AIThe UAE plans to move half of its government sectors and services to agentic AI within two years, and Saudi Arabia ranks sixth in the world for e-government. Governments in the region now measure and publish citizen experience, time saved and procedures removed. For public bodies, 2026-27 is about running more services through AI agents and shared platforms, with case management and human oversight at the centre.
of UAE government sectors and services to move to agentic AI within two years, under an April 2026 Cabinet decision.
UAE CabinetSaudi Arabia’s global rank in the UN E-Government Development Index 2024. The UAE ranks 11th.
UN DESASaudi Arabia’s 2025 Digital Experience Maturity Index score, covering 50 platforms and more than 374,000 users.
Digital Government Authorityprocedures removed in phase one of the UAE’s Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme, saving 12 million hours a year.
UAE GovernmentIn brief
The four things to know before you plan.
- The UAE Cabinet decided in April 2026 to move 50% of government sectors and services to agentic AI within two years, and plans to train 80,000 federal employees.
- In the UN E-Government Development Index 2024, Saudi Arabia ranked 6th, the UAE 11th, Qatar 53rd and Egypt 95th of 193 countries.
- Saudi Arabia’s Digital Government Authority scored national digital experience at 86.71% in 2025, across 50 platforms and more than 374,000 users.
- Phase one of the UAE’s Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme removed more than 4,000 procedures and saves 12 million hours and AED 1.12 billion a year.
The market, country by country
| Market | UN EGDI 2024 | National measure | What to watch in 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 6th (0.9602) | Digital Experience Maturity Index 86.71% (2025) | PDPL enforcement and draft amendments |
| United Arab Emirates | 11th (0.9533) | Zero Bureaucracy phase one: 4,000+ procedures removed | 50% of services on agentic AI within two years; DubaiNow adding 180+ services by February 2027 |
| Qatar | 53rd (0.8244) | World Bank GovTech Maturity Index: group A | 2026 Digital Inclusion Survey |
| Egypt | 95th (0.6699) | World Bank GovTech Maturity Index: group A | Data protection executive regulations |
Sources: UN DESA; World Bank; Digital Government Authority via NCGR; Government of Dubai Media Office; Gulf News.
Five shifts to plan for
What is changing in the market, with the evidence for each shift.
3.1Agentic AI becomes how government works
The UAE Cabinet’s April 2026 decision targets half of government sectors and services on agentic AI within two years, and 80,000 federal employees are to be trained (Aletihad). The first federal agents cover procurement, tax auditing, customer happiness and technical support (Khaleej Times). Case management, knowledge bases and handover to staff move to the centre of service design.
3.2Experience is measured in public
Saudi Arabia’s Digital Government Authority scores 50 platforms using more than 374,000 user responses, and the UAE reports hours and dirhams saved by removing procedures. Agencies need feedback loops and journey data attached to every case.
3.3One front door
DubaiNow offers more than 350 services from over 50 entities, with more than 180 more due by the end of February 2027 (Government of Dubai). A single citizen profile and case routing between agencies become core requirements.
3.4Fewer steps and proactive services
Phase one of the UAE’s Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme removed more than 4,000 procedures and cut service times by over 70%. The April 2026 Cabinet session also approved policies on digital records and on collecting data once and sharing it securely across entities. Automation, proactive services and reliability are the next stage.
3.5A region moving at two speeds
Saudi Arabia and the UAE sit in the global top 11 of the UN index, Qatar is 53rd and Egypt 95th, yet all four are in the World Bank’s highest GovTech maturity group. In Qatar and Egypt the platforms exist, and the gains now come from experience and adoption.
Dates to watch
- Feb 2027More than 180 new services due on the DubaiNow app.
- Apr 2028End of the UAE’s two-year window to move 50% of government services to agentic AI.
- 2026-27Next edition of the UN E-Government Survey, which is published every two years. The 2024 edition is the latest available.
- 2026-27Saudi Arabia’s next Digital Experience Maturity Index results.
Where to start
Where Arcsen would start, and the page that explains each one.
Case management across agencies
Public Sector Solutions for applications, permits, inspections and complaints, with every case on one record.
Public sector at Arcsen →Portals in both languages
Sitecore portals built right-to-left from the start and designed to national digital-service standards.
