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Smart Dubai AI Ethics Principles & Guidelines

SMART DUBAI AI ETHICS PRINCIPLES & GUIDELINES

Guidelines Institutional policyMiddle East · AEadopted

This document outlines the AI Ethics Principles and Guidelines established by Smart Dubai to support the ethical design, deployment, and governance of artificial intelligence systems. It focuses on four core pillars: fairness, accountability, transparency, and explainability, particularly for systems that inform significant or critical decisions in both public and private sectors. The framework aims to foster responsible AI innovation that delivers human benefit, fairness, and trust.

Summary and content fields are drawn from the document text and are pending editorial review.

Who issued it

Smart Dubai OfficeGovernment · AE
Lead issuer
Falcon and AssociatesOther · AE
Contributor
Legal forceVoluntary
Under whose authorityInstitutional policy
Judged fromfull text

Who it governs

General publicPublic sector bodiesCompaniesAI developers and providersAI deployers and usersResearchers and academics

This document is for AI developers, operators, policymakers, and organizations in the public and private sectors seeking practical guidance on implementing ethical AI practices.

Sectors
Cross-sector

What the document contains

What's covered

The document covers principles and guidelines for ethical AI design and deployment, specifically addressing fairness, accountability, transparency, and explainability for systems that make or inform significant or critical decisions. It provides detailed definitions, guidance notes, and practical examples for developers and operators across public and private sectors.

What's missing

The guidelines explicitly exclude employment issues, general model accuracy (except for fairness and redress), privacy concerns (as they are governed separately), and external auditing mechanisms, which are currently suspended.

Key takeaways
  • AI systems should be fair, accountable, transparent, and as explainable as technically possible.
  • Accountability for AI outcomes rests with the designers, developers, and operators rather than the AI system itself.
  • Organizations should ensure that datasets are representative and that decision-making processes avoid non-operational bias.
  • Affected individuals should be informed when significant decisions are made by AI and given pathways to challenge or appeal such decisions.
  • The guidelines apply to systems making or informing significant or critical decisions in both public and private sectors.
Principles it states
AI should be beneficial to humans and aligned with human values, in both the long and short term.AI should benefit all people in society, be governed globally, and respect dignity and people's rights.AI systems should be safe and secure, and should serve and protect humanity.AI systems should be fair, transparent, accountable and understandable.
Outline
· AI Principles (Ethics, Security, Humanity, Inclusiveness)
· AI Guidelines (Introduction, Scope, Definitions)
· 1.1 We will make AI systems fair
· 1.2 We will make AI systems accountable
· 1.3 We will make AI systems transparent
· 1.4 We will make AI systems as explainable as technically possible
· Changelog
· Bibliography
Issued30 December 2018
Length8,250 words · 35 pages
FormatNot recorded
Scopesubnational

How it scores

Pending review

Each score is backed by a quote verified against the document text. Editorial review has not yet confirmed them.

Accountability

4/5

Clear responsibility for AI outcomes

Accountability for the outcomes of an AI system lies not with the system itself but is apportioned between those who design, develop and deploy it

WE WILL MAKE AI SYSTEMS ACCOUNTABLE

screening score · 2026-10-23

Fairness

4/5

Non-discrimination and equitable treatment

AI developer organisations and AI operator organisations should refrain from training AI systems on data that is not likely to be representative of the affected AI subjects

1.1.1.2

screening score · 2026-10-23

Human Dignity

4/5

Respect for the inherent worth of persons

AI systems should conform to international norms and standards with respect to human values and people rights and acceptable behaviour

INCLUSIVENESS

screening score · 2026-10-23

Human Oversight

4/5

Humans remain in control of consequential decisions

Such systems should be able to be overridden or their decisions reversed by designated people

AI SYSTEMS WILL BE SAFE, SECURE AND CONTROLLABLE BY HUMANS

screening score · 2026-10-23

Privacy

4/5

Protection of personal data and private life

Surveillance or other AI-driven technologies should not be deployed to the extent of violating internationally and/or UAE’s accepted standards of privacy and human dignity and people rights

INCLUSIVENESS

screening score · 2026-10-23

Transparency

4/5

Openness about how AI systems work and are used

People should be told when significant decisions about them are being made by AI

WE WILL MAKE AI SYSTEMS TRANSPARENT

screening score · 2026-10-23

Enforcement

1/5

Consequences and compliance mechanisms with real force

AI operator organisations could consider compensating affected AI subjects in the case of loss or inconvenience caused by incorrect automated decisions

1.2.4.6

screening score · 2026-10-23

Impact Assessment

4/5

Required assessment of an AI system's risks/impacts before or during use

AI developer organisations and AI operator organisations could consider formal procedures such as Discrimination Impact Assessments as a means of ensuring fairness

1.1.3.1

screening score · 2026-10-23

Topics

ai_ethics fairness accountability transparency explainability automated_decision_making