Abu Dhabi just launched a training program for its top government officials. But this is not another tech workshop. This is a signal that the emirate understands something many places miss. Technology does not transform governments. People do.
The Department of Government Enablement, or DGE, started an AI-powered Policy Development Programme for Executive Directors and senior policy leaders. The program partners with Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Participants will travel to Singapore for an intensive module. They will learn about impact assessment, policy communication, and how to apply AI in government transformation.
This matters because Abu Dhabi is not just dabbling in AI. The emirate committed AED 13 billion, about $3.54 billion, to its Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027. The goal is ambitious. Abu Dhabi wants to become the first government in the world to fully integrate AI into its digital services by 2027. That means 100% adoption of sovereign cloud computing. It means full digitisation of government processes. It means deploying more than 200 AI solutions across government services.
Training the people who write the rules
Most AI training focuses on technical skills. How to code. How to deploy models. How to analyse data. That is useful but incomplete. Abu Dhabi is taking a different path. It is training the people who shape what government does, not just how it delivers services.
Executive Directors write policies. They design the frameworks that determine how AI gets used. They decide which problems get solved with AI and which do not. If these leaders do not understand AI, the technology will fail regardless of how sophisticated it is. A poorly designed policy around AI can create more problems than it solves. It can exclude citizens. It can introduce bias. It can waste public money.
The program teaches participants to identify policy challenges, select appropriate tools, address implementation bottlenecks, and engage stakeholders effectively. These are not technical skills. These are governance skills applied to a technical domain. The goal is to build an agile, evidence-based government ecosystem that anticipates future needs.
What Singapore brings to the table
Abu Dhabi chose Singapore as its partner for a reason. Singapore built one of the most advanced digital governments in the world. Its Smart Nation initiative transformed how citizens interact with public services. The country also has deep experience in AI governance and policy design.
The partnership did not start with this training program. In October 2024, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Singapore’s Prime Minister witnessed an MoU exchange between DGE and the National University of Singapore. That agreement focused on supporting AI initiatives and developing talent in the sector. The training program builds on that foundation.
Singapore offers practical lessons. The country has already deployed AI across multiple government agencies. It has established clear governance frameworks. It has trained its own workforce. Abu Dhabi can learn from Singapore’s successes and its mistakes. That is valuable knowledge that cannot be obtained from a textbook.
The scale of Abu Dhabi’s ambition
Abu Dhabi is not running a few pilot projects. The emirate is rebuilding how government operates from the ground up.
More than 200 AI solutions are planned for development and implementation. The strategy is expected to add AED 24 billion, about $6.53 billion, to the emirate’s GDP by 2027. It will create more than 5,000 local jobs. TAMM, Abu Dhabi’s AI-powered super app, already serves 3.8 million users across more than 1,150 services in over 90 languages. The app resolves 95% of requests through AI. It has completed more than 1.9 million service cases through conversational AI.
Why policy training matters more than technical training
Technical training teaches people how to use tools. Policy training teaches people how to decide which tools to use and why. That distinction is critical.
A government can deploy AI across every department. But if the policies governing that deployment are weak, the results will be weak. AI can amplify existing problems if not properly governed. It can make decisions that are difficult to explain. It can create outcomes that are hard to audit.
Abu Dhabi’s approach recognises this reality. By training policy leaders, the emirate is building the governance infrastructure needed to support its technical infrastructure. This is a smarter approach than simply throwing money at technology and hoping for the best.
Dr Yasir Al Naqbi, Director General of GovAcademy at DGE, put it this way. The program reflects a commitment to investing in government leaders to improve people-centred services and public sector performance. That is not vague language. That is a clear statement of priorities.
What other governments can learn
Abu Dhabi’s approach offers lessons for any government serious about AI. First, invest in leadership before you invest in technology. Leaders who understand AI make better decisions about where and how to deploy it. Second, partner with places that have already done the work. Singapore’s experience is invaluable. Third, connect training to a clear strategic goal. This program supports a specific, measurable objective: becoming the first AI-native government by 2027.
Many governments talk about AI. Few are willing to invest the money and effort required to make it work. Abu Dhabi is putting its resources where its mouth is. The training program is one piece of a much larger strategy. But it might be the most important piece.
Because at the end of the day, AI does not run itself. People run it. And those people need to know what they are doing.
