Artificial Intelligence · UAE
Artificial Intelligence - UAE
The UAE has no single comprehensive federal AI law but governs AI through a layered framework: the National AI Strategy 2031 sets strategic direction, a non-binding 2024 AI Charter articulates 12 ethical principles, and binding sector-specific rules exist in the Dubai International Financial Centre under DIFC Data Protection Regulation 10, which mandates impact assessments and transparency for AI systems. The federal Personal Data Protection Law (2021) also imposes obligations on AI-driven data processing across the mainland, while in April 2025 the Cabinet approved a world-first AI-powered legislative intelligence ecosystem to accelerate regulatory drafting — though this deploys AI in governance rather than constituting an AI Act.
Launched October 2017, this federal strategic framework targets AI leadership by 2031 across transport, health, energy, education, and government services; it created the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence to oversee public-sector integration and propose enabling policies.
The Cabinet Secretariat issued this non-binding but authoritative charter in June 2024 setting out 12 human-centric principles — including fairness, transparency, safety, privacy, human oversight, and accountability — intended to anchor responsible AI development and use across all sectors.
The Dubai International Financial Centre's revised Data Protection Regulations (September 2023) include Regulation 10, the UAE's most prescriptive binding AI-specific instrument: it requires a mandatory Data Protection Impact Assessment for any AI system processing personal data, explicit user notice, and design principles of ethics, fairness, transparency, security, and accountability.
Federal Decree-Law No. 44 of 2021 (PDPL) creates baseline data-protection obligations directly applicable to AI systems that process personal data on the mainland; the Emirates Data Office is the designated supervisory authority, with TDRA providing transitional administrative support during the operational ramp-up period.
On 14 April 2025 the UAE Cabinet approved the world's first integrated AI-powered regulatory intelligence ecosystem, creating a Regulatory Intelligence Office and a national legislative database linking laws, judicial rulings, and government services in real time, aiming to cut legislative drafting time by up to 70%; this uses AI in the legislative process but is not itself an AI regulatory framework.
The Central Bank of the UAE, Securities and Commodities Authority, DIFC's DFSA, and ADGM's FSRA jointly issued guidance for financial institutions adopting enabling technologies including AI, covering governance, accountability, and consumer protection; currently non-binding but indicative of forthcoming mandatory sectoral requirements.
Machine-assisted translation · verified 5/24/2026 · orientation, not legal advice. English version →