UAE launches new AI plans to make government services quicker
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, revealed that AI will be used in the new strategic planning cycle for the federal government for 2031.
The plans prioritise AI in government planning, process simplification, resource optimisation and financial efficiency.
This focus should mean that processes are streamlined and resources are managed more intelligently.
Sheikh Mohammed has instructed teams across ministries and the federal government to begin developing strategies that incorporate AI and future technology solutions to allow the UAE government to achieve its We the UAE 2031 goals quickly.
The 2031 plans include four main pillars –society, economy, diplomacy and ecosystem.
Mohammed bin Rashid launches new strategic planning cycle aimed at achieving 'We the UAE 2031 Vision'#WamNews https://t.co/DJUUXhyyfJ pic.twitter.com/AQLbs0m6TQ
— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) July 6, 2025
38 federal entities will be involved in the new cycle, which aims to provide a more intelligent, agile and responsive approach to change in the UAE.
The new cycle has been shortened from five years to three years to keep pace with rapid global changes and to ensure the highest levels of flexibility and capability to accommodate regular plan updates.
Sheikh Mohammed said: 'We have launched the new strategic planning cycle for the Federal Government for 2031.
'This plan prioritises artificial intelligence in government planning, process simplification, resource optimisation, and enhanced financial efficiency.
'While in the past government success was measured by regulatory strength and comprehensive procedures, today it hinges on regulatory agility, streamlined processes, and intelligent resource management, a significantly more complex undertaking.
'Tools and priorities change, but the unwavering commitment to serve the people of the UAE remains constant.'
Life in Dubai
Direct flights from Dubai: All the brilliant places to explore
So many options, so little time
In pictures: Dubai then and now
See just how much the city has changed through the decades
112 best things to do in Dubai in 2025
Everything to tick off your Dubai bucket list
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Mourners gather amid outrage over Israeli troops' killing of journalists in Gaza
Update: Date: 2025-08-11T11:51:30.000Z Title: Anas al-Sharif Content: UN condemns killing of and colleagues, calling it a 'grave breach of international humanitarian law' among five journalists killed in Israeli airstrike Hayden Vernon Mon 11 Aug 2025 07.51 EDT First published on Mon 11 Aug 2025 03.05 EDT From 6.59am EDT 06:59 Gazans gathered on Monday for the funeral of five Al Jazeera staff members and a sixth reporter killed in an Israeli strike, AFP reports. Dozens stood amid bombed-out buildings in the courtyard of Al-Shifa hospital to pay their respects to , a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent aged 28, and four of his colleagues, killed on Sunday. A sixth journalist, Mohammed al-Khaldi who worked as a freelance reporter, was also killed in the strike that targeted the Al Jazeera team, according to the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya. Their bodies, wrapped in white shrouds with their faces exposed, were carried through narrow alleys to their graves by mourners including men wearing blue journalists' flak jackets. Israel confirmed it had targeted al-Sharif, whom it labelled a 'terrorist' affiliated with Hamas, saying he 'posed as a journalist'. The four other staff members killed were Mohammed Qreiqeh, also a correspondent, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa. 7.50am EDT 07:50 Keir Starmer has said he is 'gravely concerned' about the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza, the British prime minister's spokesperson said on Monday, after the killing of and four colleagues by the IDF. Updated at 7.51am EDT 7.47am EDT 07:47 Emmanuel Macron has condemned Israel's plans to step up its military operation in Gaza as a 'disaster waiting to happen' and proposed an international coalition under a United Nations mandate to stabilise Gaza. His foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, had already strongly criticised the plans announced on Friday by Benjamin Netanyahu, saying in a statement: France strongly condemns the Israeli government's plan aimed at preparing for the complete occupation of Gaza. Such an operation would worsen an already catastrophic situation without enabling the release of Hamas hostages, its disarmament, or its surrender. 7.28am EDT 07:28 The Western Wall in Jerusalem has been vandalised with graffiti condemning Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, triggering widespread condemnation from religious leaders and politicians, AFP reports. 'There is a holocaust in Gaza,' was graffitied in Hebrew on the southern portion of the wall, the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray. A similar message was also scrawled on the wall of the Great Synagogue, elsewhere in the city. Israeli police said a 27-year-old suspect had been arrested and would appear in court later on Monday, with the police requesting that his detention be extended. The incident sparked immediate outrage in Israel, with the Western Wall's Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch calling it a 'desecration'. National security minister Itamar Ben Gvir – who oversees the country's law enforcement agencies – said he was shocked and vowed that the police would act 'with lightning speed'. Sharp condemnation also came from the opposition. Former defence minister Benny Gantz, now an opposition leader, called it 'a crime against the entire Jewish people'. The Western Wall lies in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, which Israeli forces captured during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Updated at 7.29am EDT 7.18am EDT 07:18 Journalists in Dublin will hold a vigil this evening to 'expresss outrage at Israel's ongoing targeting and killing of journalists', the National Union of Journalists have said. The protest has been prompted by the killing of six journalists in Gaza by Israel. 7.14am EDT 07:14 Qatar's prime minister and minister for foreign affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani condemned Israel's killing of six Palestinian journalists, five of whom were working for Al Jazeera, which is headquartered in Qatar and part state-funded. 