His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum awarded the second edition of the Zero Bureaucracy Award to 11 federal entities on May 20, 2026, in Dubai, while simultaneously unveiling a new phase that will harness agentic artificial intelligence to further cut red tape across government services.
The ceremony, held in the presence of senior UAE leadership including Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, recognized teams from ministries and federal authorities that have dramatically simplified procedures and accelerated service delivery. The event marked both a celebration of progress and a pivot toward next-generation automation.
A People-First Government Model
In his remarks, Sheikh Mohammed emphasized that the winning teams have embedded efficiency into their daily operations. “These teams have made simplifying procedures and speeding up services part of their daily work culture, strengthening a people first government model,” he said. He specifically congratulated the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for winning Best Government Team in Zero Bureaucracy, citing its Maritime Transport Bundle project, and acknowledged Emirates Post for its improved logistics services.
Seven Categories, 32 Entities Evaluated
The second edition of the award assessed roughly 32 federal ministries and government bodies across seven categories:
- Best Government Team in Zero Bureaucracy
- Impact on the Business Sector
- Making Life Easier for People
- Digital Bureaucracy
- Use of AI in Zero Bureaucracy
- Government to Government Services
- Community Engagement
Winners included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its One Time Digital Certification project (Digital Bureaucracy category); the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security for its Smart Customs System; and Emirates Post for its National Logistics Network project (Impact on the Business Sector).
In the AI category, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation was honored for its AI-based Employment Contract Verification System. The Federal Electricity and Water Authority won in Making Life Easier for its Instant Approvals for New Areas project, alongside the team behind the Recognition of Foreign Academic Qualifications initiative.
Community Engagement went to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment for its Farmers and Fishermen Services. In Government to Government Services, the Ministry of Finance earned recognition for Smart Financial Governance Operations, and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security won for its One-Time Data Request project.
Next Chapter: Agentic AI
Sheikh Mohammed used the occasion to announce the next phase of the national program: Zero Bureaucracy using Agentic AI. This initiative aims to further reduce procedures and build what he described as “a faster, smarter, more efficient government” by deploying advanced AI systems that can autonomously handle routine administrative tasks.
Background and Broader Impact
The Zero Bureaucracy Award was launched in 2024 as a national initiative to eliminate unnecessary government red tape. It follows the UAE Government’s broader Zero Bureaucracy Programme, introduced in November 2023, which seeks to improve efficiency, quality, and agility across all federal services.
For residents and businesses, this means faster permit approvals, simpler document verifications, and fewer redundant steps when dealing with government agencies. The introduction of agentic AI signals that the UAE intends to stay ahead of global benchmarks in public-sector innovation, potentially serving as a model for other nations seeking to modernize their bureaucracies.
As the program evolves, citizens can expect more services to shift toward fully automated, real-time processing—reducing wait times and administrative burdens. The award winners’ projects already offer a glimpse of that future: instant approvals, AI-verified contracts, and one-time digital certifications.