Launched Wednesday on the second day of AI Everything Abu Dhabi, the programme was developed by the Department of Government Enablement, Abu Dhabi (DGE) in collaboration with OpenAI, Microsoft, and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).
The programme aims to equip government employees with practical skills to use AI tools confidently and responsibly in their daily work, before extending AI training to citizens and residents.
A government pilot is already underway, with the free public programme to follow.
Speaking to Ahram Online, Faisal Al Hawi, director of the AI Factory at the Department of the DGE in Abu Dhabi, said Abu Dhabi represents a model that all countries in the MENA region and the Arab countries to follow. He added that governments need to adapt to AI, which has become a new normal that could be used to save time and money.
He also said that raising awareness about AI use and training employees in the public and private sectors, as well as the wider public, is needed now and will remain important going forward.
AiNative will initially offer foundational learning journeys for government employees, alongside a dedicated executive programme for government department leaders. Specialized certifications covering areas including coding and data will be introduced in later phases.
The government learning journey will include practical training on AI tools such as ChatGPT, Codex, and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
The public programme will be delivered through Tomouh, DGE’s AI-powered learning application, with citizens and residents able to access it using UAE Pass.
It will focus on everyday applications of AI, including managing personal finances, running a small business, finding a job, studying, and creating content responsibly online. Training will be delivered through the free version of ChatGPT.
Ruba Al Hassan, director general of strategic affairs and future foresight, said the initiative reflects Abu Dhabi’s focus on developing people alongside its investment in AI technology.
“AI will only create lasting value when people have the knowledge and confidence to use it well,” said Wesam Lootah, director general of GovDigital at DGE.
“AiNative puts that capability at the heart of Abu Dhabi’s AI journey, giving government employees and the wider community practical skills to use AI responsibly in their work and everyday lives,” Lootah added.
Farouk El Hamzawi, head of Enterprise, OpenAI MENA, said building AI confidence among people would be key to turning Abu Dhabi’s AI ambitions into practical applications.
Microsoft UAE General Manager Amr Kamel said the programme would give government employees the practical skills and confidence to use AI responsibly, while helping improve productivity and public services.
Eric Xing, president and university professor at MBZUAI, said lifelong learning would be essential to ensuring that the benefits of AI are understood and applied responsibly.
DGE owns the AiNative curriculum, which was developed with OpenAI, Microsoft, and MBZUAI. The programme is designed to remain open to additional partners as it expands.
The launch follows Abu Dhabi Government’s rollout in July of Microsoft 365 Copilot to 35,000 government employees through its Frontier Employee Programme.
Together, the initiatives seek to combine access to AI tools with the skills needed to use them effectively and responsibly as Abu Dhabi expands AI adoption across government and society.
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