Who writes the rules I will be held to, and where do I read them?
UAE AI governance is not one rulebook. National strategy is set federally, security obligations sit with the Cyber Security Council, Dubai runs its own certification programme, and procurement policy is what turns any of it into a commercial requirement. The bodies below are the ones that produce something you can be measured against - and the frameworks underneath them are the international instruments that shape how the regional ones are written.
Stop 1: Government body · Federal
The federal office behind the UAE National AI Strategy 2031 and the 1 Million AI Talents initiative. The starting point for understanding national AI policy direction.
Stop 2: Government body · Dubai
Runs the Dubai AI Seal certification programme, assessed across six tiers on governance, security, ethics and transparency.
Stop 3: Government body · Dubai
Issued the directive requiring Dubai government AI procurement to go to certified, compliant providers - the reason the Dubai AI Seal became a commercial prerequisite.
Stop 4: Regulator · Federal
Sets national cybersecurity policy. Relevant to any AI deployment carrying a security obligation, and to the security protocols the Dubai AI Seal evaluates.
Stop 5: Government body · Dubai
Oversees Dubai's digital infrastructure and government digital services, including the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence.
Stop 6: Research institution · Dubai
Public policy school running AI policy and governance programmes aimed at government and public sector leaders.
Stop 7: Free zone · Dubai
The financial-services-adjacent innovation cluster. The right jurisdiction for AI companies serving regulated financial institutions, with its own data protection law.
Tell us which stop you are at and what is holding you there.
The order is where we would start, not a ranking. No entry here is paid for.
The European Union's comprehensive regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, setting global standards for AI governance.
artificialintelligenceact.eu (opens in a new tab)International standards for responsible AI adopted by 46 countries, promoting innovation with trust.
oecd.ai (opens in a new tab)The first global standard on AI ethics, adopted by 193 member states, covering human rights and sustainability.
unesco.org (opens in a new tab)The UAE's comprehensive framework guiding AI adoption, regulation and competitiveness.
ai.gov.ae (opens in a new tab)
