Dubai, 25 April — In a groundbreaking move, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced plans to become the first country to systematically use artificial intelligence (AI) in the drafting and reviewing of laws. This ambitious initiative is not just about modernizing the legal system; it’s about revolutionizing how laws are created, reviewed, and implemented across both federal and local governments, judicial rulings, executive procedures, and public services.
At the heart of this transformation is the newly established Regulatory Intelligence Office, a cabinet-level unit designed to steer the country’s digitalization efforts in lawmaking. This office will be responsible for integrating AI into legislative processes, making them faster, more efficient, and precise. As the UAE’s Vice-President and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, puts it, “This new legislative system, powered by AI, will change how we create laws, making the process faster and more precise.”
The UAE’s commitment to AI is not a new venture. In 2017, the country appointed Omar Sultan al-Olama as the world’s first AI Minister, and soon after, launched the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, an Emirati political commentator, emphasized that the UAE is serious about becoming a global hub for AI and digital innovation, just as it has done with its financial and logistics industries. “The UAE is investing heavily in its digital infrastructure to ensure it stays ahead of the curve for the next 50 years, just as it did in building its physical infrastructure over the last five decades,” he said.
The economic potential of AI is enormous. By 2030, the global market for AI is projected to reach US$15.7 trillion (RM69 trillion), and the UAE estimates that AI could boost the country’s GDP by 35% while halving government costs.
But this initiative goes beyond simply using AI for legal drafting. Hesham Elrafei, a solicitor and UAE law drafter, explained that the new system will fundamentally change how laws are made. “Rather than being stuck in endless political debates, this approach is quicker, clearer, and more solution-oriented,” Elrafei noted. AI’s role extends to analyzing court judgments, identifying issues, and proposing new legislation that can fill gaps in the existing legal framework. Additionally, it will help adapt successful laws from around the world to the UAE’s unique context—a crucial aspect in a country with a diverse population of around 200 nationalities, where clear legal communication across multiple languages is essential.
While the UAE’s approach is comprehensive, other countries have experimented with AI in lawmaking. Brazil has tested AI for drafting a single law, but the UAE’s initiative is setting a new standard by transforming the entire legislative process. Elrafei described the shift as moving away from outdated political compromises toward a more efficient, data-driven model, one that could change the way modern governments approach lawmaking.
Unlike many Western democracies where political negotiations heavily influence lawmaking, the UAE is opting for a model grounded in data, logic, and results. However, this move has raised some concerns. Vincent Straub, a researcher at Oxford University, warned against over-reliance on AI, noting that AI systems still face challenges with reliability and robustness. Keegan McBride, a lecturer at the Oxford Internet Institute, pointed out that the UAE’s governance model allows it to quickly experiment with new technologies, something that many democratic nations find harder to implement.
While the journey toward AI-driven lawmaking is still in its early stages, the UAE is leading the charge into a new era of digital governance.
