The UAE is positioning itself at the center of global AI regulation — and its minister wants the world to know that fighting artificial intelligence is a battle no one can win.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, issued a blunt warning to world leaders and business executives at BRIDGE Summit 2025 in Abu Dhabi: the future belongs to countries and companies that embrace AI, not those that resist it. His remarks came during a high-profile session titled "Order and Oversight in a World Run by Code."
AI Hesitation Is the Real Risk
Speaking with international journalist Ali Aslan, Al Olama argued that hesitation toward artificial intelligence is one of the biggest risks facing any organisation or government today. He explained how AI is already reshaping the media industry — from content creation to underlying business models — and that the window to adapt is narrowing fast.
He pointed to Netflix's takeover of Warner Bros. as a defining example: AI-driven companies will absorb those that fail to keep pace. He drew a sharp parallel to Blockbuster's decline, noting that early critics once dismissed streaming as a temporary trend — yet it transformed the entire entertainment landscape. The message was unmistakable: the same disruption is now happening with AI, and at far greater speed.
UAE's Partnership-Driven AI Policy
Al Olama outlined how the UAE follows a proactive and partnership-driven model, working closely with the private sector to build responsible AI frameworks. These policies are designed to ensure the safe development, proper use, and efficient oversight of smart technologies already transforming society.
Rather than waiting for disruption to force a response, the UAE is actively co-creating governance structures alongside the companies building AI — a stance Al Olama described as the only viable path forward for any nation serious about competing globally.
A New Generation of AI-Era Professionals
The minister also argued that AI will fundamentally redefine the skills demanded by the workforce, driving the rise of a new generation of professionals. UAE-based companies, he said, are positioned not just to compete globally but to lead international markets as a result of the country's early and decisive moves on AI policy.
Al Olama highlighted particular opportunities in media, digital content, data analysis, and content generation — sectors where the UAE's combination of regulatory clarity and private-sector energy gives it a structural advantage. He did, however, acknowledge a key challenge: strengthening the human-machine relationship to protect creativity and cultural identity as automation deepens.
BRIDGE Summit 2025: Scale and Significance
The BRIDGE Summit 2025, hosted at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi from December 8–10, brought together more than 60,000 attendees, over 400 global speakers, and upwards of 300 sessions across seven content tracks — media, creator economy, music, gaming, technology, marketing, and visual storytelling. It stands as one of the largest media and entertainment conferences in the world, and Al Olama's session underscored Abu Dhabi's ambition to shape the global conversation on AI governance.
The UAE's message at BRIDGE was unambiguous: embrace AI or be overtaken by those who do.
