The Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD) has launched the Digital Economy Survey to better measure digital economic activity and clarify how technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital business models contribute to Abu Dhabi’s economy.
The survey will target businesses operating across key areas of the digital economy. These include e-commerce and digital platforms, financial technology and digital financial services, software and cloud services, transport and delivery platforms, data services and digital infrastructure.
SCAD said the survey will collect information on digital revenues, the use of emerging technologies and the role of digital business models in economic activity. The data will help establish a statistical baseline to track the development of Abu Dhabi’s digital economy.
Abdulla Gharib Alqemzi, Director-General of SCAD, said the initiative is part of the Centre’s efforts to modernize Abu Dhabi’s economic measurement framework. It also complements the emirate's comprehensive revision of its gross domestic product time series, announced in May 2026.
According to Alqemzi, the survey will provide data to better capture digital economic activities and their contribution to Abu Dhabi’s economy. The information is also expected to help official statistics reflect changes in the economy's structure and meet the needs of decision-makers.
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The Digital Economy Survey also supports the UAE Digital Economy Strategy, which aims to increase the digital economy’s contribution to national GDP from 9.7% in 2022 to 19.4% within 10 years.
The survey’s findings will complement Abu Dhabi’s existing official economic statistics and provide a stronger evidence base for economic diversification, competitiveness, investment and sustainable growth.
The initiative comes as Abu Dhabi expands its use of AI, cloud technologies, digital platforms and data-driven business models. The emirate’s broader Digital Strategy 2025–2027 is expected to contribute more than AED 24 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP by 2027.