Innovation, Dubai style: Proactive and collaborative regulation in action

Last week, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government announced artificial intelligence (AI) as a compulsory subject in public schools from the kindergarten stage onwards.  

This move underscores the government’s proactive efforts to ensure that its people are prepared to embrace the tech from the earliest stages: Developing a generation of not only active users - but also creators and ethical users who understand the responsible use of AI. 

Within Dubai, the most populous city in UAE, the government is adopting a similar proactive stance, as well as a collaborative approach, to establish the city as a prime location for experimenting and scaling new innovations. 

One example of this is its one-stop shop platform for investors, known as the Invest in Dubai (IID) platform, set up in 2021. 

Using the platform, investors now take less than an hour to obtain a business licence. They also do away with the need to visit any service centre to apply for permits and approvals from over 15 government agencies. 

This has positioned Dubai as the world’s top destination for Greenfeld Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects, and the city has held the ranking for the fourth consecutive year now. 

Given the government's push in attracting emerging tech innovations to boost its digital economy, GovInsider speaks with local regulatory and digital experts to understand Dubai's success in this space. 

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Proactive and clarity in regulatory stance 

Dubai Internet City (DIC)’s Managing Director, Ammar Al Malik, believes the Emirate’s progressive regulatory environment enables seamless integration of industry and academia partners, which encourages experimentation and the development of new innovations. 

For example, Dubai demonstrated its forward-looking regulatory stance in digital assets and tokenised finance by establishing the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority to create regulatory clarity, and initiating pilot projects with public and private entities. 

DIC is a tech and business park developed by the Dubai government in partnership with TECOM Group. Ammar is also the Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM. 

The park currently hosts 4,000 companies, including multinationals and start-ups, as well as more than 31,000 tech professionals.  

As for developing the one-stop shop for investors, Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC)’s CEO Ahmad Al Falasi, says the platform has been set up by the government to tackle two key challenges that investors face.  

These are data silos and service fragmentation across agencies, and the complexity aligning with federal, local and free zone regulations.   

By proactively developing the platform to tackle data silos, service fragmentation, and regulatory complexity, the government has demonstrated its commitment to fostering a more efficient and investor-friendly environment. 

Tech as an enabler 

DBLC’s Falasi adds that technology is foundational to the one-stop shop platform. 

The platform has helped streamline interactions for investors and government agencies through integrated service delivery and real-time ecosystem access. Its unified digital business registry also further strengthens data quality and enables efficient inter-agency verification. 

DBLC is a public corporation of Dubai, and a subsidiary under the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).  

Beyond technology, Falasai says Dubai has also proactively created supportive regulatory and economic environment for foreign investors, citing streamlined entry pathways, flexible ownership structures, and sector-specific incentives. 

Public-private collaboration in regulating AI 

DIC’s Malik adds that to drive the sustainable and impactful development of AI in the country, there needs to be a concerted and collaborative effort from government, industry and academia to establish ethical guidelines and robust data privacy frameworks. 

“For more than 25 years, Dubai Internet City has curated a vibrant ecosystem that is geared to facilitate such crucial stakeholder collaboration for the collective growth of our industry,” he adds. 

As the bridge between private companies and the government, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy’s Vice President, Saeed Al Gergawi, says that the government takes a collaborative approach regulating AI. 

“Instead of the city trying to put together its own regulations when it comes to AI, a lot of it [developments and regulations] are happening hand in hand with the private sector,” he explains. 

He says that through AI Retreat, an exclusive, closed-door event organised by the government, Dubai engages diverse stakeholders to tackle AI challenges, applications and opportunities locally and globally.  

“Dubai has been very clear in terms of wanting to be the test hub for the world when it comes to AI and digital economy at large.  

“It’s trying to bring together different players around the world and come up with a unified whitepaper to establish the different guardrails needed. 

“Particularly when it comes to AI, everyday there is something new. So, being able to put together the right mechanism that allows for innovation to happen without regulation trying to choke it is key,” says Gergawi.