In a changing world, United Arab Emirates updates approach to public sector innovation

In 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became the fifth country in the world to reach Mars, and orbit a spaceship around Mars’ – that too on its first try – thanks to the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA), which was launched only six years prior.

The success of the Mars Mission points to the UAE public sector’s increasing ambition to embark on bold initiatives. Within the public sector, one agency has taken the lead on pioneering a whole-of-government approach to innovation: the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation (MBRCGI).

The Director of MBRCGI, Abeer Tahlak, shares that the Mars Mission has been just one of many missions that are part of the UAE’s drive to systematically cultivate innovation within the public sector. 

“What we learned from all these huge interventions and initiatives is that the government’s role can dramatically speed implementation,” she says in conversation with GovInsider. 

Lessons from the Mars mission and other large innovation projects have informed the second edition of the UAE Public Sector Innovation Framework, released late last year by the centre.

The centre was set up in 2014 within the Prime Minister’s Office to cultivate public sector innovation, monitor global trends, and ensure the UAE government remains “ahead of the game,” says Tahlak. 

The updated framework features a three-step process for streamlining public sector innovation: marked by an intelligence pillar, a possibilities pillar, and a multipliers pillar. The framework “better reflects the changing world” and the changing face of public sector innovation globally, shares Tahlak. 

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Updated framework for a new world 

Having spent the past 10 years with the centre – five as Director – Tahlak shares that changing global and local realities inspired the team to develop a new approach to innovation. 

She highlights the role of complex, systemic challenges - “wicked problems” - that every government deals with today. These include the climate crisis, the rise of misinformation, as well as new opportunities such as rapid advancements in AI. 

It is against this backdrop that the intelligence pillar has been developed, which highlights the need to absorb new ideas from both within and outside the UAE and translate them to actionable insights.

“[The intelligence pillar] addresses the needs of tapping into collective societal intelligence,” she shares. 

Next, she highlights the growing recognition within the public sector that “the discourse of innovation is moving away from single-point solutions towards a more systematic approach, whether you call it missions or portfolio-thinking.” 

This inspired the “possibilities” pillar, which calls on government agencies to turn new ideas into prototypes and prepare to launch them for full-scale implementation, “creating a continuous supply of breakthrough innovations,” according to the Framework. 

The final stage – full-scale deployment – is explored in the “Multipliers” pillar, which focuses on integrating new pilots across the government and driving adoption, supporting UAE’s 2031 Vision, Tahlak explains. 

“The confidence has changed even here in the public sector and the UAE. Based on the strong demand we are receiving from other countries, it feels like it’s time for the UAE to export and share some of the successful examples of government innovation to the rest of the world,” she says. 

Spurring innovation with sprints, challenges 

This three-step process is supported by programmes that help public sector agencies respond to challenges with new solutions and ideas. 

For one, the country has introduced Government Accelerators that aim to develop solutions within 100-day sprints by bringing together public service frontliners and end-users most affected by a particular challenge.

This platform has resulted in “concrete advances” on matters such as expediting birth registration and lowering mortality rates from road accidents, she notes. 

“Projects like these have shown the importance of empowering frontline stakeholders to deliver results, and involving people close to the problem within decision-making to foster more practical solutions,” she says. 

Today, the UAE Government is taking this one step further with the Zero Bureaucracy Programme, which aims to eliminate redundant or unnecessary administrative processes. 

Another way the government has tapped on broader ideas is through global innovation challenges. 

In 2023, the government launched the House of the Future Challenge, which called on architects and designers around the world to submit ideas for a new vision of affordable housing. Winning entries emphasised sustainable and locally attuned design. 

Chief Innovation Officers to steer efforts 

In 2015, Chief Innovation Officers (CIOs) were appointed in every federal entity to align innovation efforts with the UAE Government’s overarching visions and drive innovation initiatives across the public sector. 

“What makes a good CIO is a strategic thinker who doesn’t just react immediately or does one-off interventions. They should anticipate the trends, the emerging opportunities, and align it with long-term strategic goals,” Tahlak says. 

In line with the Intelligence Pillar, a good CIO should also be skilled at orchestrating new partnerships and collaborating with the private sector, civil society, end-users, and global partners to drive change, she adds. 

Long-term transformation 

“Imagine a government that works with the agility of a startup, the foresight of think tanks, and has the inclusiveness of a community-driven initiative. This is what the government should look like once the framework is implemented,” she says. 

To achieve this ambitious vision, an embedded culture of “fearless experimentation” as well as a willingness to test bold ideas and scale new solutions will be vital, she explains. 

This is one reason why the Centre annually holds the Edge of Government Summit as part of the World Government Summit: to showcase global examples of public sector innovation and experimentation and challenge change-resistant mindsets. 

It will also require a shift in perception, with public sector leaders called to view public engagements not just as consultation activities, but as true opportunities for “co-creation”. It is critical to avoid “innovation theatre” and avoid an excessive reliance on technology and AI as a “magic wand” to solve everything. 

The country aims to foster an innovation culture with initiatives such as the UAE Innovation Month and the Public Sector Innovation Diploma, she adds.
 

“The end will be having our government as an innovation leader globally. We will be recognised for our breakthroughs, hosting collaborations, and exporting those models… not just a beacon of hope in this region, but a changemaker globally,” Tahlak says.