Dubai: The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) reported record visitor engagement at its stand during the 45th edition of GITEX Global 2025, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, with thousands drawn to explore its new AI-powered tax projects and digital transformation initiatives.

According to Emirates News Agency, Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director-General of the FTA, stated that the authority's participation reflects its strategic commitment to driving innovation, enhancing efficiency, and achieving Zero Digital Bureaucracy through advanced technologies. Al Bustani emphasized that GITEX 2025 provided an opportunity to present a series of projects that automate and simplify tax procedures, including automatic submission of tax returns and exemption decisions.

Among the new initiatives showcased was a mechanism for calculating excise tax on sweetened beverages, set to be introduced in 2026 using a tiered-volumetric model. The FTA also unveiled the Live Tax Connect Channel, allowing taxpayers to conduct video meetings with authority representatives.

Visitors were introduced to several AI and machine learning projects aimed at improving compliance and service quality. These included an AI-driven anti-tax evasion initiative, the FTAgpt Smart Search Engine for internal tax-related queries, and Robotic Process Automation for handling tax clarification requests. The enhanced virtual assistant, TARA, now employs AI to answer enquiries on tax procedures in real time.

The authority also highlighted its AI Proof of Concept project, which segments taxpayers to deliver targeted awareness messages, analyses feedback through natural language processing, and forecasts demand to improve staffing and service delivery.

The FTA reaffirmed that its participation at GITEX Global underscores its mission to create a transparent, efficient, and technology-enabled tax ecosystem that aligns with the UAE's broader vision for digital transformation.