Digital Dubai today announced a landmark initiative to empower its employees with AI capabilities in partnership with Microsoft. The move follows Microsoft’s recent announcement to enable local data processing for Microsoft 365 Copilot in the United Arab Emirates.

As a global pioneer in digital transformation, Digital Dubai is leading the adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot across government entities. This unified rollout positions Digital Dubaiamong the first government organizations globally to leverage localized AI capabilities at scale. The initiative ensures that employees across departments benefit from AI tools that streamline workflows, enhance decision-making, and foster collaboration—while maintaining the highest standards of data security and regulatory compliance.

H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said:”This partnership with Microsoft is part of a long-standing commitment to collaborate with major global corporations that serve our mutual goals of advancing AI-powered digital transformation for the benefit of people. We view Artificial Intelligence not merely as a tool, but as an engine for change dedicated to building a smart city that offers its residents proactive and holistic digital experiences, embodying the principle of ‘City as a Service.’

Al Mansoori added: We believe that empowering employees with artificial intelligence capabilities contributes effectively to empowering society as a whole, advancing the process of shaping the future, and achieving human happiness. We will therefore ensure this partnership serves Dubai government entities by empowering their employees and equipping them with the robust capabilities of Microsoft’s AI ecosystem.”

The deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot with in-country data processing offers significant advantages, including reduced latency, enhanced performance, and full compliance with the UAE’s AI Policy. It marks a new benchmark for innovation and productivity in the public sector, reinforcing Dubai’s vision of a future-ready government powered by secure and responsible AI.

“This is a pivotal moment in our partnership with the UAE,” said Amr Kamel, General Manager of Microsoft UAE. “By enabling in-country processing for Copilot, we are not only accelerating AI adoption across the public sector but also ensuring that Copilot interactions are stored and processed within national borders—aligned with the UAE’s digital goals. We are proud to collaborate with the UAE’s leadership in shaping a secure, responsible, and inclusive AI future.”

The initiative builds on Microsoft’s strategic investment to host Copilot interactions within its state-of-the-art cloud data centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, reinforcing the UAE’s commitment to AI sovereignty, cybersecurity, and responsible innovation. It aligns national frameworks such as the Dubai Universal Blueprint for AI and the Dubai AI Security Policy and is being developed in close collaboration with the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC).