Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
In an era of rapid developments, the UAE has emerged as a leader in applying AI to anticipate public needs, streamline services, and delivers meaningful improvements to daily life, a new study has found.
The UAE has always put people first in governance and policies, and data from an Accenture study - conducted in partnership with the World Governments Summit (WGS) - confirms this commitment.
According to the report, 85% of UAE residents perceive government services as fully seamless, reflecting how the nation's investments in technology, combined with a people-centric approach, are paying off.
The report, "Getting to the Five-Star Review: How Government can Use AI to Build Trusted Service at Digital Speed", places the UAE among the top countries where proactive use of AI translates to impact and resident approval.
Speaking to Aletihad on the sidelines of World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026, Xavier Anglada, Managing Director at Accenture, said findings from the global study have shown AI adoption alone is no longer enough.
"More than 70% of government agencies globally say they have adopted AI, but only 28% are seeing real improvements in service outcomes," he said, citing data from the report.
"The issue is that AI is often used to speed up old processes instead of reinventing services altogether."
Drawing insights from a survey of more than 7,000 residents in 14 countries and over 4,000 government frontline workers, the report sought to understand whether investments in technology and AI are actually improving public services, Anglada explained.
He stressed that the future of decision-making lies in predictive and proactive government.
"If governments have the data, services such as child benefits or permits can be delivered proactively, before the request is even made."
The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia and Singapore, is among the countries that get it right, according to the report.
"In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, 90% of public service workers say they're encouraged to use AI effectively in their jobs, compared with just 62% in Japan," it stated.
Anglada said this approach creates "a culture of experimentation where leaders can make decisions based on real-time needs rather than old bureaucratic models".
He cited the UAE's anticipatory services as a leading example. "The Ministry of Possibilities showed how services can be delivered before citizens even ask. That is how technology creates real impact."
Anglada warned, however, that technology alone does not guarantee better experiences as shown in the research findings.
"Globally, 45 percent of residents still find digital public services frustrating or confusing," he said. "More technology does not automatically mean better services."
The goal should be to make government services almost invisible - "so seamless that residents barely feel the effort", Anglada said.
This is the kind of service the UAE provides to its residents and, the expert said, this outcome reflects "long-term investment and leadership commitment to putting people first".
Anglada said the best digital government is invisible. "It solves problems before they happen, reduces interactions, and makes people's lives easier."
"The world is now looking to the UAE as a benchmark," he said. "This is the result of vision, trust, and sustained investment in both technology and people."
