Ahmed Tamim Hisham Al Kuttab

Two systems, one city

The core message of the session is that Abu Dhabi’s future city model depends on integrating hard infrastructure with digital infrastructure so government can improve livability, mobility, public services, and economic prosperity in one coordinated system. Moderator Mustafa Alrawi framed the discussion as “one Abu Dhabi, one city, two systems,” bringing together His Excellency Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa of the Department of Municipalities and Transport and His Excellency Ahmed Tamim Hisham Al Kuttab of the Department of Government Enablement. Al Shorafa emphasized that physical planning for roads, transport networks, communities, and long-term infrastructure cannot function effectively without data. He said data is essential for measuring livability, infrastructure needs, and networks, and for planning toward 2040 or 2050 in a city with more than 200 nationalities and many communities. Al Kuttab then broadened the discussion from technology to the purpose of government. He argued that Abu Dhabi is less focused on outputs and increasingly focused on impact: whether people who live, invest, or build businesses in Abu Dhabi can prosper and live happily. He explained the ambition announced a year earlier to become the world’s first AI-native government. In his definition, AI-native government is not simply about technology adoption; it is about giving people back time by automating government processes and even parts of the relationship between residents, citizens, and government. To enable that, Abu Dhabi is digitizing laws, policies, and regulations so AI can understand them. He cited a specific service improvement: government service satisfaction rose from 78% in 2022 to 93% after AI was implemented. The conversation then moved into how AI affects physical infrastructure and public servants. Al Shorafa described using live data from toll stations, cameras, and vehicles to simulate whether a new road, road expansion, or extra lane would reduce congestion or support new development. He stressed that AI provides insight, but human checks and balances remain necessary to validate the data and decisions. Al Kuttab added that Abu Dhabi’s AI model is not centrally imposed: every government entity plays a role, while DGE sets standards and provides infrastructure. He said 100% of Abu Dhabi government employees have been trained in artificial intelligence, and that future public servants will shift from processing high-volume transactions to handling judgment-heavy edge cases. The later portion of the provided transcript focused on innovation in transport and Abu Dhabi’s distinctive approach. Al Shorafa highlighted more than 530 autonomous vehicles operating in Abu Dhabi and described the emirate as a sandbox where companies can test new transport technologies and policies faster than in some countries. He also cited a cross-border autonomous cargo transport test between Abu Dhabi and a city outside the UAE, and a government decision that more than 25% of public transport would be sustainable vehicles. When asked whether Abu Dhabi was following cities such as Singapore, London, or New York, he rejected imitation as the goal, saying Abu Dhabi’s values guide its services, communities, and districts, and that the emirate aims to create a benchmark other cities and countries compare themselves against.