Public Attitudes Toward Secure AI Enabled Drone Delivery for Public Services in the UAE

Nasser A. Saif Almuraqab^1*Ali Ateeq²Dr. Manoj Kumar M V^3*Mohanad Alfiras²

• ¹University of Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• ²Gulf University, Sanad, Bahrain
• ³Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India

Secure artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled drone delivery systems are emerging as trans-3 formative solutions for public service delivery, particularly in smart governance contexts 4 such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study goes beyond descriptive accounts 5 by integrating AI-security assurances, perceived risks, costs, and social influence into a 6 structural acceptance model. Using survey data from 410 UAE residents and analyzed 7 using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), we demonstrate that 8 perceived benefits (β = 0.386, p < 0.001) and social influence (β = 0.386, p < 0.001) 9 are equally strong and significant drivers of positive attitudes, whereas perceived risks 10 negatively influence acceptance (β = −0.146, p = 0.002). Contrary to expectations, per-11 ceived cost does not significantly affect attitudes (β = −0.057, p = 0.445), but is positively 12 associated with risk perceptions, highlighting a layered barrier effect. Theoretically, this 13 contributes to technology acceptance models by identifying interdependencies between 14 barrier constructs, and practically, it suggests that public engagement and security assur-15 ances matter more than cost incentives in the UAE context. Limitations include nonrandom 16 sampling, cross-sectional design, and weaker loadings for certain indicators, which restrict 17 generalizability but offer important exploratory insights. The findings provide timely guid-18 ance for policy makers and service providers looking to enhance trust and adoption of 19 AI-enabled drone ecosystems in public service delivery.