In a groundbreaking effort that marries tradition with cutting-edge technology, Dubai unveiled the world's first AI-generated Emirati family, developed by Digital Dubai, to encourage citizen engagement and further drive the city's ongoing digital progress.

The initiative is a pioneering move towards humanising government services online. Rather than impersonal or robotic entities, citizens will now engage with AI-powered characters that mimic a contemporary Emirati home to make public information more human and user-friendly.

A New Chapter in AI Communication

The AI-created Emirati family is not just a virtual gimmick—it's a communications strategy. Each of the virtual family members are the handiwork of advanced artificial intelligence, capable of talking, teaching, and emotionally connecting users through human-like behavior and culturally relevant stories.

The first of the characters to be unveiled is simply referred to as "The Girl." She initially appeared in a short teaser video uploaded on social media dressed in traditional Emirati attire with a modern twist. She is warm, friendly, and outgoing, and has been designed to be appealing to both children and families.

Digital Dubai also had a public participation aspect by holding a competition to give the character a name. Dubai citizens and residents were encouraged to vote from a list of three finalists: Dubai, Mira, and Latifa—an interactive gesture designed to generate debate about AI in the daily Emirati.

Virtual Characters as Culture Bridges

This AI-generated Emirati family is not just an exercise in innovation, but it's also a cultural ambassador. By depicting government statistics in characters that are deeply rooted in local culture, the initiative hopes to emotionally engage different audiences—youth, families, and multicultural residents.

Future family members, a father, mother, and brother, will soon be revealed. They will each play a specific role, such as breaking down public services, providing policy news, or making announcements in an easy-to-understand, welcoming style. This narrative strategy brings formal communication to life in a more relatable, emotional way.

Enhancing Dubai's AI Ecosystem

The AI-generated Emirati family is only one of many parts of Dubai's master plan to become an artificial intelligence and digital innovation-driven world leader. Dubai was fourth in the world in the just-released 2025 Global AI Cities Index by Counterpoint Research, beating even San Francisco, and the sole Middle Eastern city in the top 10 after Abu Dhabi.

Top-ranked cities were:

·         Singapore

·         Seoul

·         Beijing

·         Dubai

·         San Francisco

This achievement is a testament to Dubai's emergence as a credible AI player, fueled by carefully planned efforts such as the AI family, smart government infrastructure, and global collaborations.

Regional and Global AI Momentum

The Arab world is trying out AI for public use more and more. In 2023, Kuwait launched Fedha, the Middle East's first AI news anchor, created by Kuwait News. Fedha's appearances—sleek and somewhat unorthodox—stirred universal controversy over the future of journalism in the age of AI.

Likewise, Dubai AI Week 2025 predicted groundbreaking changes. Gartner, an international research company, predicted the development of "digital employee twins" by 2027—digital replicas of actual employees doing work in virtual space. Paving the way for increased productivity, these advancements also raise new legal and ethical questions regarding work and data privacy.

Re-Assessing Digital Citizenship

Dubai's launch of an AI-generated Emirati family is an indicator of a specific model of digital government—a model that welcomes technology without sacrificing identity.

With its reimagining of government services as emotionally intelligent, culturally sensitive experiences, Dubai sets the template for cities everywhere.

For school students learning about civic values or citizens on a special mission to learn about online services, this virtual family might be the friendly, familiar face of Dubai's smart future.