Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement (DGE) launched AiNative, an AI training programme developed with OpenAI, Microsoft and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), on 7 October 2026. It aims to train 20,000 government employees by the end of 2026.
DGE said it owns the curriculum. The programme has foundation courses and an executive programme for department leaders, with job-specific certifications in areas such as coding and data planned for later phases. Employees will learn to use tools including ChatGPT, Codex and Microsoft 365 Copilot. A first pilot inside government is already under way.
A public course is planned. DGE said citizens and residents will be able to take it through the Tomouh app, signing in with UAE Pass, and that it will be delivered through the free version of ChatGPT. No public start date has been announced.
Why it matters: the programme is part of Abu Dhabi’s goal to become what it calls the world’s first AI-native government by 2027. Wesam Lootah, Director General of GovDigital at DGE, said AI “will only create lasting value when people have the knowledge and confidence to use it well”.
What to watch: when the public course opens, and how progress towards the 20,000 target is reported.