The UAE has made a clear shift from online government services to AI-led public services. The next step could change market entry for global companies. The UAE now plans to place Agentic AI across 50% of government sectors, services, and operations within two years. The plan covers systems that can act on tasks, support decisions, and respond to changes with less human input.
This target matters to foreign firms that value speed. A new market brings permits, licences, tax steps, and compliance duties. Faster public services can cut delays and shorten the path to a local operation. The UAE already has a strong base for this shift.
Its Basher platform can set up a company within 15 minutes and links 14 key services from 18 federal and local government entities. The platform can issue a trade licence without a government office visit.
The next gain may come from moving from simple digital forms to AI-led service paths. An AI system can check details, spot gaps, suggest the right service, and guide a firm through the next step. An advanced agent can also act on a task after approval. This model can make public services feel like one connected system.
Abu Dhabi has set one of the strongest targets in this area. Its Digital Strategy 2025-2027 has an AED 13 billion budget. The plan calls for 100% digitization and automation of government processes, 100% use of sovereign cloud for government operations, and more than 200 AI solutions. Abu Dhabi expects the strategy to add more than AED 24 billion to gross domestic product by 2027 and create more than 5,000 jobs.
For a global company, the value goes beyond a quick licence. Faster approvals can help a firm open a site sooner, while better links across agencies can cut repeat document requests. A clear digital route can also make contact with regulators easier. Such access can help firms manage permits, licenses, tax duties, and other state requirements with less delay.
Recent examples show that this shift has moved past policy plans. In July 2026, Ajman completed the UAE’s first government transaction for trade licence renewal through Agentic AI and a headless government service model. The system can start a service without a portal visit or manual request.
Abu Dhabi Global Market has put AI into 25 business functions across licence work, supervision, and customer service. The rollout cut more than 5,000 staff hours of manual work each year and allowed about 25% of customer enquiries to get instant answers through digital channels. That matters to financial firms and global companies that need quick contact with a regulator.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority offers another useful case. Its AI systems cut component production and review time by about 80%, while AI tools raised digital test verification efficiency by about 85%. Its virtual assistant Rammas has handled more than 13 million enquiries since its launch in 2017 through mid-June 2026. These figures show that AI can support public services at scale.
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The wider investment picture gives this strategy more weight. The UAE attracted USD 48.3 billion, or AED 177.3 billion, in foreign direct investment in 2025. That marked a fourth straight year of record inflows and a 6% rise from the prior year. The UAE also ranked ninth worldwide for inbound FDI.
AI-led public services can add another layer to this investment case. Tax rules, licences, permits, customs, labour services, and other state processes form part of the real cost of a foreign operation. A system that cuts time across these areas can make the UAE more attractive to global firms.
The main test now sits in execution. AI must give firms clear answers, reliable results, strong data protection, and a clear route to human help when a case needs judgement. The federal plan covers 50% of government sectors and services within two years, while Abu Dhabi aims for a fully AI-native government across digital services by 2027.
That creates a distinct UAE proposition: public services that do more than sit online. AI can make government quality part of the country’s FDI advantage.