The UAE’s AI Future Begins With Its People
In this thought leadership piece, Mohammed AlKhotani, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Middle East, Salesforce, explains why the UAE's AI ambitions are rooted in human capital, arguing that people; not technology alone will define the future of innovation.
| Written by Palak Kataria
Artificial intelligence is often defined by breakthroughs in technology; powerful chips, advanced computing infrastructure and large language models. Yet the UAE has chosen a different starting point. Rather than placing technology at the centre of its AI ambitions, it has placed people there, recognising that lasting innovation depends on the capabilities of the workforce behind it.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's vision for the UAE to become the world's most prepared nation for artificial intelligence extends well beyond digital infrastructure. It begins with teachers, students, researchers and professionals who will shape how AI is developed, adopted and governed. The country's approach reflects a simple but powerful belief: technology delivers its greatest value when people have the skills and confidence to use it effectively.
The UAE National AI Strategy 2031 captures this philosophy. While its goal of generating AED 335 billion in AI-driven economic value by 2030, equivalent to 13.6 per cent of GDP; draws significant attention, the strategy's real strength lies in treating talent as the foundation of progress and technology as the enabler. The UAE Centennial 2071 reinforces this approach by placing excellent education and a diversified knowledge economy alongside technological advancement, highlighting that human development is central to long-term innovation.
That commitment has translated into meaningful action. The UAE appointed the world's first Minister for Artificial Intelligence in 2017, signalling that AI readiness would be driven through dedicated leadership and governance. It also established the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, now home to 653 students and ranked among the world's top 20 AI research institutions. More than 30 per cent of its students are women, demonstrating a deliberate focus on building an inclusive talent pipeline from the beginning.
The country's broader investments in workforce development are equally significant. The One Million Arab Coders initiative has attracted participants from 80 countries, delivering more than one million registrations and five million training hours. The Dubai AI Campus has already welcomed over 120 companies and aims to create 3,000 jobs by 2028. Most recently, the UAE became the first Middle Eastern nation to introduce AI education across every school grade, ensuring future generations develop digital skills from an early age. These initiatives are more than education programmes, they are long-term investments in workforce readiness.
The impact is already visible. The Stanford AI Index ranks the UAE first globally for growth in AI talent concentration, recording a 121 per cent increase between 2019 and 2025. It also ranks second worldwide for net AI talent migration, while the Stanford HAI AI Vibrancy Index places the country fifth globally. Today, more than 80 per cent of employees in the UAE regularly use AI in their work, reflecting a workforce that increasingly views AI as a practical productivity tool rather than a future possibility.
The first cohort at Princess Nourah University has already equipped more than 450 women with AI and digital skills, preparing them to contribute to the region's evolving digital economy.
For organisations navigating the future of work, the lesson is clear. AI may reshape how work gets done, but people will determine how successfully that transformation unfolds. As digital labour and agentic AI take on repetitive tasks, employees will increasingly focus on creativity, strategic thinking and stronger customer relationships. Achieving that future requires sustained investment in learning, leadership and workforce development.
The UAE has shown that preparing people is not separate from preparing for AI, it is the foundation of it. By placing human capital at the heart of its strategy, the country offers a valuable blueprint for organisations seeking to build workplaces that are resilient, future-ready and powered by people.
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