The Regulatory Intelligence Office: Breaking ground in the UAE's legal processes

Khaleej Times

23-05-2025

The ambition represents more than the drive for operational excellence; it represents a strategic turning point towards forward-thinking, evidence-based government
The UAE's reputation as a world leader in innovation was again strengthened by the announcement of the world's first 'Regulatory Intelligence Office'. The new initiative will use artificial intelligence (AI) to craft, monitor and evolve the country's legislation in real time. The step was termed as a breakthrough not just for the UAE but as a model for legislative procedures around the world by legal experts.
How the UAE is redefining legislative innovation
The creation of the Regulatory Intelligence Office represents a historic milestone in the development of the government. Unveiled by Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the initiative underlines the UAE's commitment to bringing the country's fast development in line with the world's best practices. "This new artificial intelligence-based legislative system will revolutionise the way we develop legislation, making the process quicker and more accurate," said Sheikh Mohammed. The ambition represents more than the drive for operational excellence; it represents a strategic turning point towards forward-thinking, evidence-based government. Through the use of AI, the UAE seeks to make its legal environment for lawyers in Dubai and across the country responsive, adaptable and world-leading - a world first on the international stage set to drive governments and legal professionals around the world towards changing traditional methods of legislation.
Real-time lawmaking
One of the most innovative features of the Regulatory Intelligence Office is its capacity to monitor the impact of legislation on the economy and society in real time. Through the analysis of large datasets from a variety of sources, the AI platform will be constantly examining the effectiveness of current legislation and making recommendations for timely adjustments. The feedback loop enables the UAE to rapidly align its legislation with new socioeconomic needs and realities, providing a dynamic model for evidence-based government that could do away with the long timelines generally tied to legislative reform. In addition to monitoring alone, the AI will examine trends, anticipate social developments and provide economic impact projections, empowering lawmakers to be more responsive and proactive than they have ever been before in the country's history.
Speed and efficiency
Historically, the process of drafting, researching and implementing new legislation has taken a painstakingly slow period of time, underpinned by human fallibility and resource limitations. The UAE's AI-driven model holds the promise of shortening this timeline drastically. Officials anticipate legislative procedures shortening by as much as 70% due to the capacity of AI to automate research, cross-reference judicial decisions and executive steps, as well as government services. There will then be less manual work for lawmakers to attend to, allowing for more decision-making on a macro level and less on administrative tasks. The end result will be a streamlined legal environment able to respond timely to domestic needs and global developments alike while keeping the UAE at the pinnacle of the world of innovation. It is a potent blend of speed, precision and responsiveness that may revitalize the nexus between government and the lawmaking process.
Aligning legislation with international best practices
Staying aligned with the international standards of the global world is key to economic competitiveness and diplomacy. The UAE's Regulatory Intelligence Office aims to close the UAE's federal and local legislation's gap against global research centres by ensuring legislative development benefits from the best international practices. The plan includes continuous exchange of information on a real-time basis with the world's leading academic institutions, think tanks and policy forums. The system is designed to be uniquely adaptable, though. It enables the UAE to incorporate international perspectives while adapting them according to its unique cultural and economic environment. The dual approach makes the country more competitive, propels innovation and supports its vision of charting the future of technology-led governance while protecting national identity and priorities.
A roadmap for the future
The legal community has received the UAE's initiative positively and optimistically. UAE-based lawyer and legaltech expert Taimur Malik referred to the development as "groundbreaking," where the application of AI would be able to overcome capacity and data limitations that have previously bogged legislative work down around the world. He noted that such a model would do away with archaic systems where legislation was slow to catch up with the needs of the times. Essam Al Tamimi, chairman and co-founder of Al Tamimi & Company, commended the move as a bold step that 'emphasises the country's continued commitment towards adopting future-oriented solutions.' The two experts opined that the UAE's bold experimentation with AI in lawmaking would be a model for the world's countries, changing the way people expect legislation to be responsive and adaptive in the 21st century.
In sum, the establishment of the Regulatory Intelligence Office signifies not merely a bureaucratic development, but a forward-thinking step towards the governance of the future. By integrating cutting-edge technology based on AI and a forward-looking legislative mindset, the UAE not only becomes a model for updating its own legal framework but sets a milestone that might redefine the way legislation is formulated, regulated and adapted throughout the world.