UAE Government partners with MBZUAI to train 80,000 federal staff in Agentic AI – EdTech Innovation Hub

The UAE Government has partnered with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to support Agentic AI training for 80,000 federal employees. Image credit: UAE Government/MBZUAI
The UAE Government has launched a strategic knowledge partnership with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to build Agentic AI expertise across the federal government workforce.
The agreement supports a national program approved by the UAE Cabinet to train 80,000 federal employees as Agentic AI experts across all occupational categories. The training will be delivered through continuous specialized programs in collaboration with national universities and technology companies.
The partnership was signed on Thursday, May 21, 2026, by Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future and Chairwoman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, and Professor Eric Xing, MBZUAI President and University Professor.
The signing took place in the presence of Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Agentic AI Project Executive Committee, and Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council and Chairman of MBZUAI’s Board of Trustees.
The program is connected to the UAE’s target to transition 50 percent of government services and operations to Agentic AI. It will cover federal ministries and entities, with training designed for leadership and occupational levels across the federal workforce.
The partnership is designed to strengthen institutional readiness, develop national competencies, and support responsible AI deployment across federal ministries and entities.
MBZUAI will act as a strategic knowledge partner to the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources. The university will bring research and applied expertise to the training program, which is focused on building, managing, and deploying Agentic AI in government contexts.
The program will cover Agentic AI-driven transformation, responsible AI adoption, implementation and management requirements, and practical applications across government work.
Senior government leaders will also have access to executive AI capability tracks, supporting the UAE’s wider plan to embed Agentic AI across government operations, services, and procedures.
Al Gergawi says the UAE’s approach is based on continuous learning and investment in national talent, with the training intended to strengthen federal workforce capability and institutional readiness.
Al Mubarak says the national training program marks a significant moment in the UAE’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, covering 80,000 federal employees and targeting the transition of 50 percent of government services and operations to Agentic AI.
Al Mubarak says: “Since the UAE’s founding, our leadership has held that people are the nation’s true wealth. Agentic AI reinforces this belief. A government powered by AI is built on far more than the technologies it holds. Its success rests on human competence, trained minds, sound judgement, and the values of the people who guide it.”
He adds: “Our purpose is clear: to develop and deploy AI responsibly and inclusively in service of our communities.”
Al Roumi says the partnership translates UAE leadership directives into practical training across government operations, services, and procedures. She says the model brings together government and national academic institutions to equip civil servants with the knowledge and skills needed to design and deliver public services using Agentic AI.
The program will span all leadership and occupational levels, covering the full target of more than 80,000 government employees.
Training will use a hands-on learning model, with a focus on real government contexts rather than general AI awareness. The program includes executive tracks for senior government leaders and capability-building programs for employees across federal ministries and entities.
The UAE Government has not disclosed the full delivery timeline in the supplied material. The partnership now gives MBZUAI a formal role in building the knowledge base for the federal Agentic AI program and the target to move 50 percent of government services and operations to Agentic AI.
© EdTech Innovation Hub. All rights reserved. No part of this website, including text, graphics, logos, images, and software, may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of EdTech Innovation Hub.

source