In a major milestone, the United Arab Emirates has ranked third in global AI adoption, with AI adoption in the country surging from just 10 per cent in 2023 to 27 per cent in 2024 to 56 per cent in 2025. The study, conducted by Cybernews, show the adoption of AI-powered tools have improved in businesses, government entities and consumers.
The study is reflective of the UAE’s push to position itself as a global technology and innovation hub. The findings are based on analysis of download data for the 100 most popular AI applications across 64 countries, benchmarked against national population figures, reports said.
As per the study, the number of AI app downloads in the UAE was just 1.1 million in 2023. It rose to 2.9 million in 2024 and 6.3 million in 2025, which is a 107 per cent year-on-year jump between 2024 and 2025. This shows how deeply artificial intelligence tools have penetrated everyday life and business operations across the Emirates, thanks to the national AI strategy, introduced for the first time in 2017. Building on this foundation, the updated AI Strategy 2031 seeks to cement the nation's status as a global frontrunner in the field.
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In 2025, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, revealed that 97% of government entities were successfully leveraging AI tools.
Other nations
The AI Adoption Index was conducted in 64 countries, accounting for about 70% of global GDP and 55% of the world's population. Overall, the AI adoption rate stood at 25 per cent. While the AI adoption rate was 66 per cent in Singapore, it was as low as 7 per cent in Venezuela, Poland and Nigeria. This analysis offers one of the most detailed overviews of AI adoption worldwide to date.
The study found that the global average adoption rate of artificial intelligence stands at 25%. However, there is a notable disparity between leading and lagging countries, with adoption rates ranging from 66% in Singapore to as low as 7% in Venezuela, Poland, and Nigeria. In a forward-thinking move, the UAE has established an AI legislative intelligence office to monitor the economic effects of relevant legislation.
