- In 2024, the non-oil sector contributed 75.5% of the UAE’s GDP, with trade (16.8%), manufacturing (13.5%), finance (13.2%), construction (11.7%), and real estate (7.8%). The nation is a strong magnet for FDI, with nearly 1,280 greenfield projects in 2023, ranking second globally.
- The UAE considers AI the cornerstone of its new growth era. The global AI industry spent $154 billion (2023), forecasted to reach $300 billion (2026). Generative AI could add
2.6–2.6–4.4 trillion in value annually and boost global GDP by 7% over the next decade. - The National Strategy for AI 2031 focuses on transportation, health, energy, and space, while also being linked to the Digital Economy Strategy (which aims to increase its GDP share from 10% in 2022 to 20% within 10 years).
- Strategic partnership: In April 2024, Microsoft invested $1.5 billion in G42 (Abu Dhabi), co-developing AI solutions on the Azure platform. The UAE–US AI Campus was launched in Abu Dhabi with the “Stargate UAE” project – the largest AI data center outside the US, in collaboration with OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, and SoftBank. This infrastructure combines renewable energy and advanced cooling, while also supporting R&D and training.
- AI is projected to contribute 14% of the UAE’s GDP by 2030, with the domestic AI market growing from $3.47 billion (2023) to
46–46–50 billion (2030), at a CAGR of ~43.9%. - Talent development: The Dubai Centre for AI launched “One Million Prompters” (2024) to train 1 million people in prompt engineering over 3 years. The federal government, in partnership with Microsoft, initiated “One Million AI Talents” to train the public sector in AI skills by 2027.
- Vision: To build an AI-ready workforce, drive innovation, and shape a post-oil economic model based on sustainable and human-centric growth.
📌 The UAE is transitioning to a post-oil economy with AI: projected to account for 14% of GDP by 2030, with the domestic market growing from $3.47 billion to $50 billion. Major projects include Stargate UAE – the largest AI data center outside the US – and a $1.5 billion investment by Microsoft in G42. Along with two programs to train 1 million AI talents, the UAE is laying the foundation for sustainable growth and technological leadership in the Middle East and North Africa.
