UAE launches $2.45 million challenge to drive AI innovation in government

Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has launched a nationwide competition inviting federal government employees in the United Arab Emirates to develop innovative solutions for public services and operations, with nine winning projects set to share prizes worth Dh9 million ($2.45 million).

The Annual Government Challenge was announced on Monday to coincide with UAE Innovation Month. Its inaugural edition will focus on agentic artificial intelligence (AI), with employees encouraged to develop technology-based solutions that can improve government services, streamline internal operations and support decision-making, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the UAE's vice president and prime minister, said the initiative was intended to encourage government employees to come up with unconventional ideas that deliver practical results.

“We want unconventional ideas,” he said, adding that the country would recognise the nine leading government projects and teams.

What is the Annual Government Challenge?

The challenge is a national programme open to employees and teams across federal ministries and government entities. It is designed to turn ideas from within the public sector into practical projects that can be expanded across government institutions.

Each annual edition will address a specific national priority, with the first centred on developing and applying agentic AI to government work.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation, part of the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, will oversee the inaugural edition.

Why is the UAE focusing on agentic AI?

The first edition aims to move government institutions beyond simply using AI tools and towards redesigning services, internal processes and operating models around the technology.

Agentic AI refers to systems that can carry out tasks and work towards defined objectives with a degree of autonomy, rather than simply responding to individual prompts. The UAE government wants to use these capabilities to improve service delivery, reduce repetitive work and strengthen operational efficiency.

Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, the minister of cabinet affairs and chairman of the National Committee for the Agentic AI Project, said the initiative would bring together the expertise of government employees and the capabilities of emerging technology.

He said AI assistants would increasingly work alongside public sector employees to support productivity and improve government performance. He described the technology as an opportunity to rethink how government institutions operate, rather than simply introduce another digital tool.

Al Gergawi added that employees who deal with everyday government challenges were well placed to identify areas for improvement and develop workable solutions.

What did Sheikh Mohammed say about the initiative?

Sheikh Mohammed said the challenge would give government employees an opportunity to develop solutions with a direct impact on public services, operations and projects.

He called for ideas that go beyond conventional approaches and produce measurable improvements in government work.

The initiative also seeks to encourage collaboration between teams across federal institutions and make innovation a broader part of government operations.

What are the three competition categories?

The inaugural challenge will recognise nine winning projects across three categories:

• Government services: Projects that improve the experience of people using public services by simplifying procedures, reducing waiting times and making services faster and more accessible.
• Internal operations: Solutions that improve processes within government institutions, including coordination, monitoring, analysis and decision-making, while reducing repetitive tasks and improving productivity.
• Unconventional ideas: New approaches that rethink how government institutions operate and develop alternative models for delivering public services and meeting national priorities.

How will projects be assessed and what are the prizes?

Nine projects and teams will be recognised across the three categories, with a combined prize pool of Dh9 million.

Entries will be assessed on their relevance to national priorities, the quality and practicality of proposed solutions, and how effectively they use agentic AI.

Judges will also consider the potential for measurable results, wider adoption, effective governance and long-term sustainability.

Federal ministries, government entities and their employees can register through the challenge's dedicated online platform at challenge.gov.ae.

How does the challenge fit into the UAE's wider AI strategy?

The competition is part of a broader government initiative to accelerate the adoption of agentic AI across the federal system.

The UAE has set a target of shifting 50% of government sectors, services and operations to agentic AI models within two years.

The programe is intended to improve decision-making, increase productivity and make government services and internal operations more responsive. The Annual Government Challenge will support that effort by encouraging employees to develop practical applications of the technology within their institutions.