The Abu Dhabi government, in partnership with Microsoft, has announced the launch of the 'Pioneer Employee' programme to expand the deployment of the Microsoft 365 Copilot platform across the government sector, in a move that reinforces the emirate's drive to build an artificial intelligence-driven government.
The programme extends generative AI capabilities to approximately 35,000 government employees across 27 entities, comprising 26,000 new users and 9,000 existing licences, contributing to greater government efficiency, faster decision-making, and improved service quality.
The launch is built on a sovereign AI model supported by advanced data residency within the United Arab Emirates, alongside employee training and capacity-building programmes to ensure the safe and responsible use of the new technologies.
Wassam Lootah, Director General of Digital Government at the Abu Dhabi Department of Government Enablement, said the programme represents a qualitative step in equipping government personnel with AI tools, enhancing government efficiency within a secure and trusted framework.
For his part, Amr Kamel, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, affirmed that the programme embodies an advanced national orientation towards agentic AI and supports the acceleration of digital government transformation and productivity.
This collaboration forms part of an extended strategic partnership between the Abu Dhabi Department of Government Enablement and Microsoft, encompassing cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and AI solutions, in support of developing a fully integrated digital government.
The initiative also draws on an advanced digital ecosystem that includes the government's 'Tamm' platform and Azure and Dynamics 365 solutions, alongside the development of a government 'AI Factory' to broaden the use of AI and its agents across various government services.
Through these initiatives, Abu Dhabi aims to realise its vision of building an AI-powered government by 2027, by raising the efficiency of government performance, accelerating service delivery, and enhancing the customer experience.