More than 400 ministers and federal officials gathered for an Agentic AI retreat in Abu Dhabi to unveil the country’s first government-run artificial intelligence agents. This is the first major step in the UAE government’s move to automating its public services.
From tax audits to customer support, these agents will support the country’s goal to convert 50 per cent of all government services and operations to AI-powered systems within two years.
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The national retreat held on May 20 was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior alongside senior royals and other ministers and federal officials.
What was launched
The UAE unveiled four AI agents at the retreat:
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A procurement AI Agent to speed up government purchasing and sourcing
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A tax auditing AI Agent to improve compliance checks and cut audit times
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A customer happiness AI Agent to help service staff respond faster and better
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A technical support AI Agent to manage IT issues and keep digital services running
Sheikh Mohammed described the retreat as a turning point. “More than 400 ministers and senior officials are shaping and implementing the transformation of 50 percent of government services and operations through Agentic AI,” he said. “What we are building today is not just a government project, but a model that will inspire the world. Technology must serve people and enhance quality of life. This remains the UAE’s enduring commitment to future generations.”
AI at ADNOC
Energy giant ADNOC offered one of the clearest examples of what large-scale AI adoption looks like in practice. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the company’s CEO and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, told the retreat that ADNOC now runs more than 115 AI agents across HR, finance, procurement and auditing.
He said 20,000 employees have been trained to build their own job-specific AI models, producing 3,000 active models in daily use. AI utilisation across the company hit 80% in the past 90 days. Al Jaber also announced a new platform called ENERGYai, which connects AI agents across the entire energy supply chain.
The bigger picture
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, said this shift goes far beyond simple automation. He warned that governments slow to adopt this technology risk falling permanently behind. “Early adopters of Agentic AI are poised to lead global governance and competitiveness indexes,” he said, “while governments that fall behind risk facing a widening capability gap.”
International expert Luukas Ilves, co-founder of The Agentic State initiative, also addressed the retreat. He outlined what separates governments that merely react to technological change from those that drive it — pointing to the UAE as an example of the latter.
The retreat also marked the graduation of the sixth cohort of the UAE’s Federal Artificial Intelligence Programme, reflecting the country’s push to build homegrown AI talent across the public sector.
Source: Khaleej Times