Dubai has formally rolled out a unified, AI-powered system for measuring workforce productivity across 32 government entities, giving officials a single methodology to compare staffing, spending and service output across the emirate's public sector.
The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) adopted the Workforce Productivity Measurement System pursuant to Executive Council Resolution No. 67 of 2025, issued in September. The system measures the relationship between human resources, financial resources and the government services those resources produce.
From pilot to government-wide rollout
Work on the system began back in 2020, when it was tested through a pilot involving a limited number of government entities. A Workforce Productivity Measurement Steering Committee, established under Resolution No. 7 of 2023, oversaw the project as it scaled up. That committee concluded its work once implementation had expanded to cover all 32 entities now using the system.
Under the first phase, productivity is assessed against recognised standards that weigh services delivered against workforce size, total salaries, actual working hours and other relevant data. The system relies on machine learning and advanced artificial intelligence tools, supported by analytical platforms and digital databases, to generate these comparisons.
Who runs it
DGHR manages and supervises the system, develops and validates the productivity indicators used, and prepares and updates the procedural guide entities follow. The Department of Finance verifies budgets and reviews the productivity findings that emerge from the process. Digital Dubai provides technical advice and support for the system's digital platform, analytical tools and database integrations.
Why it matters for Dubai's government
Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of DGHR, described the expansion as a turning point in how the emirate's government uses data. "The government-wide adoption represents a strategic milestone in Dubai's efforts to develop a data-driven government that uses advanced analytics to shape policies and improve performance," he said.
He added that the system is intended to sharpen decision-making across departments: "The system enables government entities to make decisions that are more accurate, proactive and capable of delivering greater impact."
Al Falasi said the ambitions extend beyond raw productivity numbers. "The system goes beyond measuring workforce productivity by establishing a unified methodology that can improve resource allocation, enhance service quality and support sustainable institutional performance," he said, adding that the approach "aligns with Dubai's ambition to build a government that is more agile, efficient and prepared for future requirements."
For residents and businesses that interact with Dubai's public services, the practical effect of the rollout will likely be felt gradually, as entities use the shared indicators and procedural guide to review staffing and spending against the services they deliver. The formal structure now in place, with DGHR setting standards, the Department of Finance checking budgets and Digital Dubai maintaining the underlying technology, gives the emirate a consistent framework for tracking that relationship across its government departments going forward.