The United Arab Emirates is set to become the first country to use artificial intelligence to draft and review federal and local laws, judicial rulings, and executive procedures, The Financial Times reported.
The UAE is not only going to use AI to write laws; it is going to redefine how laws are made. Moving away from the traditional parliamentary model, often slowed by political debate and bureaucracy, the country is adopting a faster, more pragmatic, and data-driven approach.
AI will analyse court rulings to identify legal gaps, propose targeted legislation, and draw on the best global practices to draft more effective, locally tailored laws.
‘This new legislative system, powered by artificial intelligence, will change how we create laws, making the process faster and more precise’, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Last week, the UAE established the Regulatory Intelligence Office, a new cabinet-level body designed to modernise and accelerate the legislative process through data- and technology-driven oversight.
In a country where the majority of residents are non-citizens representing around 200 nationalities, making laws accessible and easy to understand is essential – requiring clear, plain language in Arabic, English, and other widely spoken languages.
However, experts cited by the Financial Times warned of potential risks, with Oxford researcher Vincent Straub noting that AI systems ‘can’t be trusted’, as they still ‘hallucinate’ and face issues with reliability and robustness.
The UAE projects that by 2030 artificial intelligence will be a $15.7 trillion global industry, boosting its GDP by 35% and cutting government costs in half. To stay competitive over the next 50 years, the country is now investing heavily in digital infrastructure – just as it did with physical infrastructure in the past five decades.
In 2017, the UAE became the first country to appoint a minister of artificial intelligence as part of its long-term strategy to enhance government efficiency through AI-driven innovation.