'The deliberate targeting of journalists by Israel in the Gaza Strip reveals how these crimes are beyond imagination, amid the inability of the int'l community & its laws to stop this tragedy. May God have mercy on journalists Anas Al-Sharif, Mohammed Qraiqea, & their colleagues,' he said in a post on X. 6.59am EDT 06:59 Gazans gathered on Monday for the funeral of five Al Jazeera staff members and a sixth reporter killed in an Israeli strike, AFP reports. Dozens stood amid bombed-out buildings in the courtyard of Al-Shifa hospital to pay their respects to , a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent aged 28, and four of his colleagues, killed on Sunday. A sixth journalist, Mohammed al-Khaldi who worked as a freelance reporter, was also killed in the strike that targeted the Al Jazeera team, according to the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya. Their bodies, wrapped in white shrouds with their faces exposed, were carried through narrow alleys to their graves by mourners including men wearing blue journalists' flak jackets. Israel confirmed it had targeted al-Sharif, whom it labelled a 'terrorist' affiliated with Hamas, saying he 'posed as a journalist'. The four other staff members killed were Mohammed Qreiqeh, also a correspondent, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa. 6.41am EDT 06:41 In a statement on X, the UN's human rights office said: 'We condemn the killing by Israeli military of 6 Palestinian journalists by targeting their tent, in grave breach of international humanitarian law. #Israel must respect & protect all civilians, including journalists. At least 242 Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza since 7 Oct 2023. We call for immediate, safe & unhindered access to Gaza for all journalists.' Israel said it targeted , one of the journalists killed, because he was a member of Hamas. Multiple organisations, including the UN and Reporters Without Borders, have questioned the veracity of that claim. 6.29am EDT 06:29 Palestinians reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks on Monday in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the territory 'fairly quickly', Reuters reports. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, pushing many families out of their homes westwards. Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city, which is now sheltering about 1 million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave's northern edges, according to Hamas. The Israeli military said its forces fired artillery at Hamas militants in the area. There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive. Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive. 'I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City,' he said. The plans to step-up the offensive have been criticised by a number of countries. 6.15am EDT 06:15 Greta Thunberg said she and a Palestinian activist group plan to sail a new flotilla loaded with humanitarian aid to Gaza to break the 'illegal Israeli siege', AFP reports. Two other attempts by activists to deliver aid by ship to Gaza, in June and July, were blocked by Israel. Troops boarded their vessels and detained the activists before expelling them. 'On August 31st we are launching the biggest attempt ever to break the illegal Israeli siege over Gaza with dozens of boats sailing from Spain,' the Swedish campaigner said in a post on Instagram late on Sunday. 'We will meet dozens more on September 4th sailing from Tunisia and other ports,' she said. 5.58am EDT 05:58 Israel's plan to take over Gaza City is 'a matter of grave concern,' China's permanent representative to the UN Fu Cong, said at a weekend meeting on the Palestinian-Israeli issue held by the UN Security Council, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reports. Urging Israel to 'stop this dangerous move at once,' Fu said: 'Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people. It is an integral part of the Palestinian territory. Any action that seeks to alter its demographic and territorial structure must be met with utmost rejection and resistance.'
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Five Al Jazeera journalists are killed in Israeli strike on tent in Gaza: IDF says it was targeting and struck 'Hamas cell leader posing as correspondent'
Five Al Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli strike on their tent in Gaza City on Sunday in what the IDF claimed was a targeted hit on 'the head of a Hamas terrorist cell' posing as a reporter. The broadcaster, which is primarily based in Doha in Qatar, said two reporters and three cameramen died in the blast. Al Jazeera named the dead as correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa. The other man slain was Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, 28, who has extensively documented the release of Israeli hostages. Al-Sharif also made headlines in January after footage of him removing his armoured press vest and helmet went viral following the announcement of a ceasefire. Only last month, the journalist spoke about his fear that he could be assassinated for exposing the truth of the situation in Gaza. The correspondent said he operated with 'the feeling that I could be bombed and martyred at any moment' because his coverage of Israel's operations 'harms them and damages their image in the world'. 'Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif has been killed alongside three colleagues in what appears to be a targeted Israeli attack, the director of the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City has said,' a spokesperson for the media network said. The IDF, Israel's national military, claimed in a social media post that al-Sharif was a 'terrorist' who 'posed as an Al Jazeera journalist' and was responsiblle for rocket attacks on their troops and Israeli civilians 'Al-Sharif, 28, was killed on Sunday after a tent for journalists outside the main gate of the hospital was hit. 'The well-known Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent reportedly extensively from northern Gaza.' However the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the country's national military, triumphantly announced al-Sharif's death in a post on social media. The IDF claimed that the correspondent was a 'terrorist' who 'posed as an Al Jazeera journalist' and was responsiblle for rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and their troops. In a post on X beginning with a target emoji, the IDF said: 'STRUCK: Hamas terrorist Anas al-Sharif, who posed as an Al Jazeera journalist. 