The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) has concluded the first edition of DGHR Multaqa 2026, a high-level forum that positioned Dubai at the centre of the global debate on how agentic artificial intelligence is reshaping public sector workplaces. The event, which brought together government leaders, policymakers, industry experts and thought leaders, examined the growing impact of agentic AI on the workplace and the future of human resources as AI agents move from concept into government offices at substantial scale. Coming alongside the broader UAE momentum in AI deployment including the federal commitment to 50 percent government services migration to autonomous AI and the recent confirmation that the UAE is the world’s most prepared nation for AI adoption, the DGHR Multaqa 2026 establishes Dubai as the global venue for substantive discussion about how the most consequential workforce transformation in decades will actually unfold.
The choice to focus a major government HR conference specifically on agentic AI reflects sophisticated understanding of where the most important workforce questions are now being shaped. Earlier waves of AI adoption focused primarily on technical and operational dimensions. The current wave of agentic AI deployment forces engagement with fundamental questions about role design, workforce composition, performance management, career development, organisational structure, and many other dimensions that fall squarely within human resources responsibility. By positioning Dubai government HR at the centre of this conversation, DGHR ensures that the practical experience of UAE government AI deployment informs global thinking about workforce transformation.
Why Agentic AI Matters for Public Sector HR
Understanding the significance of DGHR Multaqa 2026 requires appreciating why agentic AI specifically raises distinctive HR questions that earlier AI waves did not.
The Shift From Tools to Agents
Earlier AI deployment focused on AI as tools that humans used to be more productive. Agentic AI represents a fundamentally different deployment paradigm in which AI agents themselves perform work autonomously, with humans setting strategic direction and reviewing outcomes rather than directing moment-to-moment execution.
The shift from tools to agents transforms what it means to be an employee of an organisation. Work that previously occupied employees is increasingly handled by AI agents. The roles that remain for human employees focus on activities that complement rather than compete with AI capabilities — strategic thinking, relationship management, complex judgement, creative work and the various activities that AI cannot yet handle effectively.
Workforce Composition Implications
As agentic AI handles increasing portions of work that employees previously performed, organisations must rethink workforce composition. The mix of skills, experience, and capabilities needed in the workforce changes substantially. HR functions must navigate this transformation thoughtfully to ensure that organisations have the talent they need while supporting employees through the transition.
Career Development Questions
Traditional career development pathways have assumed that employees progress through roles of increasing responsibility and complexity over their careers. Agentic AI deployment disrupts these pathways by automating some traditional roles while creating new types of roles that fit alongside AI capabilities. Career development must evolve to support the new pathways that emerge.
Performance Management Adaptation
Performance management systems designed around human work patterns must adapt to environments where humans work alongside AI agents. How do organisations measure performance when AI agents handle substantial portions of the work? How do organisations recognise contributions in collaborative human-AI work? These questions require thoughtful response.
Cultural Transformation
The shift to agentic AI deployment requires substantial cultural transformation across organisations. Employees must develop comfort working alongside AI agents. Leaders must adapt management approaches to environments where AI agents are part of the team. The cultural dimension is often the most challenging aspect of agentic AI deployment.
Why public sector HR specifically: Public sector organisations often have particular constraints around workforce management that private sector organisations don’t face. Government employment carries specific obligations and protections. The challenges of navigating agentic AI deployment in public sector environments are distinctive and deserve focused attention.
What DGHR Multaqa 2026 Examined
The forum’s programming addressed multiple dimensions of how agentic AI affects public sector workplaces.
The Future of Work in Government
Sessions addressed broad questions about how government work itself is evolving as agentic AI capabilities expand. The discussion examined which government functions are most amenable to AI handling, which functions require continued human leadership, and how the balance between AI and human work will evolve over the coming years.
Workforce Skills Development
Sessions focused on how public sector employees must develop skills that complement rather than compete with AI capabilities. The Government 4.0 project training 80,000 federal employees in agentic AI provides a foundation for broader skills development discussion. The DGHR Multaqa examined how these training programmes should be designed and executed.
HR Function Transformation
Sessions examined how the HR function itself transforms when AI agents are part of the workforce. Recruiting, performance management, employee development, compensation, and the various other HR activities all evolve when AI agents are involved. The forum provided a venue for sharing best practices and identifying common challenges.
Governance and Ethics
Sessions addressed governance and ethics questions raised by agentic AI deployment. How do public sector organisations ensure appropriate oversight of AI agents? How do they maintain transparency and accountability? How do they handle ethical questions raised by AI-mediated decisions? The UAE AI Act 2026 provides a regulatory foundation, but practical operational questions require continued attention.
International Perspectives
The participation of international experts ensured that Dubai government HR practitioners benefited from global perspectives on agentic AI transformation. Other jurisdictions facing similar challenges provided alternative perspectives that inform UAE thinking. The exchange ran in both directions, with Dubai government experience providing insights for international participants.
“DGHR Multaqa 2026 represents one of the most substantive public sector HR conferences focused specifically on agentic AI ever convened. The combination of Dubai government experience with international expert perspectives produces insights that inform how government workforces around the world will adapt to the most consequential workforce transformation in decades.”
