ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates has been ranked the second most capable country in the world for artificial intelligence, according to a new study by US-based Technology Resource Group (TRG). The UAE placed ahead of South Korea, China, the UK, and Germany, with only the United States achieving a higher score.
TRG’s ranking evaluates computing power, the number of AI-focused companies, and government readiness for responsible deployment. On raw computing capacity, the UAE scored 23.1 H100-equivalent megabytes, thanks to access to over 188,000 advanced Nvidia H100 and A100 chips. Plans are already underway to add millions more, putting the country on par with global tech leaders.
The UAE also achieved a high AI readiness index of 70, highlighting its efforts to build data laws, ethics frameworks, and regulatory structures for mass adoption. More than 700 start-ups and enterprises now operate in AI-related fields, while universities are actively training graduates in neural networks and generative models.
Education reform is central to the strategy: the government will train 1,000 teachers and introduce AI curricula across public schools, preparing nearly one million students to code and use AI responsibly. Abu Dhabi’s backing of sovereign AI players such as G42 and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence further underscores its long-term vision.
The findings point to the Gulf’s growing seriousness about competing with established innovation hubs like Silicon Valley, Seoul, and Shenzhen. While many Western countries navigate regulatory hurdles and trade tensions, the UAE has streamlined policies for data centers, chip imports, and start-up growth.
Analysts suggest that if this momentum continues, the UAE could soon narrow the gap with the US and set a benchmark for other Gulf nations seeking AI breakthroughs.
