AI Regulation in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait

Short answer: As of October 2026, none of these five states has a comprehensive AI statute in force. AI is governed mainly through national strategies, ethics principles and charters, dedicated bodies, sector rules and personal-data protection laws. The UAE has the most developed framework. It includes a National AI Strategy 2031 (2017), a Minister of State for AI (2017), a 2024 AI Charter and a federal data protection law (2021) [1][2]. Bahrain has the most advanced legislative proposal: a 38-article AI regulation bill that its Shura Council approved as a proposal in April 2024 and that was before the Council of Representatives in October 2026 [1][14][15]. Qatar (2019), Oman (2024) and Kuwait (draft, 2025–2028) work through strategies and programmes [3][4][5].

Scope: this page covers the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait only.

At a glance

United Arab Emirates

• Strategy. The UAE launched its National Strategy for AI 2031 in October 2017. One of its eight objectives is to "ensure strong governance and effective regulation" [1].
• Institutions. The UAE appointed a Minister of State for AI in 2017. The Library of Congress describes it as the first country to do so [1]. On 14 June 2026 the UAE approved an Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority, reporting directly to the Cabinet, which brings together the AI Office, TDRA's Digital Government Sector and the UAE Data Office [21][22].
• Soft law. The AI Ethics Principles and Guidelines came out in December 2022. The UAE Charter for the Development and Use of AI (June 2024) sets out 12 principles. A Cabinet policy on the UAE's international stance on AI (September 2024) rests on six principles: progress, collaboration, community, ethics, sustainability and safety [1].
• Regulatory sandbox law. Federal Decree-Law 25/2018 lets the Cabinet grant interim licences to innovative projects, including AI-based ones, where no legislation exists [1].
• Emirate level. Abu Dhabi Law No. 3 of 2024 set up the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC) [1].
• Data protection. Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data has been in force since 2 January 2022. As of October 2026 no executive regulations had been published. The law's page on the official UAE Legislation portal lists no update after 20 September 2021, and commercial compliance trackers also report the regulations as unissued. Article 28 required them within six months of promulgation, and the six-month compliance window under Article 29 starts only once they are issued [2][17]. The PDPL named the UAE Data Office, established by Federal Decree-Law No. 44 of 2021, as its regulator [6]. In June 2026 the UAE announced an Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority (in the official Arabic release, الهيئة الاتحادية للذكاء الاصطناعي والبيانات [23]). It reports to the Cabinet and takes over the functions of the AI Office, TDRA's Digital Government Sector and the UAE Data Office. Its establishing legal instrument had not been located on the federal legislation portal as of October 2026 [21][22].

Qatar

• Strategy. The 2019 National AI Strategy has six pillars: education, data access, employment, business, research and ethics. It aims for Qatar to be both a producer and an efficient consumer of AI [3].
• Bodies. Cabinet Decision No. 10 of 2021 set up an AI Committee within the Ministry of Communications and IT [4].
• Guidance. In February 2024 the National Cyber Security Agency issued its Guidelines for Secure Usage and Adoption of AI. They cover risk management and principles including transparency, accountability and human oversight [4].
• Financial sector. In September 2024 the Qatar Central Bank issued an AI Guideline for its licensed entities. It requires prior approval for new AI systems and for high-risk contracts [4].
• Data protection. Law No. 13 of 2016 on personal data privacy is supplemented by NCSA guidance for regulated entities [7][13].

Bahrain

• No AI law yet. On 28 April 2024 the Shura Council unanimously approved a proposal for a 38-article law regulating AI and referred it to the government for drafting [1]. A Shura member said on 23 July 2026 that the government had drafted the bill and that it was under study at the Council of Representatives [14]. Gulf Daily News reported on 11 October 2026 that MPs were preparing to debate it in this month's extraordinary session, and that the government had asked for it to be reconsidered and suggested a regulatory sandbox instead [15]. The bill has not been enacted.
• Proposed provisions include licensing by an AI Unit, a ban on decisions affecting human life, liberty or bodily integrity being made solely by AI systems, civil liability, and penalties [1].
• Government use. Bahrain's General Policy for the Use of AI (version 1.0, 2025) applies to government entities [16].
• Public procurement. In 2019 Bahrain was among the first to pilot the World Economic Forum's AI procurement guidelines for the public sector [1].
• Data protection. Law No. 30 of 2018 on personal data protection is supplemented by 2022 ministerial decisions on data-subject rights, transfers and security [8][13].

