Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan · "Artificial intelligence will redefine economies and societies. The UAE is posi..."

Speech at the AI Everything Summit, Dubai, 2019 · Checked on 2 March 2026

Artificial intelligence will redefine economies and societies. The UAE is positioning itself as a global hub for AI innovation and ethical deployment.

Analysis

The claim aligns with the UAE’s **2031 AI Strategy**, announced in 2017, which explicitly aims to position the country as a global AI leader by boosting GDP via AI, fostering innovation, and emphasizing ethical frameworks. By 2019, the UAE had already established entities like the **Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)**—the world’s first graduate-level AI university—and partnered with tech giants (e.g., Microsoft, IBM) to develop AI infrastructure. The 'AI Everything' summit itself, hosted annually in Dubai since 2018, underscores this commitment. Independent reports (e.g., *Oxford Insights*, *PwC*) also rank the UAE among the top nations for AI readiness in the Middle East.

Background

The UAE’s AI push is part of its broader **post-oil economic diversification** plan, with AI projected to contribute **$96B to the UAE’s GDP by 2030** (PwC). The government has prioritized sectors like healthcare (e.g., AI-driven hospitals), transportation (autonomous metro projects), and smart cities (Dubai’s 2021 ‘AI Roadmap’). Ethical deployment is codified in the **UAE’s AI Ethics Guidelines (2019)**, which emphasize transparency and bias mitigation, aligning with MBZ’s statement.

Verdict summary

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s 2019 statement accurately reflects the UAE’s strategic AI ambitions, as evidenced by official policies, investments, and initiatives launched before and after the speech.

Sources consulted

— UAE Government Portal. (2017). *UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031*. [https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/federal-governments-strategies-and-plans/uae-strategy-for-artificial-intelligence](https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/federal-governments-strategies-and-plans/uae-strategy-for-artificial-intelligence)

— Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. (2019). *Inaugural Announcement*. [https://mbzuai.ac.ae](https://mbzuai.ac.ae)

— PwC Middle East. (2018). *The Economic Impact of AI in the Middle East*. [https://www.pwc.com/m1/en/publications/the-economic-impact-of-ai-in-the-middle-east.html](https://www.pwc.com/m1/en/publications/the-economic-impact-of-ai-in-the-middle-east.html)

— Oxford Insights. (2020). *Government AI Readiness Index 2020*. [https://oxfordinsights.com/ai-readiness](https://oxfordinsights.com/ai-readiness)

— Dubai Media Office. (2019). *Dubai AI Roadmap*. [https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2019/October/15-10/Dubai-AI-Roadmap](https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2019/October/15-10/Dubai-AI-Roadmap)