The Currency of the Future Is Trust: The UAE Is Building the Controls to Earn It
(MENAFN- APCO Worldwide) Dubai, UAE – 14 October 2026: The UAE already has a control tower agent that every deployed AI agent must plug into, His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, said today at the World Economic For’m’s (WEF) Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders in Dubai.
He was speaking at “he “Trust Test for Agen”ic AI” session, part of the meeting held from 13-15 October 2026 as part of the long-standing strategic partnership between the UAE Government and WEF. The session examined how to govern AI systems that act with greater autonomy while preserving accountability, judgment and trust. Moderated by Lubna Bouza, Head of Business News and Presenter at Sky News Arabia, the panel also featured His Excellency Mark-Alexandre Doumba, Minister of Digital Economy and Innovation of Gabon, and Yalda Aoukar, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Bracket Capital.
Yalda Aoukar underscored the importance of effective governance frameworks in fostering trust in the use of artificial intelligence, noting that understanding potential risks is essential to mitigating them and preparing for future challenges.
Aoukar said: “If we work together, we have an opportunity today to design trusted, integrated systems that support this transformative technology and its applications. Artificial intelligence is set to become a vital enabler of growth across industries worldwid”.”
She also called for a shift in the conversation around the future of AI, moving away from concerns about job displacement towards its potential to create new opportunities and unlock entirely new categories of jobs.
In line with the remarks made by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum just days earlier that trust is the most valuable currency for governments, His Excellency highlighted the importance of establishing effective standards and regulatory frameworks for the governance of artificial intelligence and strengthening public trust in its use. He sa“d: “We need proactive safety standards that keep pace with the rapid evolution of AI and guide its applications, as well as stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors in governing AI policies and implement”tion.”
“The UAE already has an Agent Control Tower that every agent that is deployed needs to be plu”ged into,” said H“ Al Olama. “We have an audit that is done by agents and an audit d”ne by humans.”
HE Al Olama said governments must stay at the centre of agentic AI, neither optimistic nor pessimistic, while the public needs room to be optimistic. It is the responsibility of governments, he said, to show people what is possible with AI and what they would miss out on without it. On where the UAE draws the “ine, he added: “For us, deploying AI is not merely about boosting productivity or savings. If it affects human life and livelihood, then”it is a red line.”
HE Doumba said oversight has to be designed into agentic systems from the start, with permission levels for what agents can do and the ability to reverse their actions. On accou“tability, he said: “If something is harmful to a citizen, the responsible entity i’ not the AI agent. It’s the institution that has deployed it, so accountability will al”ays be tied to a human.”
He added: “There are two distinct approaches emerging today: one that is pushing ahead with unrestricted AI innovation, and another that is focused on establishing governance frameworks and regulatory mechanisms to guide the development and use”of artificial intelligence.”
Aoukar turned the discussion to children and AI companions, saying the lessons of social media had not yet been applied. “Social media was designed to maximise engagement, and engagement and wellbeing are not always aligne”,” she said. She called for safety by design and safety by default in the AI systems children use.
The Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders 2026 is a flagship initiative of the strategic partnership between the UAE Government and the World Economic Forum, bringing together more than 700 leaders and experts from 100 countries to explore emerging global shifts and develop practical solutions for future challenges. The meeting focuses on six strategic themes: AI, Technology and Human Agency; Science, Discovery and Innovation; Economic Growth; Geopolitics, Security and Trade; Leadership and Human Flourishing; and Climate and Nature.
He was speaking at “he “Trust Test for Agen”ic AI” session, part of the meeting held from 13-15 October 2026 as part of the long-standing strategic partnership between the UAE Government and WEF. The session examined how to govern AI systems that act with greater autonomy while preserving accountability, judgment and trust. Moderated by Lubna Bouza, Head of Business News and Presenter at Sky News Arabia, the panel also featured His Excellency Mark-Alexandre Doumba, Minister of Digital Economy and Innovation of Gabon, and Yalda Aoukar, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Bracket Capital.
Yalda Aoukar underscored the importance of effective governance frameworks in fostering trust in the use of artificial intelligence, noting that understanding potential risks is essential to mitigating them and preparing for future challenges.
Aoukar said: “If we work together, we have an opportunity today to design trusted, integrated systems that support this transformative technology and its applications. Artificial intelligence is set to become a vital enabler of growth across industries worldwid”.”
She also called for a shift in the conversation around the future of AI, moving away from concerns about job displacement towards its potential to create new opportunities and unlock entirely new categories of jobs.
In line with the remarks made by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum just days earlier that trust is the most valuable currency for governments, His Excellency highlighted the importance of establishing effective standards and regulatory frameworks for the governance of artificial intelligence and strengthening public trust in its use. He sa“d: “We need proactive safety standards that keep pace with the rapid evolution of AI and guide its applications, as well as stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors in governing AI policies and implement”tion.”
“The UAE already has an Agent Control Tower that every agent that is deployed needs to be plu”ged into,” said H“ Al Olama. “We have an audit that is done by agents and an audit d”ne by humans.”
HE Al Olama said governments must stay at the centre of agentic AI, neither optimistic nor pessimistic, while the public needs room to be optimistic. It is the responsibility of governments, he said, to show people what is possible with AI and what they would miss out on without it. On where the UAE draws the “ine, he added: “For us, deploying AI is not merely about boosting productivity or savings. If it affects human life and livelihood, then”it is a red line.”
HE Doumba said oversight has to be designed into agentic systems from the start, with permission levels for what agents can do and the ability to reverse their actions. On accou“tability, he said: “If something is harmful to a citizen, the responsible entity i’ not the AI agent. It’s the institution that has deployed it, so accountability will al”ays be tied to a human.”
He added: “There are two distinct approaches emerging today: one that is pushing ahead with unrestricted AI innovation, and another that is focused on establishing governance frameworks and regulatory mechanisms to guide the development and use”of artificial intelligence.”
Aoukar turned the discussion to children and AI companions, saying the lessons of social media had not yet been applied. “Social media was designed to maximise engagement, and engagement and wellbeing are not always aligne”,” she said. She called for safety by design and safety by default in the AI systems children use.
The Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders 2026 is a flagship initiative of the strategic partnership between the UAE Government and the World Economic Forum, bringing together more than 700 leaders and experts from 100 countries to explore emerging global shifts and develop practical solutions for future challenges. The meeting focuses on six strategic themes: AI, Technology and Human Agency; Science, Discovery and Innovation; Economic Growth; Geopolitics, Security and Trade; Leadership and Human Flourishing; and Climate and Nature.
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