Oman

• Programme. The Council of Ministers approved the National Programme for AI and Advanced Digital Technologies on 19 September 2024 [4]. MTCIT runs it from 2024 to the end of 2026 [5].
• Content. The programme has three pillars: AI adoption, localisation of AI technologies, and human-centric governance. Its initiatives include a national open data platform and an Omani language model. It set a target of reaching the top 50 of the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index [5]. Oman ranked 45th of 188 countries in the 2024 index (by total score), with a score of 62.91 [19].
• Funding. MTCIT and the Oman News Agency report that OMR 10 million was allocated to AI projects in 2024 and OMR 15 million for 2025 [5][20].
• Data protection. Royal Decree 6/2022 promulgated the Personal Data Protection Law [9]. Its Executive Regulations were issued by Ministerial Decision 34/2024 [10]. Ministerial Decision 6/2025 extended the grace period for compliance to 5 February 2026, and the law has been fully enforceable since that date [11].

Kuwait

• Strategy. Kuwait has published a draft National AI Strategy 2025–2028. It is aligned with Vision 2035 and covers responsible AI, legal frameworks and cybersecurity [4]. No formal adoption was found as of October 2026, so this page treats it as a draft [18].
• Data protection. CITRA's Data Privacy Protection Regulation (Administrative Decision 26/2024, dated 7 February 2024) replaced Decision 42/2021 and has been in force since 18 February 2024. It applies to service providers licensed by CITRA and is not a general data protection statute [12][13].

EPIC analysis: what the comparison shows

1. Soft law first. All five states govern AI mainly through strategies, principles and guidance rather than binding statute. Sector regulators are the exception: the Qatar Central Bank's guideline is binding on its licensees.
2. Data law carries the load. Until AI-specific laws mature, personal-data laws are the main binding constraint on AI systems.
3. Institutions over statutes. The UAE relies on dedicated ministers, councils and sandbox licences, a model that favours adaptive governance. EPIC's Sunset Clauses argues that government AI should have expiry and review built in.

Key questions

Does the UAE have an AI law? There is no single comprehensive AI statute. The UAE governs AI through its National Strategy for AI 2031, the 2024 AI Charter, ethics guidelines, the law on Projects of a Future Nature and the PDPL [1][2].

Which of these countries has an AI-specific law? None yet. Bahrain has the most advanced proposal: a 38-article AI regulation bill that was before parliament in October 2026 [1][14][15].

What are the data protection laws in these countries? They are UAE Decree-Law 45/2021, Qatar Law 13/2016, Bahrain Law 30/2018 and Oman Royal Decree 6/2022. In Kuwait, CITRA's Regulation 26/2024 applies to its licensees [2][7][8][9][12].

Who regulates AI in Oman? The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology [5].

Related EPIC research

• Data Sovereignty · The Computational Homeland
• Sunset Clauses
• Algorithmic Wasta · Whose Arabic?
• Governance centre · Gulf · AI

