'Not for the glamour': UAE aims to have 10,000 AI firms by 2030, says minister

The UAE is setting an ambitious target to expand the number of companies that provide full artificial intelligence (AI) solutions by over 500 per cent to reach 10,000 by the year 2030, a UAE minister announced on Sunday.

“We have over 1,500 pure AI companies. And we don't believe that we've reached the endpoint as our goal is to reach 10,000 companies in the next five years,” said Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.

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Speaking during a fireside chat at Expand North Star on Sunday, Al Olama said the UAE’s approach to AI is centred on policies that directly benefit people, focusing on areas like safety, security, quality of life, and equality.

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“We don't care about AI just for the glimpse and glamour. So it's not just about economic gain and productivity, it's really about quality of life. So how do we deploy this technology to improve the lives of every single person who comes to this country? For example, anyone here who has a residency of the UAE can actually come through the Dubai airport without pulling out their passport or dealing with a single human being. You can walk across the smart gates, look at the camera without having to stop,” he explained.

Thousands of startups are displaying their solutions and products at the Expand North Star in Dubai.

Fair playground for all

Al Olama emphasised that the UAE offers a level playing field for everyone who arrives in the country, regardless of background or status.

“No matter where you're from, your background, social status, if you come to Dubai and the UAE, you are going to have a fair playground relationship,” he said during the session titled “The Next Decade of Startup Innovation: Positioning UAE as the World’s Startup Capital.”

He also highlighted the UAE's long-term commitment to AI, noting that the Abu Dhabi government has been investing in AI and semiconductor companies for many years, with a forward-looking focus on the decades ahead.

Transparency in AI development and deployment, he added, remains a top priority – but only when it delivers tangible benefits to the community.

Al Olama further pointed out that during the initial five years of its AI journey, the government prioritised building knowledge through a dedicated initiative known as the UAE AI Programme.

“It brought senior-level representatives from every government department and took them through a one-year programme to learn good and bad uses of AI. They went to the University of Oxford and here in the UAE, where they actually became students to understand AI,” he said, adding that the UAE has chief AI officers in every government department.

While underlining the importance of transparency, the minister assured that regulatory efforts are carefully balanced to avoid stifling innovation.

Waheed Abbas

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.