The United Arab Emirates has announced the launch of Abu Dhabi’s AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development. The platform is designed to bring AI agriculture solutions to climate-exposed regions and support communities affected by shifting weather patterns.

The launch builds on the $200 million UAE–Gates Foundation partnership revealed at COP28 to accelerate agricultural innovation. With two years of progress already reported, the announcement was made in the presence of Mariam Almheiri, Head of the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, and Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation.

After the announcement, Almheiri and Gates joined the UAE–Gates Partnership Showcase. The session offered an immersive overview of the ecosystem, demonstrating how Abu Dhabi’s research capabilities, technological expertise, and AI leadership come together to support vulnerable farming communities worldwide.

The ecosystem is powered by four major initiatives: the CGIAR AI Hub, the Institute for Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (IAAI), AgriLLM, and The Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale).

Mariam Almheiri said the UAE is harnessing artificial intelligence for global good. She noted that the country aims to protect farmers most exposed to climate volatility by turning national research and AI capabilities into real solutions. She added that the UAE’s work with the Gates Foundation supports millions of smallholder farmers facing unpredictable weather.

Bill Gates reported that smallholder farmers are experiencing the harshest effects of climate change with limited tools to adapt. He stated that the AI for Agriculture Ecosystem puts practical, data-driven tools directly into farmers’ hands. He also expressed gratitude for the UAE’s leadership in strengthening food security.

The ecosystem operates through a collaborative network that includes the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, along with three Abu Dhabi-based institutions: MBZUAI, NYU Abu Dhabi, and ai71. International partners include the Gates Foundation, CGIAR, and the World Bank. Together, they form a system that transforms research and AI agriculture capabilities into practical solutions for farmers, governments, and development actors.

The system spans the full innovation chain, from scientific discovery to digital advisory, open-source agricultural AI models, and field deployment in climate-vulnerable regions.

Key initiatives include:

• CGIAR AI Hub: A global workspace hosted in Abu Dhabi by ai71. It aims to revolutionize agriculture through digital transformation and innovation. It will use over 50 years of CGIAR data and expertise from 13 global research centers.
• Institute of Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (IAAI): Based at MBZUAI, it provides digital advisory tools, training programs, and technical assistance to governments, NGOs, and partners. It aims to improve the lives of more than 43 million smallholder farmers.
• AgriLLM: An open-source large language model developed by ai71. It is trained on agricultural datasets, including 150,000 documents, 50,000 research papers, and 120,000 real farming questions. It delivers multilingual guidance for climate adaptation, resource management, and food production.
• AIM for Scale: Jointly funded by the UAE and the Gates Foundation. It focuses on AI-powered weather forecasting and digital advisory. At COP30, it announced a shared ambition to reach 100 million farmers by 2030.

Progress has already been reported. In 2025, India delivered AI-powered monsoon forecasts via SMS to 38 million farmers. MBZUAI and the University of Chicago also launched an AI Weather Forecasting Training Program in Abu Dhabi. Officials from Bangladesh, Chile, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria were trained, and plans are in place to expand to 25 more countries by 2027.

The UAE stated that these initiatives aim to strengthen global food security and improve resilience for farmers worldwide.

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