The Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi has introduced two groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) platforms designed to redefine how the emirate understands and responds to the needs of its residents.
The Community Wellbeing Platform and the Family Support Insights Platform mark a shift from reactive to proactive social services. By leveraging extensive government and social data, the tools enable authorities to identify and address community challenges before they become crises.
Asma Al Rashidi, Acting Executive Director of the Monitoring and Impact Office at the DCD, explained that the Community Wellbeing Platform was developed to provide a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the needs of Abu Dhabi residents.
“We, as a department, are trying to understand the needs of Abu Dhabi’s residents,” Al Rashidi said. “These needs differ from one area to another. In order to be proactive in providing services, we developed this platform.”
The Community Wellbeing Platform integrates three main data sources: government records from departments such as health, education, and police; community surveys and feedback; and secondary data from online platforms like Google reviews.
This integrated approach allows the AI-driven system to assess key wellbeing indicators — including health, education, employment, and economic stability — and prioritize interventions accordingly.
“For example, Area X might need hospitals or family centers, while Area Y could face challenges with air quality or noise,” Al Rashidi noted. “The goal is to use AI to help prioritize people’s needs.”
Currently in its pilot phase, the platform is being developed in collaboration with multiple government entities serving both as data providers and system partners.
Complementing this initiative is the Family Support Insights Platform, developed by the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority under the DCD. This system uses data analytics to proactively identify families at risk of financial or social challenges.
Sultan Al Mansouri, IT Projects Manager at the Social Support Authority, said the platform analyses extensive family data, including household size, debts, legal cases, breadwinner status, and housing conditions.
“The platform shifts family support from reactive to proactive,” Al Mansouri explained. “Instead of waiting for families to fall into crisis, we intervene in advance.”
The AI system categorizes families into one of 18 scenarios, each with recommended interventions such as financial aid, legal support, or counseling. This process, which previously took weeks or months, can now be completed in minutes.
“With this platform, as soon as I enter the data, it provides results and intervention pathways immediately,” Al Mansouri said.
While still in testing, officials emphasized that expanding access to data will further improve the system’s accuracy and effectiveness.
“The more data we have, the more we understand the family, and the more we can help,” Al Mansouri concluded.
Both platforms demonstrate Abu Dhabi’s growing commitment to data-driven governance — using technology not just to react, but to anticipate and improve lives.