The UAE has approved a National Program for Developing the Statistics System, placing official data quality and common statistical methods inside a broader push to support economic policy and artificial intelligence.

National Approval Sets The Policy Direction

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, approved the programme.

The initiative covers the quality of official economic statistics, coordination across national entities and the methods used to measure an economy that is adding digital-economy activity, services, tourism and investment.

The programme is intended to unify statistical work across the country and support policies based on more current and consistent information.

Its public description also connects the statistics system with economic planning and the UAE's position in international competitiveness indicators.

Digital Dubai Links Statistics With AI

At Digital Dubai, Younus Al Nasser leads the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment and described integrated and continuously updated data as a requirement for government efficiency and informed decision-making.

He also connected official statistics with analytical models and intelligent systems, arguing that AI output depends on the quality and consistency of the underlying information.

Dubai's stated approach combines administrative and register-based data with digital technology and coordination among government entities.

The intended result is a more timely set of indicators for policymakers.

No independent measurement accompanies that official objective.

Economic Measurement Extends To New Sectors

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, minister of economy and tourism, framed the programme as a review of a national statistical system facing a wider range of data sources.

His comments identified the digital economy, services, tourism and investment as sectors that require more detailed measurement as their role in national output changes.

The programme also establishes a cross-government process for developing statistical methods and improving the comparability of official data.

That gives participating agencies a common policy direction, while implementation will depend on how those methods are translated into datasets, registers and publication practices.

Delivery Details Remain Unpublished

The published account does not provide a programme budget, implementation timetable, named technical standards or a schedule for releasing revised datasets.

It also does not identify the first statistical products that will use the new methodology.

Those details will be needed to distinguish the approved policy framework from measurable changes in the UAE's official data system.