Abu Dhabi to train 20,000 government staff in AI, then open free courses to residents
Representative image: ernestoeslava / Pixabay
Abu Dhabi launched AiNative on 7 October 2026 with OpenAI, Microsoft and MBZUAI to train 20,000 government staff in AI by year-end, with free public courses to follow.
What Happened
Abu Dhabi's Department of Government Enablement (DGE) on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, launched AiNative, an artificial intelligence training programme built with OpenAI, Microsoft and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). The programme was announced at the Ai Everything Abu Dhabi event. It aims to train 20,000 government employees by the end of 2026, and a free public version will later be opened to the emirate's citizens and residents through the government's AI learning app, Tomouh.
Key Facts
- AiNative is run by Abu Dhabi's Department of Government Enablement, with OpenAI, Microsoft and MBZUAI as partners.
- The target is 20,000 government employees trained by the end of 2026.
- The curriculum covers ChatGPT, Codex and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- There is a foundational AI track and a separate programme for senior government officials.
- The rollout is phased: a pilot inside government is under way first, and the public track follows.
- Citizens and residents will be able to join free through the Tomouh app by logging in with UAE Pass.
- Public modules are to cover personal finance, job-seeking, small business management and responsible content creation.
Why It Matters
Most AI training programmes are aimed at engineers or at students. AiNative is different in two ways. It treats AI as an everyday work tool for ordinary civil servants, not a specialist skill, and it extends the same idea to the general public with practical topics such as looking for a job or running a small business. The government has tied the programme to its goal of becoming an AI-native government by 2027.
For workers, the signal is clear. When a government trains its own workforce in AI assistants for everyday tasks, it shows that these tools are becoming part of normal office work, not just specialist IT jobs. Familiarity with tools like ChatGPT, Codex and Copilot is moving from a bonus on a CV to a baseline expectation.
The public track is the part to watch. It is free, it is delivered through an app residents can already reach with their national digital identity, and its first topics are about earning and managing money rather than technology for its own sake. If it opens as described, it will give non-specialists in Abu Dhabi a low-cost way to pick up AI skills that employers now ask for.
There is also a lesson for India. The UAE has a large Indian community. Indian workers there, and those planning to move to the Gulf for work, should expect AI tool skills to feature in job descriptions. The programme also shows a model that Indian states and departments, which are running their own AI skilling drives, may compare against: training the existing workforce at scale, with technology companies as partners, rather than only training new graduates.
| Track | Who it is for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational AI | Government employees | Pilot under way |
| Senior officials | Government leaders | Part of the programme |
| Public learning journey | Citizens and residents via Tomouh | To follow, free |
Impact
Short-term: Government employees in Abu Dhabi start structured AI training this year, with a target of 20,000 trained by December 2026.
Long-term: AI tool skills are likely to become a standard requirement for public-sector and service jobs in the emirate, and the public track could widen access to those skills for residents.
Who is affected: Abu Dhabi government staff, residents and job seekers in the emirate, including the large expatriate workforce, and companies that supply services to the government.
Key Takeaway
Abu Dhabi's AiNative programme will train 20,000 government employees in AI tools by the end of 2026 and later offer free AI courses to residents, showing how quickly AI skills are becoming a basic job requirement.
Questions and Answers
What is Abu Dhabi's AiNative programme?
It is an AI training programme launched on 7 October 2026 by Abu Dhabi's Department of Government Enablement with OpenAI, Microsoft and MBZUAI, aimed first at government employees and later at the public.
How many people will it train?
The target is 20,000 Abu Dhabi government employees by the end of 2026. A public version will follow for citizens and residents.
Can residents of Abu Dhabi join for free?
Yes, once the public track opens. Citizens and residents will be able to access it free through the Tomouh app by logging in with UAE Pass. No public start date has been announced.
What will the training teach?
Employees learn to use ChatGPT, Codex and Microsoft 365 Copilot in their work. The public modules are to cover personal finance, job-seeking, small business management and responsible content creation.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
