Like defence, Al a matter of 'national sovereignty'

MINISTER SAYS TALENT NEW OIL FOR AI-POWERED FUTURE

- BY NIVETHA DAYANAND Assistant Business Editor

The UAE treats artificial intelligence as a matter of national sovereignty, with budget allocations on par with defence and cybersecurity, the country's Minister of Economy, Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, said yesterday.

"AI is a state of sovereignty. Like you spend budgets on defence, on cyber, you have to spend budget on AI. AI is a sovereignty for every single nation," he said at Gitex Global.

The remark from Al Marri mirrors how the UAE views AI as a core part of national policy, not a technology experiment. It has already woven AI into its diversification strategy, public services, and legal frameworks as part of efforts to build a non-oil economy.