UAE Cultivates Global Agriculture with AI Ecosystem

Abu Dhabi Launches Global AI Ecosystem to Empower Climate-Vulnerable Agriculture

Abu Dhabi is at the forefront of a significant global initiative aimed at revolutionising agriculture in regions heavily impacted by climate change. The launch of the Abu Dhabi AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development marks a pivotal moment, promising to deliver advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to farming communities struggling with unpredictable weather patterns and their devastating consequences. This ambitious platform is a direct extension of the substantial $200 million partnership between the UAE and the Gates Foundation, initially announced at COP28, which is dedicated to accelerating agricultural innovation worldwide.

The unveiling of this vital ecosystem took place in the presence of prominent figures, including Mariam Almheiri, Head of the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, and Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation. Their participation underscored the collaborative spirit and the global significance of this endeavour. Following the announcement, Almheiri and Gates were given an in-depth look at the ecosystem's core components during the UAE–Gates Partnership Showcase. This immersive experience highlighted how Abu Dhabi's formidable research capabilities, cutting-edge technological infrastructure, and leadership in AI are being strategically leveraged to provide critical support to vulnerable agricultural populations across the globe.

The AI for Agriculture Ecosystem is built upon a robust collaborative network. This network includes key entities within the UAE, such as the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, and three leading Abu Dhabi-based institutions: the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), NYU Abu Dhabi, and ai71. Crucially, the ecosystem also benefits from the invaluable contributions of international partners like the Gates Foundation, CGIAR, and the World Bank. This powerful synergy aims to transform cutting-edge research and AI advancements into practical, actionable solutions for farmers, governments, and development organisations. The integrated system encompasses the entire innovation pipeline, from initial scientific discovery and the development of digital advisory services to the creation of open-source agricultural AI models and their subsequent deployment in climate-sensitive regions.

Landmark Initiatives Driving Agricultural Transformation

The AI for Agriculture Ecosystem is anchored by four transformative initiatives, each designed to address specific challenges and foster widespread adoption of AI in agriculture:

• CGIAR AI Hub: This global collaborative workspace, hosted in Abu Dhabi by ai71 as its core technology partner, is poised to redefine agricultural practices through digital transformation and innovation. The hub's primary objective is to establish Abu Dhabi as a preeminent global centre for AI in agriculture. It will achieve this by harnessing over five decades of extensive agricultural data and expertise drawn from CGIAR's 13 global research centres and its expansive network of partners. Ismahane Elouafi, CGIAR’s Executive Managing Director, emphasised the foundational principles of the initiative, stating, "The AI Agriculture Ecosystem is rooted in science and powered by global collaboration. By combining AI expertise, and insights from global partners, the AI Agriculture Ecosystem can develop innovations that strengthen decision-making, guide policies and investments, and accelerate the adoption of digital tools – supporting vulnerable communities in the Global South and farmers in the Global North facing similar challenges.”

• Institute of Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (IAAI): Situated at MBZUAI in Abu Dhabi, the IAAI stands as a pioneering digital advisory hub for agriculture. It is dedicated to providing vital digital advisory tools, comprehensive training programmes, and expert technical assistance teams to governments, non-governmental organisations, and partner organisations worldwide. The institute's overarching mission is to bolster global food security by enhancing the lives and livelihoods of more than 43 million smallholder farmers.

• AgriLLM: Developed by ai71 in Abu Dhabi, AgriLLM is an innovative open-source large language model specifically engineered to advance global agricultural intelligence. Its training regimen incorporates a vast repository of agricultural data, including over 150,000 agricultural documents, 50,000 research papers, and 120,000 real-world farming questions and their corresponding answers. The model is designed for sophisticated multilingual understanding. Currently, four AI agents powered by AgriLLM are undergoing rigorous testing with partners, demonstrating the model's capability to deliver tailored, role-specific guidance for climate adaptation strategies, efficient resource management, and sustainable food production. The entire AI-enabled model is slated for release as a public good, freely accessible for anyone to utilise, modify, or build upon.

• AIM for Scale: This initiative, jointly funded by the UAE and the Gates Foundation and based at NYU Abu Dhabi, is spearheading global efforts to deliver AI-powered weather forecasting and digital advisory services directly to smallholder farmers. At COP30, AIM for Scale, alongside its partners, articulated a shared ambition to reach 100 million farmers by the year 2030. This ambitious goal is already being realised through tangible progress. In 2025, the Government of India successfully deployed AI-powered monsoon forecasts via SMS to an impressive 38 million farmers, marking the largest deployment of its kind to date. Building on this momentum, MBZUAI and the University of Chicago have launched an AI Weather Forecasting Training Programme in Abu Dhabi. This programme is currently training officials from Bangladesh, Chile, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria, with plans to expand its reach to an additional 25 countries by 2027.

The collective efforts of these initiatives, supported by a strong network of international and local partners, signify Abu Dhabi's commitment to leveraging AI for the betterment of global agriculture and the resilience of its most vulnerable communities.