UAE Foreign Ministry's Smart Mission Handled 4,285 Consular Requests in Nine Months

The requests covered return documents for travellers, attestation of personal and commercial documents, "to whom it may concern" certificates and other services for UAE citizens, residents and visitors, the ministry said.

Monthly volumes peaked early in the year. The report shows 582 completed requests in January and 630 in February, then 407 in March, 405 in April and a low of 340 in May. Volumes picked up to 471 in June and 532 in July, before 424 in August and 494 in September.

How The Service Works

The ministry describes Smart Mission as an initiative that uses digital technologies and AI to deliver consular services proactively. Customers are identified by facial recognition, which the ministry says speeds up procedures. The platform uses 3D and hologram technology to deal with customers directly without human involvement, so that services are available around the clock.

There is also a "virtual employee" option that lets customers communicate in several languages. According to the ministry, this is meant to make consular services easier to reach, particularly in emergencies.

The Foreign Ministry launched Smart Mission in 2024. It forms part of the UAE's wider effort to automate government services with AI. This week federal and Dubai authorities have also announced agentic AI programmes for public sector staff and targets for AI-driven efficiency gains.

The ministry's report gives volumes but no comparison with consular requests handled through conventional channels. That makes it hard to judge what share of the UAE's consular workload the platform now covers.