Abu Dhabi signs OpenAI deals, including a plan to make government rules machine-readable

Abu Dhabi has signed a series of agreements with OpenAI to use artificial intelligence in government, investment, food and education, The National reports. The deals were signed after OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman met Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. The best-known part is what the two sides call the world's first AI-native Machine-Readable Government initiative. The project will turn a defined set of government policies and regulations into machine-readable form, so that AI systems can help officials with routine compliance assessments, such as those involved in issuing permits and certificates. The emirate presents the initiative as a step toward its goal of becoming the world's first AI-native government. Altman said the UAE was setting a 'bold, global standard' for using AI in both the public and private sectors. He added that OpenAI was 'proud to support the UAE's ambition, anchored in a shared commitment to safety, accessibility and responsible innovation.' The report does not give financial terms, timelines, or details of how officials will check AI-assisted compliance decisions. For OpenAI, the deals extend a run of government partnerships in the Gulf.