The UAE has secured third place in the world in terms of annual growth rate in the adoption of artificial intelligence applications.
Emerging as one of the fastest growing countries in AI adoption, the UAE will see its usage rise significantly from 10 percent in 2023 to 27 percent in 2024, and then reach a staggering 56 percent by 2025.
Over the same period, app downloads jumped from 1.1 million to 6.3 million, reflecting an impressive annual growth rate of 107%.
The UAE’s rapid rise is the result of years of careful planning. In 2017, we introduced the world’s first national AI strategy, broadly integrating artificial intelligence into public services. Building on this foundation, the latest AI Strategy 2031 aims to strengthen the country’s position as a global frontrunner in this field.
In 2025, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, highlighted the UAE’s commitment to comprehensive digital transformation, revealing that 97% of government agencies are successfully leveraging AI tools.
A CyberNews study examining the use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in 64 countries showed that adoption is progressing more rapidly in digital emerging economies, including the UAE, compared to some major economies that lag behind.
The study highlights that factors such as early national strategy, digital literacy, and robust infrastructure play a much larger role in shaping the global AI landscape than a country’s GDP alone.
One study examined download statistics for 100 leading AI apps from different countries using data collected from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store through third-party service providers. Adoption rates were determined by comparing annual download numbers to national population data from Worldometer Info and United Nations sources.
The AI Adoption Index includes 64 countries, representing approximately 70% of global GDP and 55% of global population. This analysis provides one of the most detailed overviews of AI adoption around the world to date.
According to the study, the global average adoption rate for artificial intelligence is 25%. However, there are significant disparities between developed and less developed countries, with adoption rates ranging from 66% in Singapore to 7% in Venezuela, Poland, and Nigeria. In a progressive move, the UAE has established an AI Legislative Intelligence Bureau to monitor the economic impact of relevant legislation.
A small, digitally advanced nation is leading the world in AI adoption.
In contrast, major economies are lagging behind. Despite being home to some of the most prominent AI companies in the world, the US ranks 28th with a middling adoption rate of 41%. Japan, once recognized as a technology pioneer, ranks 57th with an AI adoption rate of just 17%.
Countries with advanced digital capabilities and more developed infrastructure are adopting artificial intelligence at a significantly faster pace compared to larger economies, which face slower adaptation of their regulatory and institutional frameworks.
As AI continues to penetrate deeper into our daily lives and workplaces, the adoption gap will widen, potentially having long-term implications for competitiveness, productivity, and innovation.
