UAE unveils regulatory intelligence ecosystem whitepaper
UAE government presents AI-driven governance model at WEF
#UAE #AIgovernance - The UAE government has launched a whitepaper titled “The UAE: Shaping the Future of Regulatory Intelligence, from a static rulebook to a living, AI-powered regulatory ecosystem” at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Developed by the General Secretariat of the UAE Cabinet in collaboration with Abu Dhabi-listed AI and big data analytics company Presight and professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the whitepaper presents the UAE’s vision for a Regulatory Intelligence Ecosystem. The paper outlines how the UAE is adopting proactive approaches to regulation development from fixed systems to an agile ecosystem keeping pace with demands of the ‘Intelligent Age’. The framework introduces pioneering concepts including the Unified Regulatory Digital Twin and Sovereign Governance-in-the-Loop framework ensuring human decision-making remains central.
SO WHAT? - A global pioneer in intelligence-led regulation, in this whitepaper the UAE shows how governments can harness AI to enhance effectiveness whilst maintaining constitutional principles and human oversight. By presenting regulation as a living ecosystem rather than static rulebook, the initiative addresses the challenge of conventional regulatory cycles struggling to keep pace with unprecedented technology and business model evolution. The framework offers a practical model for responsible AI deployment in governance that other nations can adapt whilst reinforcing the UAE’s commitment to future-ready lawmaking anchored in societal welfare.
Here as some key details about the new whitepaper:
The General Secretariat of the UAE Cabinet in collaboration with Presight and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), have developed a whitepaper presenting the UAE’s vision for a Regulatory Intelligence Ecosystem.
“The UAE: Shaping the Future of Regulatory Intelligence, from a static rulebook to a living, AI-powered regulatory ecosystem” paper was announced at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos.
The whitepaper introduces the first Regulatory Intelligence Glossary establishing common language and unified methodology among legislators, policymakers and technology developers for intelligence-led regulation.
The Unified Regulatory Digital Twin represents an unprecedented application of digital twin technology, creating a live digital version of the UAE’s regulatory ecosystem monitoring changes in real time, analysing data, proposing legislative amendments and simulating economic and societal impact.
The Sovereign Governance-in-the-Loop framework defines AI’s role as assistant rather than replacement for legislators, ensuring humans remain decision-makers at every critical point from data to decision whilst AI outputs remain consistent with constitutional principles.
The whitepaper addresses creation of futuristic hybrid roles combining legal disciplines and technology, recognising the importance of human expertise in the Intelligent Age regulatory environment.
The Regulatory Intelligence Innovation Loop framework ensures responsible and continuous development of the ecosystem by governing processes for proposing, evaluating, piloting and deploying new AI use cases in regulation.
The whitepaper was authored by Asma Al Nabouda, Director of Regulatory Intelligence Office at General Secretariat of the Cabinet, Xiaodong Zhou, Chief Technology Officer at Presight, Lachlan Roos, Partner and Clients and Markets Leader and Transformation and AI Leader at PwC Middle East, and Alex Rosenrauch, Director and Legal AI and NewLaw Leader at PwC Middle East.
The UAE positions the Regulatory Intelligence Ecosystem as globally relevant discipline designed with openness, bilingual accessibility and interoperability, inviting worldwide partners to collaborate on next-generation intelligence-led regulation.
Abu Dhabi-listed Presight is a leading global AI and big data analytics company combining big data, analytics and AI expertise to serve sectors at scale, with Abu Dhabi-based G42 as its majority shareholder.
ZOOM OUT - The UAE Cabinet approved an AI-powered integrated regulatory intelligence ecosystem to create a more agile legal system in April 2025. The initiative, described by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as a “paradigm shift”, monitors the impact of laws on the economy and society in real time, recommending updates based on data analysis whilst accelerating the legislative process by up to 70 percent. The ecosystem builds a unified legislative map linking federal and local laws with judicial rulings, executive procedures and public services, connecting to global research centres to align UAE legislation with international best practices.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
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Read more about how the UAE uses AI for policy:
UAE deploys AI system to improve performance (Middle East AI News)
UAE embeds AI at the core of government planning cycle (Middle East AI News)
UAE approves first-of-its-kind AI regulatory ecosystem (Middle East AI News)
This is one of the more serious attempts I’ve seen to move regulation out of static cycles and into continuous coordination.
Treating law as a live system with simulation, feedback, and human decision points preserved, feels like a necessary adaptation to the Intelligent Age.
The interesting question isn’t whether this replaces sovereignty, but how long traditional rulemaking can function without something like this layered on top.
Most AI in government talk is about automating paperwork. This is about simulating how laws actually play out before they're passed. Whether it works as advertised is another question, but the framing is more ambitious than most.