Industry Analysis, Public Sector HR Outlook 2026
The Broader Context: UAE Government AI Momentum
DGHR Multaqa 2026 takes place against the backdrop of extraordinary UAE government AI momentum that provides substantial context for the forum’s discussions.
Federal Strategic Direction
The federal commitment to migrate 50 percent of government services to autonomous AI within two years, established by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, creates the strategic environment in which DGHR and other government HR functions must navigate workforce implications. The strategic direction is clear; the operational implementation requires substantial thoughtful work.
Federal Authority for AI and Data
The recently established Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data, led by Omar Sultan Al Olama, provides coordination capacity across federal AI activities. The Authority’s engagement with workforce transformation questions will help ensure that federal AI deployment proceeds with appropriate workforce considerations.
Government 4.0 Workforce Programme
The Government 4.0 project training 80,000 federal employees in agentic AI represents one of the most substantial public sector workforce AI capability development programmes anywhere in the world. DGHR Multaqa 2026 provided a venue for examining how this programme is progressing and what additional workforce development is needed.
UAE Position as Most Prepared AI Adoption Nation
Mohammad Al Gergawi’s recent confirmation that the UAE is the world’s most prepared and mature country in adopting artificial intelligence provides the broader context for DGHR Multaqa discussions. The country’s leadership position creates both opportunities and obligations for sustained workforce transformation excellence.
Implications for Dubai Government Workforce
The forum’s discussions carry substantial implications for the Dubai government workforce specifically.
Employees gain visibility into how their roles will evolve as agentic AI deployment continues. The information enables informed career development decisions and supports realistic expectations about workplace evolution. The transparency itself contributes to employee engagement and adaptation.
HR functions gain frameworks for navigating workforce transformation effectively. The combination of strategic direction with practical operational guidance enables more confident execution of the AI integration work that government entities must undertake.
Government leaders gain access to thinking that informs their strategic decisions about AI deployment and workforce implications. The cumulative effect supports better strategic decision-making across the broader Dubai government.
Implications for International Public Sector HR
The forum’s discussions also have substantial implications for public sector HR practitioners in other jurisdictions globally.
International HR practitioners gain insights into how the most aggressive public sector AI deployment programme globally is navigating workforce implications. The lessons inform their own thinking about how to approach similar challenges in their respective jurisdictions.
International policymakers studying AI deployment as a policy domain gain visibility into the practical workforce considerations that AI strategy must address. The integration of strategy with workforce planning becomes more visible through engagement with the UAE experience.
International researchers studying the future of work gain primary data about how one of the most consequential workforce transformations of the 21st century is actually unfolding. The research insights inform broader academic and policy discussions about workforce evolution.
Looking Forward: From Multaqa to Operational Impact
DGHR Multaqa 2026 represents one waypoint in a longer trajectory of Dubai government workforce transformation. The forum’s discussions will inform continued operational work across multiple dimensions.
Additional editions of the Multaqa are likely to be convened as the workforce transformation continues to unfold. Each edition will benefit from accumulated experience and provide opportunities for continued cross-jurisdictional learning.
The lessons from the first Multaqa will inform updates to Dubai government workforce strategy, training programmes, performance management approaches, and various other HR functions. The cumulative effect over the coming years will be substantial evolution in how Dubai government workforces operate.
For the broader UAE government and economy, the Dubai government HR work provides a model that other federal entities and emirates can study and adapt. The combination of leading practice development with sharing through forums like the Multaqa supports continued capability development across the broader UAE government AI ecosystem.
For international public sector HR practitioners, Dubai’s positioning as the convening venue for substantive agentic AI discussion establishes the city as the natural reference point for ongoing global engagement with public sector workforce transformation. The first Multaqa will not be the last, and Dubai’s leadership role in shaping global thinking about public sector AI workforce transformation is now well established.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DGHR Multaqa 2026?
DGHR Multaqa 2026 is the first edition of a high-level forum convened by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department that brought together government leaders, policymakers, industry experts and thought leaders to examine the growing impact of agentic AI on the workplace and the future of human resources as AI agents move into government offices at substantial scale.
Why does agentic AI raise distinctive HR questions?
Agentic AI represents a shift from AI as tools that humans use to AI agents that perform work autonomously. This shift transforms workforce composition, career development pathways, performance management approaches, and organisational culture in ways that earlier AI deployment did not. Public sector HR functions must navigate these implications thoughtfully.
What broader context surrounds the forum?
DGHR Multaqa 2026 takes place amid extraordinary UAE government AI momentum including the federal commitment to migrate 50 percent of government services to autonomous AI within two years, the Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data, the Government 4.0 project training 80,000 federal employees in agentic AI, and the recent confirmation that the UAE is the world’s most prepared nation for AI adoption.
What are the broader implications?
The forum positions Dubai at the centre of global debate on public sector workforce AI transformation. Dubai government employees gain visibility into how roles will evolve. Dubai HR functions gain frameworks for navigating transformation. International HR practitioners gain insights from the leading public sector AI deployment programme globally. The Multaqa establishes Dubai as the natural venue for ongoing global engagement with public sector AI workforce questions.
