Digital Dubai Updates Data Manual For AI-Ready Government Data

Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment, part of Digital Dubai, has launched an updated Dubai Data Manual to standardise how government entities govern, manage and share data for AI applications and digital transformation programmes.

The announcement frames data quality and governance as a government operating layer, but it does not set enforcement dates, penalties or adoption metrics for government entities.

Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment said the manual provides Dubai government entities with a framework for data governance, data management, sharing and value creation under international best practice and the Dubai Data Law.

Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment said the update is meant to help entities treat data as a strategic asset rather than only as an operational record.

The update is relevant to AI deployment because public-sector AI systems depend on consistent, trusted and structured data.

Younus Al Nasser, chief executive of Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment, said Dubai is moving beyond digitising individual services towards intelligent urban experiences powered by trusted data.

Dubai Data Manual Covers Quality, Governance And Compliance

The updated Dubai Data Manual covers data quality, governance, roles and responsibilities, and compliance requirements.

Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment said the edition combines mandatory standards with practical guidance so entities can manage data while meeting regulatory requirements.

The framework also brings separate data practices into one operating model.

The establishment said the manual supports a move away from fragmented data practices towards an integrated, scalable and future-ready system across government entities.

The manual's scope includes data classification, data inventory, data cataloguing, data quality management, metadata management, data value management, data sharing and dissemination, data security and data privacy.

Those areas define how agencies record what data they hold, how they describe it, who can use it and how it can be shared safely.

Dubai Data Manual Includes Tools And Templates

The manual is designed to be used as an operating resource, not only as a policy statement.

Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment said the update includes tools, templates and practical guidelines that can help entities assess their data maturity, improve governance practices and align with central digital-government requirements.

The document also defines roles and responsibilities for data handling.

That matters for AI readiness because unclear ownership can leave agencies with inconsistent datasets, weak metadata or limited sharing procedures.

In the announcement, Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment connected the updated manual to trusted, consistent and structured data for government services.

The manual also supports institutional readiness for future digital transformation.

Digital Dubai's data arm said the framework is intended to improve interoperability, operational efficiency and trust in public services by making government data easier to govern and use across entities.

The establishment also said the manual should help entities make better-informed decisions and deliver more efficient services through trusted data.

Digital Dubai Did Not Set Enforcement Dates

Al Nasser said the manual moves government data away from routine operational handling and towards strategic use for innovation and economic growth.

He also said the quality, governance and readiness of data will define the strength of Dubai's digital future as AI adoption accelerates.

The announcement did not disclose the first implementing entities, the compliance-audit method, penalties for weak data governance or public adoption metrics.