employees through personalised learning pathways tailored to each employee's role and current competency level, with content updated with the latest advancements in the field.

The Cabinet adopted a framework defining the roles of each ministry and federal entity in implementing the Agentic AI project. The framework includes forming the necessary work teams within each entity, headed by the respective Minister or Head of entity, with membership of the entity’s leaders related to government services, operations, digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

The teams will initiate the implementation of the new Agentic AI operating system to transform at least 50 per cent of the federal services and operations into Agentic AI systems and operation models.

They will also set targets and establish assessment indicators to evaluate the transformation, ensure efficiency of government work and raise productivity.

The Cabinet approved the National Policy for Advancing Digital Healthcare Services and Artificial Intelligence in the Healthcare Sector, establishing a comprehensive framework to build an integrated national health system underpinned by AI systems and models to improve the health and well-being of all community members.

The Policy aims at expanding the application of digital technologies and AI across preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and operational levels; developing a smart health infrastructure and equipping national cadres with advanced artificial intelligence competencies; ensuring the security, ethics, and data governance of all AI applications in the health sector; and reinforcing the UAE's standing as a global reference in health innovation and comprehensive future-oriented healthcare.

The Cabinet further approved the drafting of a Federal Law to regulate smart health applications and the use of artificial intelligence in the health sector, establishing a unified legal framework governing the development, licensing, accreditation, operation, and use of AI-powered health systems.

The Federal Law will address health data governance, safety and quality standards, legal liability provisions, patient rights protections, and federal-local coordination mechanisms.

The Cabinet approved the reconstitution of the UAE Council for Digital Wellbeing, to be chaired by Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, with membership of ministers and senior officials across the telecommunications, education, culture, community development, justice, cybersecurity, and youth sectors.

The Cabinet reviewed the results of the Industrial Technology Transformation Programme and the 2025 Industrial Technology Transformation Index, two key pillars of the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology, also known as Operation 300 bn.

The Programme aims to support the sustainability of the national industrial sector and enhance its global competitiveness. It assessed more than 620 industrial companies, developed a roadmap for their technological transformation, and launched incentives to accelerate technological and smart transformation in the industrial sector in the UAE.

As part of the UAE's efforts to adopt clean energy programmes, the Cabinet reviewed the results of implementing the National Electric Vehicles Policy for 2025. The Policy contributed to the implementation of a unified tariff for electric vehicle charging stations, the upgrading of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and the increase in the number of public charging stations in the country from 360 in 2021 to 1,200 in 2025.

In the healthcare sector, and within the Emirati Genome Programme initiatives, the Cabinet reviewed the results of implementing premarital genetic testing in 2025. This initiative aims to enhance health awareness, prevent genetic diseases, and reduce treatment and healthcare costs.

During the meeting, the Cabinet also reviewed the 2025 activity reports of several federal councils and committees. These included reports from the Board of Directors of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, the Board of Directors of the Federal Geographic Information Centre, the Coordinating Council for Labour Market, and several other federal councils and committees.

The Cabinet approved the negotiation and signing of 15 international agreements and Memoranda of Understanding spanning trade in services and investment, diplomatic and academic cooperation, financial sector regulation, meteorological cooperation, and other domains of international engagement, with partner states including Kazakhstan, Panama, Seychelles, Serbia, Monaco, Austria, and the Kingdom of Tonga, among others.

The Cabinet also approved the hosting of multiple international conferences and events in the UAE, including the Fourth World Congress of University Research and the Congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, and reviewed the outcomes of the UAE's participation in recent international conferences.

WAM