Experts say the UAE’s vision is to anticipate and prevent displacement, hunger, disease, and loss of life before they occur, rather than responding after the fact.
When the Emirates Red Crescent responded after the Mexico earthquake, it lacked a complete and reliable picture of the situation on the ground. While it had partial information about affected areas and urgent needs, it could not fully verify local conditions or available supplies, which delayed aid delivery.
As a result, relief teams had to source supplies from neighbouring countries, costing valuable time in reaching survivors.
Saeed Al Mazrouei, Director of the Relief and Crisis Aid Department at the Emirates Red Crescent, said that this experience highlighted the importance of technology, noting that artificial intelligence can help improve access to and analysis of data in disaster-hit areas.
The gap he describes is one the humanitarian sector has long struggled with. “So many humanitarian disasters are predictable,” said Greg Puley, Chief of Climate and Innovation at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “We have powerful new tools to anticipate disasters, yet too often we in the humanitarian system respond only after a crisis occurs. We need to close the gap between prediction and anticipatory action.”
A roundtable held on Tuesday at the Zayed National Museum explored ways to close the long-standing gap between predicting and responding to humanitarian crises. Convened by the Office of Development Affairs at the Presidential Court under the patronage of Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, it brought together humanitarian and AI experts to discuss whether the UAE should establish a dedicated centre to predict crises before they occur.
In opening remarks, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Omar Sultan Al Olama said AI is creating new possibilities for humanitarian work by improving early understanding of emerging challenges and future needs, potentially reshaping how global humanitarian priorities are set.
Rashed Al Hemeiri of the UAE Aid Agency said the aim is to shift humanitarian systems from reaction to anticipation, asking not how fast responses can be delivered, but how early crises can be detected and prevented from escalating.
Saeed Al Mazrouei of the Emirates Red Crescent highlighted how delays in data analysis during past disasters showed the importance of faster, AI-assisted decision-making. He noted that reducing analysis time from days to hours could significantly improve life-saving response efforts.
Experts from international organisations, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, stressed that while predictive tools are improving, the humanitarian system still struggles with fragmentation, funding hesitancy, and the challenge of turning forecasts into timely action.
Participants agreed that the UAE’s approach focuses on linking logistics, technology, diplomacy, and data systems to enable earlier and more coordinated humanitarian responses, rather than replacing existing aid structures.
