Senior managers in Dubai government use GenAI tools weekly
New study maps Generative AI usage across Dubai Government
#UAE #GenAI – A new report by the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) and the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) highlights the extent of early-stage adoption of Generative AI across Dubai’s government entities. Based on a survey of 2,400+ employees and interviews with Chief AI Officers, the report finds that only 16% of staff consider themselves advanced or expert users. While senior managers report higher use (64% use GenAI tools at least weekly), broad adoption is still limited, with many departments lacking training and ethical guidance. The report was released during Dubai AI Week 2025.
SO WHAT? – As part of the Government of Dubai’s ongoing effort to accelerate adoption of AI, this MBRSG survey provides the most comprehensive look yet at how Generative AI is being used by government workers. It provides a data-driven reality check: enthusiasm is high, but implementation is uneven. The report recommends investment in training, shared resources, and clear guidelines, in order to mitigate the risk of departments falling behind or misusing the technology. The report also offers a roadmap to close these gaps.
Key takeaways from the GenAI survey report:
Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) and the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) have released a detailed report on the adoption of Generative AI across Dubai’s government entities.
Widespread interest, limited expertise: Only 16% of government employees identify as advanced or expert AI users. Over a third are either non-users or beginners.
Senior staff leading adoption: 64% of senior managers use GenAI tools weekly. Education and seniority strongly predict AI expertise.
Tool use grows with experience: Beginners rely on ChatGPT for emails and content drafting. Advanced users apply AI for data analysis, policy planning, and risk management.
Common benefits: 97% of users reported improvements in productivity, creativity, and time savings. Most staff are optimistic about AI’s potential in government.
Key concerns: Top issues include accuracy of outputs, data privacy, and biased results. More than 50% of users highlighted concerns over data quality and representativeness.
Ethics gap – Despite the existance of government-wide guidelines and, in some cases, departmental guidelines, 59% of AI users said they were unaware of any AI ethics guidelines, yet 83% said ethical guidance would improve their use of AI.
Training shortfall: 63% of users had not received any training in GenAI but were keen to learn. Interest in training was high across all groups.
Job displacement anxiety: 55% of users expressed concern about the impact of AI on their job security.
Call for shared resources: The report recommends a cooperative, cross-departmental approach to Generative AI implementation to avoid duplication and address skill gaps.
ZOOM OUT – The rapid rise of Generative AI has presented both opportunity and complexity for governments worldwide: and Dubai is no exception. As an early adopter of emerging technologies, the Government of Dubai has embraced GenAI quickly, but the pace of advancement has raised new challenges around data security, model evaluation, and responsible deployment. This new study is timely: it provides much-needed clarity for policy and workforce planning. By combining employee survey data with strategic insights from Chief AI Officers, it equips decision-makers with the evidence they need to shape safe, efficient, and ethical AI use across the public sector.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
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