To prepare a strong UAE AI Award submission, pick one deployed project, match it to the right category, and evidence it against the published criteria with measured results. The third edition, launched on 12 July 2026, is themed on agentic AI, so the strongest entries show AI agents acting with a defined degree of autonomy in live services.
This guide is for government innovation teams, private and semi-government AI providers, researchers and individual AI leaders preparing an entry for this cycle or the next.
What is the UAE AI Award?
The UAE AI Award is a national award run by the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain. It recognises entities and individuals that use AI to improve government performance and services. Category details, criteria and applications are published at ai.gov.ae/aiaward.
The first edition was launched in March 2024 and drew more than 225 submissions, with 12 projects in the final round. Across the first two editions the award received more than 540 applications, according to the Emirates News Agency's notice of the 2026 launch.
The 2025 winners were honoured on 5 November 2025 at the UAE Government Annual Meetings in Abu Dhabi. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, attended the ceremony.
What changed in the 2026 edition?
The third edition moves the whole award to agentic AI. Four of the five categories now carry "Agentic AI" in their titles. The organisers describe the aim as moving AI from a digital tool to a partner that delivers measurable impact across government services.
The theme follows a federal target. On 23 April 2026 the UAE Cabinet announced plans to deploy agentic AI across 50% of government sectors and operations within two years. A 2026 entry is strongest when it shows a working agentic system and links it to that national goal.
Entries built on dashboards, conventional analytics or simple chatbots will struggle against this theme. Show what the system perceives, what it decides on its own, what it does, and where a person stays in control.
Who can enter, and which category fits?
Federal and local government entities, semi-government entities, private sector organisations, academic institutions and individuals can apply. Pick the category where your evidence is strongest, not the one that sounds most senior.
| 2026 category | What the organisers say it recognises | Evidence that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Excellence in Agentic AI-Powered Services | Entities using agentic AI to improve services, efficiency and customer experience | Before and after service KPIs from a live deployment |
| The UAE-developed agentic AI category (see the call for its full title) | Systems designed and built in the country that show national capability | Where design, build and data hosting took place, and who did the work |
| Best Government-Private Partnership in Agentic AI | Collaborations that delivered tangible results for digital transformation | Each party's role and the joint outcome, signed off by both |
| Agentic AI Scientific Research | Research that advances knowledge and practical application | Publications, benchmarks and evidence of real-world use |
| AI Leader | Individuals driving AI adoption, capability and culture in their organisations | Programmes led, people trained and results delivered |
The category descriptions above are paraphrased from the 2026 launch notice. The AI Leader category changed wording between cycles. In 2025 it named government professionals, while the 2026 notice speaks of individuals within their organisations. Check the current definition before you decide where you fit.
How are entries judged?
The 2025 call listed five criteria: level of innovation, AI ethics compliance, level of AI maturity, scalability and adaptability, and potential impact. The 2026 notice refers entrants to ai.gov.ae for the current criteria and application process, so confirm the list there before you write.
A practical way to use the criteria is to give each one its own section, with one headline figure and the source behind it. For maturity, show the system in production, not a pilot. For scalability, a second deployment is stronger than a roadmap.
For ethics, show how you manage bias, transparency, privacy and human oversight. An AI management system can supply much of that evidence. Our guide to ISO/IEC 42001 explains what such a system records.
What did the 2025 winners show?
The 2025 winners, as announced by the Dubai Media Office, each led with measured results. Abu Dhabi's Department of Government Enablement won Excellence in AI-powered Services for TAMM. Its AI assistant manages 95% of incoming requests and saves 256,000 working hours a year, with savings of up to AED 133 million.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources won the UAE-developed category for its HR AI Agent. It serves more than 50,000 employees across over 40 federal entities and delivers more than 100 services, with a 70% increase in customer satisfaction. Emirates Health Services and Unison Capital Investment won the partnership category for AI diagnostic imaging.
MBZUAI and GenBio AI won the research category for a protein-language modelling framework. Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, was named AI Leader. The pattern is clear: hard numbers, scale across entities, and systems already in use.
When are the deadlines, and how should you prepare?
Windows are short and change each cycle. The 2025 edition was launched on 20 July 2025 and the 2026 edition on 12 July 2026. We could not confirm the 2026 closing date on the official site when this guide was reviewed, so check ai.gov.ae/aiaward for the current status.
If the window you wanted has closed, use the time before the next one. Strong entrants prepare the substance before the portal opens: category choice, an evidence pack, ethics records and impact metrics. They then adapt it to that cycle's form.
Collect evidence while the system runs, not in the final week. Baseline figures from before deployment are the hardest to recover later, and they are what makes an impact claim credible.
How AGS can help
The UAE AI Award Excellence Kit 2026 contains 54 editable Microsoft Word and Excel documents. It includes eligibility and agentic AI self-assessments, category selection and readiness scoring workbooks, and a KPI and impact workbook. There is also a responsible AI and ethics pack and a submission package for each category. Related excellence kits are in the Quality, Excellence and Accreditation collection.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cash prize?
The official announcements we checked for the 2025 and 2026 editions do not mention a cash prize. Winners are honoured at a national ceremony, which in 2025 took place during the UAE Government Annual Meetings.
Can private companies apply?
Yes. Private sector organisations are eligible, and the partnership category suits vendors whose best evidence sits inside a joint deployment with a government entity.
Can a pilot project win?
It is unlikely. Maturity is one of the criteria, and every 2025 winner was a deployed system with measured results.
Can one organisation enter more than one category?
Check the current rules on ai.gov.ae. Whatever they allow, enter each project in the one category where its evidence is strongest.
AGS provides independent documentation toolkits. This guide and the referenced kit are not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by the UAE Government, the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain or any award body. They do not guarantee any award outcome.
Reviewed October 2026. Facts checked against the sources current at publication.
