Over the past years, the UAE has turbocharged its efforts to enhance its leadership in future forecasting and driving sustainable development across various sectors.

The UAE has set in motion several transitional shifts launching a set of initiatives and strategies to that end, including the UAE Future Foresight Strategy, which aims to set governmental systems that make forecasting the future a part of the strategic planning in the government, and launch studies and scenarios to forecast the future of all priority sectors, and developing plans and policies accordingly.

This rise to leadership is owed to the UAE's proactive vision and initiatives launched over the years to support innovation and shape the future, ensuring the sustainability of its excellence and global competitiveness across various sectors.

Launched by the government within the framework of the Principles and the Projects of the 50, these initiatives have also played a prominent role in developing the innovation environment in the country and enhancing its potential to draw in talent, further elevating its position as a leading regional and global hub for innovation and new economy sectors.

Transition into knowledge economy

The UAE remains committed to fostering innovation and adopting best practices as it transitions to a knowledge-based economy. This includes increasing investment in creative minds, supporting human potential, and achieving the number one ranking in the Arab world for the Global Innovation Index 2022.

Its strategic investments in technology, artificial intelligence, smart applications, and entrepreneurship, exemplified by the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and the UAE Digital Government Strategy, have significantly contributed to its success in building a global innovative and entrepreneurial environment.

Digital Future

The UAE is not just talking digital transformation, it is walking the walk. Bold initiatives like "We the UAE 2021" fuelled a knowledge-driven economy, and savvy government leadership recognised the digital wave early on. Now, doing business in the UAE feels like a whole new ball game, thanks to their embrace of technology.

The UAE's going all-in on digital. Government support has turned them into a magnet for global companies and investors, and they're leading the charge in immersive tech with AR/VR expected to explode in the next few years. Statista expects the penetration rate of AR/VR technologies to exceed 50 percent by 2027.

Big data, tech-savvy citizens, and a supportive government, that is the success formula for the UAE's exploding digital market. Add in a tech-hungry youth leading the charge, and you get a recipe for new digital companies catering to their demands, according to Statista.

In its report on internet usage in the UAE from 2014 to 2029, Statista predicts that the per capita share of internet access will remain at a similar level in 2029 compared to 2024, at 98 percent.