In an exclusive interview at AIBC, Saqr Ereiqat, Secretary General of the Dubai Digital Asset Association (D2A2), offered compelling insights into the UAE’s strategic leadership in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the metaverse. Speaking to Lily at the event, Ereiqat unpacked the nation’s progressive digital journey, underscoring a top-down innovation strategy that has firmly positioned the UAE, and particularly Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as epicentres of digital transformation.

Government-led innovation from the outset

Unlike the incremental adoption patterns seen globally, the UAE’s approach to emerging technology has been deliberate and centralised. “In Dubai, innovation is at the heart of government services,” said Ereiqat, noting that this is contrary to global norms where the government often trails the private sector. He highlighted that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum initiated Innovation Month over a decade ago, embedding innovation into the DNA of governance.

This early commitment is evidenced by a timeline of landmark initiatives: a Bitcoin strategy drafted as early as 2015, a published blockchain strategy by 2017, a metaverse strategy in 2021, and AI white papers emerging by 2022. The UAE’s ambition, however, stretches beyond regional aspirations. “Abu Dhabi has put its sights on being the AI capital of the world and has started to invest billions and billions of dollars into that mission,” Ereiqat affirmed.

Infrastructure: the foundation of digital growth

A major thrust of the UAE’s digital ecosystem is its triad of talent, capital, and infrastructure. As Ereiqat articulated, “Dubai is the perfect amalgamation of three elements: it’s talent, it’s capital, it’s infrastructure.”

The capital flows are robust, driven by Abu Dhabi’s positioning as “the capital of capital.” Through regulatory bodies like the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the nation has become a magnet for structured investment funds. Complementing this financial clout is a future-ready infrastructure, which includes both digital backbones, such as data centres from Amazon, IBM, SAP, and Oracle, and forward-looking regulatory regimes.

Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and ADGM’s pioneering framework for exchanges since 2018 underscore a regulatory maturity that is rare in the space. “We are the largest blockchain ecosystem in the world,” Ereiqat stated confidently, adding that this ecosystem thrives in an environment defined by “safety and security… in many places, money can’t buy.”

A global case study for proactive leadership

One of the standout elements of the UAE’s strategy is its openness and consultative approach. “Dubai’s always built openly,” Ereiqat noted. Rather than operating in stealth, the government fosters transparency and collaboration across departments and with the private sector. An anecdote from the early days of mobile governance captures this ethos well: “His Highness put all of the government leaders in the room… and said, ‘We want to be the first mobile government in the world, and a year from now we’re back here celebrating everyone that’s done it, and the departure of anyone that hasn’t.’”

This cultural and political urgency has allowed the UAE to outpace traditional financial hubs like London. “They could have been the first… but really, London has lost the race to places like the UAE,” Ereiqat asserted, suggesting that the UAE has not only become a hub but also a global exporter of digital policy thought leadership.

Real-world crypto adoption and the future of financial inclusion

Ereiqat highlighted that crypto is far beyond hypothetical use in the region. From high-value real estate transactions to legal rulings supporting salary disbursement in crypto, the infrastructure is already in motion. He referred to Project Aber, an international central bank digital currency (CBDC) initiative between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as a case in point.

Perhaps most compelling is how digital assets could transform remittances for the country’s majority expatriate workforce. “We go and charge them 20–23% at a time… with crypto, this can be done in cents and seconds,” he explained, pointing to blockchain’s role in democratising financial access for blue-collar workers.

Blockchain beyond crypto: productivity over hype

The conversation also pivoted to the broader application of blockchain technology across industries. The UAE’s deployment of blockchain in public health, such as tracking ventilators during the COVID-19 crisis, and the ongoing exploration of food security solutions marks a significant evolution. “We’re now in this plateau of productivity,” Ereiqat remarked, referring to the Gartner hype cycle. “We’ve just hit the sweet spot.”

Setting a global benchmark

The UAE’s foresight, underpinned by policy coherence, public-private synergy, and regulatory sophistication, positions it as a global blueprint for technological evolution. Ereiqat’s interview reaffirmed that the country is not merely embracing the future; it is defining it.

As digital frontiers continue to shift, stakeholders globally would do well to study the UAE model, not only for its technical infrastructure but for its governance style, which integrates ambition, accountability, and a genuine commitment to future readiness.

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