AI Everything Abu Dhabi: Government services could act before residents even ask

Dubai: Abu Dhabi is building toward a government where residents may not need to ask for some services at all, with AI increasingly used to anticipate needs, cut administrative steps, and connect services across government.

The emirate is now past the halfway point in its push to become what it describes as the world’s first AI-native government by 2027, with more than 100 AI use cases already supporting government services and operations.

Wesam Lootah, Director General of GovDigital at the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi, explained that the objective is to make government easier to navigate and reduce the amount of time people spend dealing with processes.

“We are now past the halfway point of our journey to becoming the world's first AI-native government, and people are already beginning to experience the difference in practical ways. For us, this ambition has always been about improving everyday life. Government should be easier to navigate, services should be simpler to access, and people should spend less time dealing with processes and more time focused on their families, careers and businesses.”

The push comes ahead of Ai Everything Abu Dhabi, which will bring together government leaders, technology companies, researchers and investors at ADNEC Centre on October 6 and 7.

Ahead of the event, Lootah spoke to Gulf News about how Abu Dhabi is moving AI from pilots into everyday government services, where human judgement still needs to remain central and what residents can expect as the emirate moves closer to its 2027 target.

One of the key changes is the move towards services that can respond to residents without waiting for them to begin a process themselves.

Lootah said Abu Dhabi is working towards a government that “understands people's needs earlier, acts without waiting to be asked and removes complexity wherever possible.”

The change is already being built into the government’s digital infrastructure, which includes sovereign cloud infrastructure, shared platforms, secure data environments and AI systems deployed across different entities.

“Across Abu Dhabi Government, more than 100 AI use cases are already supporting how services are delivered and how operations are managed,” Lootah noted.

“The impact is increasingly visible. Services that once involved multiple steps, documents or interactions are becoming more seamless and intuitive. Entrepreneurs can start and grow businesses through just one app, TAMM, citizens and residents can benefit agentic AI-powered services without needing to ask, and government employees are spending less time on administrative tasks and more time supporting communities.”

TAMM currently combines more than 1,170 public and private services in a single portal and has become one of the main platforms through which Abu Dhabi is connecting services across government.

Lootah said the work behind TAMM involved aligning processes, integrating systems and creating common standards that allow new technologies to be introduced across government without remaining limited to individual entities.

Abu Dhabi’s approach does not assume every government process should be fully automated.

Lootah explained that AI is being directed towards areas where it can cut repetitive work, process large amounts of information and reduce waiting times, while human oversight remains important for decisions that carry greater consequences.

“Where accountability, fairness or public confidence are paramount, human oversight remains an essential part of the process.”

He said each AI use case is assessed according to customer benefit, security, governance and operational readiness.

“Some processes are well suited to a high degree of automation, while others are strengthened by AI supporting professionals with better information and insights.”

The difference is crucial as governments worldwide begin placing AI deeper into public services while also deciding which decisions should remain in human hands.

Abu Dhabi’s AI programme sits within the Dh13 billion Abu Dhabi Government Digital Strategy, which includes investment in sovereign infrastructure, cybersecurity, governance and responsible AI adoption.

Lootah said protecting public trust remains central as more services rely on AI.

“People need confidence that their information is protected, that services are secure and that decisions affecting their lives are subject to appropriate oversight.”

Every AI system deployed across government operates within governance frameworks that set out ownership, oversight and monitoring, he said, while decisions carrying greater significance are subject to additional safeguards and human review.

Lootah said trust is also built through the way residents experience government services in practice.

“When people can access a service more quickly, receive support more easily and complete tasks with less friction while knowing their information remains protected, confidence grows naturally.”

The challenge for governments is increasingly moving beyond individual AI trials and getting technology to work across multiple departments and services.

Lootah stressed that Abu Dhabi’s experience has shown that AI cannot be scaled without infrastructure, trusted data, workforce capability, governance and coordination developing together.

“Many organisations can point to successful pilots. The greater challenge lies in creating the conditions that allow successful ideas to scale across institutions, across teams and across everyday operations.”

That approach is also changing how government entities work with one another.

“People do not distinguish between government entities when they need a service; they simply expect government to work. Shared foundations, connected systems and common platforms help create that experience while allowing successful innovations to be adopted at scale.”

Lootah expects the measure of advanced government to shift away from the technology itself and towards how easily people can complete what they need to do.

“Three years from now, I believe people will judge governments less by the technology they use and more by how easy they are to interact with.”

That could apply to everything from opening a business to buying a home or dealing with a major life event, with government services responding to a person’s circumstances instead of requiring them to navigate individual entities separately.

“Whether someone is opening a business, navigating a major life moment – a birth, buying a home, starting a business – or accessing an important service, their expectation will be straightforward: they will want government to understand their context, respond quickly and help them achieve an outcome with minimal effort.”

Lootah said that remains the central goal of Abu Dhabi’s AI programme.

“The governments that stand out in the years ahead will be those that give people back their time, remove friction from everyday interactions and create services that feel intuitive, responsive and consistently reliable.”

Ai Everything Abu Dhabi will also give the emirate an opportunity to show how that approach is being applied beyond government services, with work underway across digital infrastructure, research, talent, investment and entrepreneurship.

Lootah said he hopes the event leads to new partnerships and greater cooperation between government, technology, academia, investment and industry.

“Perhaps most importantly, I would like people to leave Abu Dhabi with a clearer understanding of what large-scale transformation looks like in practice.”

AI Everything Abu Dhabi will bring together more than 350 AI enterprises, unicorns and startups at ADNEC Centre on October 6 and 7.

The event will feature companies working on AI infrastructure, advanced models and applications alongside government entities, investors, academia and technology specialists, with research, pilot launches, new technologies and real-world business applications expected to be showcased.