The UAE has become the world’s top adopter of artificial intelligence technologies, and the first country globally to have more than 70 per cent of its working-age population actively using AI. This underscores the UAE’s rapid emergence as a global digital and innovation powerhouse.
According to the latest Microsoft AI Diffusion Report for the first quarter of 2026, published by the Microsoft AI Economy Institute, AI adoption in the UAE increased to 70.1 per cent, well above the global average of 17.8 per cent.
The UAE’s adoption rate has shown a steady increase over the past year, growing from 59.4 per cent to 64 per cent, before crossing the critical 70 per cent mark in the latest poll. But significant sections of the world are still below 10 percent, the report said, noting the growing gap between digitally sophisticated economies and developing areas hampered by infrastructure and connectivity difficulties.
The findings underscore the rising image of the UAE as one of the world’s most technologically sophisticated economies, driven by aggressive investments in digital infrastructure, smart government programs and AI-led economic diversification.
“The UAE’s AI leadership is a result of proactive regulation, strong public-private collaboration and a business environment that fosters rapid technology deployment across sectors ranging from finance and healthcare to logistics, education and energy,” industry analysts said.
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