From Vision to Assurance: How Dubai Built a Trusted AI Management System Across Government
Dubai Digital Authority (DDA) leads Dubai Government’s digital transformation agenda, driving the adoption of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to elevate public services, strengthen efficiency and enhance citizen experience. Its role includes developing digital strategies, setting governance frameworks, and enabling innovation across government entities.
To ensure this innovation could scale safely, transparently and with public trust, DDA partnered with LRQA to implement and certify its AI Management System to ISO/IEC 42001. This collaboration has established a robust governance foundation that supports responsible AI adoption across the government ecosystem, enabling rapid progress while maintaining strong oversight and accountability.
The Challenge
As AI initiatives expanded rapidly across government operations, Dubai Digital Authority recognised the need for a structured framework that would not slow innovation, but instead enable safe, trusted, and scalable deployment of AI technologies. The Authority sought an internationally recognised standard that could embed risk-based thinking while supporting experimentation, agility, and continuous improvement.
Independent assurance was essential to build confidence among leadership, regulators, and the public; ensuring that innovation could move forward responsibly and at pace.
The Opportunity
LRQA supported Dubai Digital Authority through the implementation and certification of ISO/IEC 42001, applying a practical, risk-based assurance approach designed to strengthen innovation rather than restrict it.
The assessment focused on integrating AI governance into existing digital transformation processes, enabling proactive risk management, clear accountability, and continuous learning across AI initiatives. LRQA’s technical expertise in emerging technologies and governance frameworks provided actionable insights to support both compliance and innovation maturity.
Through close collaboration, LRQA helped Dubai Digital Authority establish a flexible, scalable AI management system that supports rapid innovation while maintaining strong oversight and trust.
The Partnership
The partnership between DDA and LRQA reflects a shared ambition: to build a future‑ready, transparent and trustworthy AI ecosystem for government. By combining DDA’s strategic leadership in digital transformation with LRQA’s global assurance expertise, the two organisations created a governance model that positions responsible AI as a catalyst for innovation, not a limitation.
“Partnering with Dubai Digital Authority on its AI governance journey has shown how collaboration accelerates impact. Together, we built an AI management system with strong guard rails that enable rapid innovation while ensuring responsible, trustworthy deployment.”
Shirish Bapat, Technical Product Manager, Cyber, LRQA
Powerful results
ISO/IEC 42001 has become a foundation for accelerating responsible AI adoption across Dubai Government. Dubai Digital Authority now benefits from clearer governance structures, faster decision-making supported by risk-based controls, and improved confidence in deploying high-impact AI solutions.
The framework has strengthened Dubai Digital Authority’s ability to identify opportunities and risks early, enabling innovation teams to move faster with assurance, while maintaining transparency and accountability. Independent certification has also enhanced stakeholder trust in Dubai’s digital transformation initiatives.
