The UAE’s development drive will continue without waiting for “perfect conditions,” with the government moving ahead with major projects, economic initiatives and reforms, Vice President and Prime Minister HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on Wednesday.
Chairing the UAE Cabinet meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, HH Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE “does not stop, and it will not stop,” stressing that government teams must maintain the pace of development while strengthening the systems, infrastructure and international relationships that underpin the country’s growth.
He said the government’s new phase would focus particularly on accelerating the use of artificial intelligence, improving decision-making and preparing the country for future challenges.
Three major initiatives highlighted by Sheikh Mohammed were:
* Cabinet AI Advisor: The UAE launched a new Cabinet AI Advisor system, powered by 32 specialised AI advisers, to analyse government policies, legislation and initiatives, assess their economic, financial, social and environmental impact, examine global best practices and provide recommendations to ministers. The system will also support the follow-up and implementation of Cabinet decisions, operating around the clock within established confidentiality and cybersecurity safeguards.
* AI programme for teachers and educators: The government reviewed a programme to train 22,000 teachers and educators to use AI in teaching, assessment, curriculum analysis and lesson planning. Sheikh Mohammed said teachers must become lifelong learners as technology transforms education. The Cabinet also approved a mechanism to make the UAE’s AI curriculum and its components available to education ministries worldwide.
* Government Annual Meetings: The UAE Government Annual Meetings will be held from November 8 to 10, bringing together government entities to review achievements over the previous year and set priorities for the next phase. This year’s theme will be “readiness and resilience”, covering economic preparedness, supplies and logistics, resources, families and the use of AI across government. The meetings will also include the first cycle of the Years of the Emirates’ Award.
HH Sheikh Mohammed said the government’s continued transformation was underpinned by the trust the UAE had built over decades through its policies, infrastructure and international relationships.
“The trust the UAE has built over decades is the currency we rely on,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of government teams to “strengthen it, protect it and build on it.”
The Cabinet also approved a resolution regulating the use of autonomous vehicles in the UAE, establishing mechanisms for their inspection, registration, licensing and testing. The measure is intended to support the adoption of new and environmentally friendly transport technologies while reducing road pollution and congestion.
The government further approved the implementation of an artificial intelligence curriculum across public and private schools in the UAE. The curriculum is designed to give students knowledge of AI technologies, data and algorithms while developing awareness of their ethical applications and potential risks.
The Cabinet reviewed the results of the UAE’s government digital transformation in 2025, with federal entities recording more than 308 million digital transactions, 88.5 million visits to government websites and 15.8 million government application downloads across 1,633 digital services. Customer satisfaction with priority services reached 92 percent, while 471 digital transformation projects were completed.
Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE ranked first globally in telecommunications infrastructure, institutional frameworks for digital government, digital skills and AI adoption, while placing in the highest tier of the global cybersecurity index.
The Cabinet also approved the National Ecotourism Policy, aimed at balancing economic development with environmental protection and promoting sustainable tourism based on the UAE’s natural and cultural assets.
It reviewed progress under the National Strategy to Combat Desertification 2022-2030, including the expansion of protected areas to 55, rehabilitation of about 4,900 hectares of land, the addition of more than 3.2 million square metres of green cover and the protection and tagging of 341,000 native trees.
Other measures reviewed or approved by the Cabinet included the cloud migration of federal financial and human resources systems, the National Framework for Financial Sustainability Standards, labour-market and wage-protection policies, and the National Medicines Policy 2025.
The Cabinet also reviewed progress on the national campaign “The Emirates, Start-Up Capital of the World” and the Emirates Skills platform, which uses AI and labour-market data to anticipate future skills requirements and provide personalised career guidance.
As part of the Year of the Family programmes, the Cabinet approved the first national Early Childhood Week, to be held from November 16 to 22, turning public spaces across the UAE into interactive environments for learning and play.
The Cabinet also reviewed the 2025 work of the Emirates Council for Balanced Development, including projects supporting local communities, farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs and the development of tourism and environmental destinations.