Sitecore →Governed AI agents
Agentforce for citizen questions, status checks and form completion, grounded in your knowledge base, with handover to staff.
Agentforce →Collect once, reuse everywhere
MuleSoft APIs that let agencies share data securely, in line with collect-once policies.
MuleSoft →Priorities for the next 12 months
- Pick the five highest-volume services and redesign each around one case record.
- Publish experience measures per service and review them every month.
- Prepare knowledge bases and handover rules before deploying AI agents.
- Connect to shared national platforms and reuse their identity and payment services.
- Train staff to supervise agents, review escalations and improve answers.
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Questions leaders ask
What is the UAE’s agentic AI target for government?
In April 2026 the UAE Cabinet set a goal to move 50% of government sectors and services to agentic AI within two years. In May 2026 it approved a framework that includes training 80,000 federal employees.
How do Gulf countries rank in e-government?
In the UN E-Government Development Index 2024, Saudi Arabia ranked 6th, the UAE 11th, Qatar 53rd and Egypt 95th of 193 member states. All four are in the World Bank’s highest GovTech maturity group.
What is the UAE Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme?
It is a federal programme to remove unnecessary government procedures. Phase one removed more than 4,000 procedures, cut service times by over 70% and saves customers and businesses 12 million hours and AED 1.12 billion a year. Phase two launched in June 2025.
How does Saudi Arabia measure digital government experience?
The Digital Government Authority publishes a Digital Experience Maturity Index. The 2025 index scored 86.71%, an advanced rating, across 50 platforms and more than 374,000 surveyed users.
What is DubaiNow?
DubaiNow is the Government of Dubai’s unified services app, with more than 350 government and private services from over 50 entities. More than 180 new services are due by the end of February 2027.
Other outlooks for 2026-27
Eight more sectors, researched and sourced the same way.
Financial services outlook
Slower bank growth and tighter funding, open banking licensed in Saudi Arabia, real-time payments and fintech competition.
Read the outlook →Insurance outlook
Premiums growing faster than profits, risk-based capital from January 2027, consolidation and rising health costs.
Read the outlook →Travel and transportation outlook
Recovery after the 2026 disruption, Saudi domestic travel, new airlines and rail, biometrics and AI.
Read the outlook →Retail and distribution outlook
Resident-led demand, electronic payments, paid membership, retail media, Egypt’s prices and e-invoicing.
Read the outlook →Healthcare outlook
Saudi health clusters, virtual care at scale, UAE health records, Egypt’s insurance rollout and supervised AI.
Read the outlook →Education outlook
National admissions platforms, AI in the curriculum, Dubai’s private-sector growth and cross-border recruitment.
Read the outlook →Automotive outlook
Deferred demand, weak brand loyalty, Chinese brands, aftersales, EV charging and new Saudi plants.
Read the outlook →Manufacturing outlook
Supply routes, local content rules, Saudi factory growth, Egypt’s exports and service on the installed base.
Read the outlook →Talk to the people behind this outlook
To discuss what it means for your organization, contact us directly.
Planning for 2026-27?
Talk to the people delivering Salesforce, Sitecore and Agentforce in Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha and Cairo.
Sources and method
Arcsen is a Salesforce Summit Partner and Sitecore partner with teams in Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha and Cairo. This outlook uses official statistics, regulator and government publications, company filings and established research, checked on 25 October 2026. Where a figure comes from a news report of official data, the source below names both. We update this page as new data is published.
- Mohammed bin Rashid chairs UAE Cabinet meeting, Government of Dubai Media Office, 23 April 2026.
- UAE Cabinet approves roles and responsibilities for Agentic AI project, Aletihad, 18 May 2026.
- UAE rolls out 4 AI agents to run public services, Khaleej Times, 20 May 2026.
- E-Government Development Index data, 2024, UN DESA, September 2024.
- GovTech Maturity Index 2025 update, World Bank, December 2025.
- 2025 Digital Experience Maturity Index results, National Center for Government Resources, 19 August 2025.
- Saudi Arabia earns advanced rating in 2025 Digital Experience Index, Fast Company Middle East, 7 August 2025.
- Mohammed bin Rashid launches phase 2 of Zero Bureaucracy Programme, Government of Dubai Media Office, 16 June 2025.
- More than 180 new services are set to be added to DubaiNow, Gulf News, 23 May 2026.