'Al-Sharif was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops. 'Intelligence and documents from Gaza, including rosters, terrorist training lists and salary records, prove he was a Hamas operative integrated into Al Jazeera. 'A press badge isn't a shield for terrorism.' In a separate statement on messaging app Telegram, the IDF said: 'A short while ago, in Gaza City, the IDF struck the terrorist Anas Al-Sharif, who posed as a journalist for the Al Jazeera network. 'Anas Al-Sharif served as the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organization and was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.' According to Reporters Without Borders, more than 190 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 - but foreign reporters have been barred from covering the conflict. The National Union for Journalists were one of the signatories to an open letter last week calling for action to protect reporters working in the Palestinian territories. The letter said: 'At the time of writing this letter, at least 189 journalists and media workers have been killed – including 175 Palestinians – in the ongoing war over the last 21 months, according to the International Federation of Journalists. 'In comparison, around 60 were killed during the Vietnam War. Many died while clearly identified as members of the press. Some were killed alongside their families, in their homes. 'These are not statistics. These are human beings, doing their jobs under conditions few of us in the UK could comprehend, bearing witness so the rest of us might grasp the enormity of what is happening. 'We're calling on the UK government to act - to unequivocally condemn the targeting of journalists and media workers in Gaza. These deaths cross a fundamental red line. Journalism is not a crime. 'Reporting is not terrorism. The erasure of journalists is not 'collateral damage' - it is a warning shot to the world, a signal that no truth is safe and no witness is welcome.' Following al-Sharif's death, a post described as his 'last will and testament' was posted on social media site X. It said: 'This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.' In the post he laments not being able to see his son Salah and daughter Sham grow up and pays testimony to his wife, while imploring Gazans to continue struggling against military occupation. It ends: 'Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.'
Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Telegraph
How a photo of a malnourished child put The New York Times in Netanyahu's crosshairs
Benjamin Netanyahu is considering legal action against The New York Times over a photograph of a malnourished child he has described as 'fake'. The Israeli prime minister accused the newspaper of defaming Israel with its coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A front-page photo of Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, an emaciated 18-month-old boy, sparked international outrage last month. The child's mother said he had been 'born healthy' before suffering severe malnutrition. Later reports revealed he had suffered from cerebral palsy and complications linked to a genetic disorder – details which were absent from the original piece. At a press conference announcing his plans to expand military operations and occupy Gaza City, Mr Netanyahu accused the international press of having bought Hamas propaganda 'hook, line, and sinker'. He then displayed a picture of The New York Times front page from July 25 with the word 'fake' branded across it, saying: 'I'm looking right now into the possibility of a governmental suit against The New York Times, because this is outrageous. 'These are the three most celebrated photos, and they're all fake. We won't allow it to go unchallenged, and this is the purpose of this press conference. I hope you can open your eyes to the simple fact that Hamas lies.' The New York Times updated the story to give readers 'a greater understanding' of Mohammed's situation, but defended its reporting. A spokesman of the newspaper said: 'After publication, we learned that a child shown in that story – in addition to being severely malnourished – also had pre-existing health problems. That additional information gave readers a greater understanding of his situation.' 'Attempts to threaten independent media providing vital information and accountability to the public are unfortunately an increasingly common playbook.' The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a globally recognised system for classifying the severity and magnitude of food insecurity and malnutrition. The IPC says that one in three people is now going without food for days at a time in Gaza. Hospitals have treated more than 20,000 children for acute malnutrition since April. At least 16 children under five have died from hunger-related causes since mid-July. 'The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip,' the IPC warned. Satellite imagery released last month showed the hunger crisis was visible from space, as thousands of Palestinians could be seen crowding around aid trucks in desperation. Under heavy international pressure, Israel last week announced measures to let more aid into Gaza. Mr Netanyahu insisted that 'hundreds of trucks' had been allowed in, and said that if Israel was implementing 'a starvation policy', then 'no one in Gaza would have survived after two years of war'. He pointed to disturbing images of Evyatar David, a 24-year-old Israeli hostage who looked severely malnourished in a video released by Hamas. He said: 'The only ones who are being deliberately starved in Gaza are our hostages.' Several hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israel Defence Forces soldiers since May while heading toward food distribution sites and aid convoys, according to witnesses, local health officials and the United Nations human rights office. The Israeli military claimed it had only fired warning shots and disputes the toll, which is thought to be well over 1,000 since May. Speaking during a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer in Scotland last month, Donald Trump said there was 'real starvation' in Gaza. The US president added: 'Those children look very hungry... that's real starvation stuff. Nobody's done anything great over there. The whole place is a mess... I told Israel maybe they have to do it a different way.'
