OVERVIEW
Why do 90% of public sector AI initiatives stall in the «pilot trap»? This joint study by INSEAD and Yango Tech exposes a critical bottleneck: outdated procurement and administrative rules take just as long to clear as systems take to build. Dissecting the UAE's strategy of coordinated differentiation, the research contrasts Abu Dhabi’s infrastructure-led model—which re-engineers entire domains onto secure sovereign cloud networks—with Dubai’s high-velocity, service-driven framework that leverages accelerators to deploy citizen-facing services at speed. Synthesizing structural reviews across the UAE, the US, EU, UK, and Singapore, this paper provides a non-prescriptive, universal roadmap showing global policymakers how to translate high-level national strategy into concrete operational execution.
Why Should You Read This Research?
«The most successful government AI is the AI you never see—similar to electricity: always on, always there, always trusted, but nobody is thinking about it. In the UAE, AI has migrated from the innovation department into core operations—procurement, sovereignty reviews, operating models, and accountability»
VICTOR BUTENKO, DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS AT YANGO TECH AND RESEARCH CO-AUTHOR
«AI is often framed as a technological breakthrough, but this research highlights that scaling AI successfully is also an institutional challenge. By treating AI as part of public infrastructure rather than a series of isolated pilots, the UAE offers valuable lessons for governments around the world seeking to translate AI ambition into sustained public value»
MARK MORTENSEN, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE INSEAD MIDDLE EAST CAMPUS
Key Contributors
& Participants
This research was developed through rigorous academic analysis and interviews with senior leadership teams across the region’s pioneering AI ecosystems, including:
Yango Group
INSEAD
Yango Tech
Special gratitude to other included parties:
