Microsoft is deepening its relationship with the United Arab Emirates as the government moves to automate at least half of public-sector work using AI agents.
The company already has Copilot installed on 35,000 Abu Dhabi government employees’ computers, and Inception42, a subsidiary of G42, is building agents that will run on Microsoft’s AI platform to help with operational tasks such as procuring goods and services in the right quantities and at competitive prices.
“Success is when it’s invisible,” Inception42 CEO Ashish Koshy told Semafor.
With a population of about 11 million, the UAE is a relatively small but meaningful test case for automating government services while many countries proceed cautiously.
Microsoft has committed $15.2 billion to the UAE through 2030 and taken a stake in G42, and Microsoft President Brad Smith has framed the country as a gateway for regional computing power and data storage.
The partnership aims to move routine government workflows onto AI-driven agents that operate alongside Copilot as the UAE races to meet its automation target.
