Hamdan bin Mohammed clears three Dubai 10X projects

Dubai has approved the launch of three new projects under the Dubai 10X Initiative, reinforcing the emirate’s push to place government performance and public services a decade ahead of global benchmarks. The approval was granted by H. H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, signalling renewed momentum for a programme designed to accelerate large-scale transformation across government.

The projects, endorsed following internal reviews by the Dubai Future Foundation and its partners, are intended to address structural challenges in service delivery, regulation and cross-sector coordination. Officials said the initiatives are aligned with Dubai’s long-term economic and social priorities, including competitiveness, digital readiness and quality of life, while maintaining the emirate’s reputation as a testing ground for future-focused governance.

Dubai 10X was conceived to push government entities to think beyond incremental reform, requiring each participating body to develop initiatives that leapfrog global best practice by ten years. Since its launch, the programme has acted as a policy laboratory, encouraging experimentation in areas ranging from mobility and licensing to data use and public engagement. The latest approvals mark a new phase that places emphasis on execution and measurable outcomes rather than conceptual pilots.

According to people familiar with the plans, the three projects focus on reshaping how government anticipates change, simplifies interaction with the public and deploys advanced technologies at scale. One initiative centres on predictive governance, using advanced analytics and scenario modelling to support policy decisions before pressures materialise. Another aims to remove friction from high-volume government processes by redesigning them around end-to-end digital journeys rather than individual departmental mandates. The third addresses future-readiness in regulation, with a framework that allows rules to adapt more quickly to emerging business models and technologies.

Officials involved in the programme say the initiatives were selected after an assessment of their potential impact across multiple sectors, including economic development, urban services and investment attraction. The emphasis is on projects that can be replicated across entities once proven, reducing duplication and accelerating system-wide gains. Implementation will involve close coordination between government bodies, technology partners and regulatory authorities.

Sheikh Hamdan has repeatedly framed Dubai 10X as a tool to embed long-term thinking into everyday decision-making, rather than a standalone innovation exercise. In internal briefings, he has stressed that future preparedness requires institutions that can learn quickly, share data responsibly and act with agility. The approval of the new projects reflects that direction, with each initiative designed to cut across silos and reward collaboration.

The Dubai Future Foundation, which oversees the programme, is expected to monitor progress through defined milestones and performance indicators. Senior officials say this governance structure is intended to ensure accountability and prevent initiatives from stalling after launch. Lessons from earlier phases of Dubai 10X, where some ideas struggled to move beyond pilot stages, have informed tighter oversight and clearer delivery timelines.

The move comes as governments globally grapple with rapid technological change, demographic shifts and economic uncertainty. Dubai’s approach has been to treat these pressures as opportunities to redesign systems rather than patch them. By backing projects that anticipate future demands, the emirate aims to reduce long-term costs while improving resilience.

Business groups and policy analysts tracking the initiative note that Dubai 10X has influenced how public institutions frame innovation, shifting focus from isolated digital upgrades to comprehensive redesign. The newly approved projects are seen as a continuation of that trajectory, with a stronger link to policy outcomes and regulatory readiness.