A speech by Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, at the World Government Summit has been making waves across social media.
During his session “The Impregnable Fortress,” he shared a bold vision for the country’s future that resonated with many.
Here’s what stood out:
1. A magnet for global wealth
Sheikh Saif addressed those who try to paint a negative picture of the UAE, saying the numbers speak for themselves.
The country is now home to 240,000 millionaires with combined assets worth over $785 billion. What’s particularly striking is that 9,800 millionaires relocated to the UAE in 2025 alone, which is about 26 arriving every single day.
It’s a clear sign of the confidence wealthy individuals have in the nation’s stability.
2. Building the AI pyramid
The minister laid out the UAE’s comprehensive AI strategy, visualized as a five-layer pyramid. According to him, the UAE has successfully assembled all the pieces:
Starting with clean energy at the base, the UAE ranks 1st globally in energy competitiveness, 4th in concentrated solar power, and 13th in nuclear energy. Then comes chips, where the UAE is partnering with US companies to co-design custom AI processors.
The infrastructure layer represents the physical systems needed to support everything. For models, the country is developing homegrown AI like K2Think from MBZUAI, already recognized as a leading reasoning system.
Finally, applications bring it all together, integrating AI into both government and private services.
3. Redefining the UAE’s identity
Perhaps the most striking moment came when Sheikh Saif declared the UAE’s transformation from “oil producer” to “intelligence producer.”
The ambition? Creating what he called an “intelligence factory” capable of generating 100 trillion tokens of intelligence every day.
To put that in perspective, he noted that all of humanity naturally produces about 300 trillion tokens daily. He even held up a single chip containing over 4 billion transistors to illustrate the scale.
This vision is backed by real partnerships, nuclear power projects with South Korea, chip design collaboration with the US, and data centers developed with partners worldwide.
The UAE is working toward 5 gigawatts of data center capacity, connected by fiber networks spanning from Singapore to London, reaching 4 billion people.
4. Beating targets by years
The economic numbers are impressive. Non-oil foreign trade jumped 26% over the past year, surpassing 3 trillion dirhams.
What makes this particularly remarkable is that this milestone was originally set for 2030—the UAE got there five years early.
5. Global humanitarian leadership
Beyond economic achievements, Sheikh Saif highlighted the UAE’s humanitarian efforts. The country ranks as the world’s third-largest donor of humanitarian aid.
He shared specific numbers on Gaza support: over $3 billion in aid (46% of all global assistance), 6 water desalination plants producing 2 million gallons daily, and treatment for more than 870,000 medical cases.
6. The promise of security
Sheikh Saif closed with what he called the true meaning of an “impregnable fortress,” offering reassurance to UAE residents:
“Don’t worry… your family, your religion, your industry, your wealth are safe… you are safe in the impregnable fortress of the UAE.”
He emphasized that while the AI strategy has five pillars, strong families and moral values remain the most crucial foundation.
He shared the story of Dhahira Al Ameri, who attended a tent school in Al Ain with her son when Sheikh Zayed established the education system. That son went on to graduate from a US university and now has four university-educated daughters, with one studying cybersecurity in Australia.
For Sheikh Saif, this family’s journey illustrates how trust in leadership and family sacrifice have built the nation’s true strength.
He wrapped up by noting that stability isn’t accidental—it requires wisdom, courage, and sacrifice. Crediting President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s leadership, he ended with a call to action: “You are the most capable,” reminding citizens that protecting the UAE’s future is everyone’s responsibility.
Source: Khaleej Times – https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/deputy-prime-minister-viral-speech-key-comments
