The United Arab Emirates has become the first nation in the world to implement artificial intelligence to draft, review and amend federal and local legislation, government officials confirmed this week.
The announcement came alongside the establishment of a new cabinet unit, the Regulatory Intelligence Office, which will coordinate with federal and local entities to deploy AI systems across the country’s legislative process.
According to the Financial Times, the system will also use AI to assess the impact of laws on the population and the economy through a centralised database of legal texts.
“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, the UAE’s prime minister and ruler of Dubai.
Government officials expect AI to speed up lawmaking by up to 70 percent and reduce associated costs by 50 percent, citing internal projections.
The initiative is also expected to raise the UAE’s gross domestic product by 35 percent by 2030.
As part of the shift, laws, judicial rulings, executive regulations and public services will increasingly be written or amended by machine-driven processes.
The UAE was the first country to appoint an artificial intelligence minister in 2017, naming Omar Sultan al-Olama to lead the government’s digital transition under the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.
By 2030, officials estimate the global AI market will be worth $15.7 trillion, with the UAE aiming to position itself as a regulatory and development hub in the sector.
Sheikh Mohammed added that the AI system would “regularly suggest updates to current legislation”, ensuring that the legal framework remains dynamic and responsive to emerging needs.
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