UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and chairman of the Higher Committee for Mobile Government Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi announced the initiative at a news conference here on the sidelines of a summit.
Companies, universities, creative individuals and specialised professionals will all be invited to participate in the competition, said officials.
"We are committed to constant innovation in government services because ultimately this is the surest way to improve quality of life for all citizens, residents and visitors," Gergawi said.
This will support the government's drive to make citizens' lives easier by delivering private-sector standards of customer service, it said.
More From This Section
Potential applications include the delivery of government documents, traffic and infrastructure monitoring, and services in health and education. The competition will be run by a committee of specialists in UAVs and government officials.
Together they will evaluate how effectively each UAV innovation would add value by making government services more efficient, and by saving time and effort for customers.
Contestants' submissions should include a full proposal detailing all technical features required for the drone to carry out a defined government service, it added.
The winner of the USD 1 million international prize will be announced in February 2015.
The winner of USD one million UAE dirham local prize will be announced in May 2014. The winning idea will be implemented within the UAE Federal Government.