Sources

1. Library of Congress, "FALQs: AI Regulations in the GCC Member States – Part One", 17 Dec 2024. https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2024/12/falqs-ai-regulations-in-the-gulf-cooperation-council-member-states-part-one/
2. UAE Legislation, Federal Decree by Law No. 45 of 2021 Concerning the Protection of Personal Data. https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1972
3. QCRI, National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Qatar (2019). https://qcai.qcri.org/media/2022/12/QCRI-Artificial-Intelligence-Strategy-2019-ENG.pdf
4. Library of Congress, "FALQs: AI Regulations in the GCC Member States – Part Two", 18 Dec 2024. https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2024/12/falqs-ai-regulations-in-the-gulf-cooperation-council-member-states-part-two/
5. Oman MTCIT, Publications of the National Program of AI. https://mtcit.gov.om/sectors/ai/publications
6. UAE Legislation, Federal Decree by Law No. (44) of 2021 Establishing the Emirates Data Office. https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2433
7. Qatar NCSA, Personal Data Privacy. https://assurance.ncsa.gov.qa/en/library/privacy
8. Bahrain Personal Data Protection Authority, Law No. 30 of 2018 (Arabic). https://www.pdp.gov.bh/regulations.html
9. Oman MTCIT, Royal Decree 6/2022 Promulgating the Personal Data Protection Law. https://www.mtcit.gov.om/ITAPortal/MediaCenter/Document_detail.aspx?NID=10154
10. Oman MTCIT, Executive Regulations of the Personal Data Protection Law. https://mtcit.gov.om/library-3/legislations-policies-8/regulations-72/executive-regulations-of-the-personal-data-protection-law-1035
11. Qanoon (Oman legislation), Ministerial Decision 6/2025 (Official Gazette 1580, 19 Jan 2025). https://data.qanoon.om/ar/md/mtcit/2025-0006.pdf
12. CITRA, Data Privacy Protection Regulation (Decision 26/2024). https://www.citra.gov.kw/sites/en/Documents/DataPrivacyProtectionRegulation.pdf
13. International Institute of Communications, Data Protection Regimes in the GCC (white paper, 2025). https://www.iicom.org/wp-content/uploads/IIC-Whitepaper-Data-Protection-Regimes-in-the-GCC-26-02-25-combined.pdf
14. Al-Bilad (Bahrain), «حوار | الزايد لـ "البلاد": سحب الترخيص أبرز عقوبات إساءة استخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي» [Interview: Al Zayed tells Al-Bilad licence withdrawal is the main penalty for AI misuse], 23 Jul 2026. https://www.albiladpress.com/news/2026/6492/bahrain/1010751.html
15. Gulf Daily News, "AI legislation 'must keep pace with technological changes'", 11 Oct 2026. https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1409241
16. Bahrain eGovernment, General Policy for the Use of AI (v1.0, 30 Jul 2025). https://www.bahrain.bh/wps/wcm/connect/57fd391d-3cb9-42d4-bfbf-a42325bf41ce/General+Policy+for+the+Use+of+AI+-++Final+30+Jul+2025.pdf
17. TruePrivacy, "UAE PDPL executive regulations status", 17 Oct 2026. https://trueprivacy.io/blog/uae-pdpl-executive-regulations-status
18. AIPolicyTracker, Kuwait National AI Strategy 2025–2028 (checked 26 Sep 2026). https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/kuwait-national-ai-strategy-2025-2028
19. Oxford Insights, Government AI Readiness Index 2024 (Dec 2024), p.47 (Oman total score 62.91; table is alphabetical, rank by total score). https://oxfordinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-Government-AI-Readiness-Index-2.pdf
20. Oman News Agency, "RO 15 Million Approved for Development Budget Designated for AI Projects for 2025", 18 Feb 2024. https://omannews.gov.om/topics/en/80/show/115899
21. WAM, "Mohammed bin Rashid approves establishing Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority", 14 Jun 2026. https://www.wam.ae/en/article/c0pz7ku-mohammed-bin-rashid-approves-establishing
22. UAE Cabinet, "Mohammed bin Rashid approves establishing Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority", 14 Jun 2026. https://uaecabinet.ae/en/news/mohammed-bin-rashid-approves-establishing-artificial-intelligence-and-data-authority
23. WAM (Arabic release on the Authority), 14 Jun 2026. https://www.wam.ae/ar/article/c0pyzva-محمد-بن-راشد-يعتمد-إنشاء-الهيئة-الاتحادية-للذكاء