The UAE launches a qualitative system for artificial intelligence that supports the promotion of global agricultural development

Abu Dhabi, December 8 / WAM / The United Arab Emirates announced the launch of an artificial intelligence system to support the development of the international agricultural sector.

This system will constitute a global platform for providing artificial intelligence solutions in agricultural areas exposed to climate change, and supporting communities most affected by weather fluctuations.

The move comes as part of a US$200 million partnership with the Gates Foundation, announced during the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to advance global agricultural development efforts.

The ceremony to announce the launch of the system, which was the result of two years of continuous work and partnerships, was attended by Her Excellency Maryam bint Mohammed Al Muhairi, Head of the Office of International Affairs in the Presidential Office, and Bill Gates, President of the Gates Foundation, who participated in the comprehensive interactive presentation of the basic pillars of the system, the “Emirates-Gates Partnership Exhibition”, and reviewed ways to employ the strength of scientific research, technological capabilities, and the leadership of artificial intelligence in Abu Dhabi to support the most needy agricultural communities in various parts of the world.

The system is based on three main initiatives, including: the Center for Artificial Intelligence of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the Institute for Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (IAAI), the AgriLLM model, and the AIM for Scale initiative.

Her Excellency Maryam Al Muhairi said: “The UAE is leading efforts to employ artificial intelligence to protect farmers around the world and the communities most vulnerable to climate fluctuations. By linking our national capabilities specialized in research and artificial intelligence with leading global partners, we are transforming knowledge and scientific research into solutions applicable on the ground. Our strategic partnership with the Gates Foundation represents an essential driver for developing smart agricultural tools that support millions of farmers and small business owners who face unpredictable weather conditions, ensuring a more stable and hopeful future for communities around the world.”

In turn, Bill Gates said: “Owners of small agricultural lands are among the groups most affected by the effects of climate change. They do not have sufficient tools to adapt to new conditions. From this standpoint, we are keen for the artificial intelligence system for the agricultural sector to help change this reality by providing practical, data-based solutions to farmers. I am grateful to the leadership of the UAE; this initiative contributes to enhancing food security and supports farmers in facing the growing consequences of global warming.”

For her part, Asmahan El-Wafi, Executive Director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, said: “The AI ​​ecosystem for the agricultural sector is supported by science and driven by global partnerships. By combining the expertise of artificial intelligence with the insights of international partners, this ecosystem can create solutions that enhance the quality of decision-making processes, guide policies and investments, and accelerate the adoption of digital tools to support the most needy communities in the Global South as well as the farmers of the North who face similar challenges.”

The artificial intelligence system for the agricultural sector relies on a cooperation network that includes the Office of International Affairs in the Presidential Office, and a number of institutions in Abu Dhabi: Mohammed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence, New York University Abu Dhabi, and ai71, in addition to major international partners, including the Gates Foundation, the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the World Bank.

Together, these partners form a unified system that turns advanced research and AI capabilities into practical solutions for effective farmers, governments, and development institutions.

This system covers the entire gamut of innovation, from scientific discovery to digital consulting, open source agricultural AI models, and field application in regions most vulnerable to climate variability.

These four initiatives are:

The Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Center for Artificial Intelligence: a global collaboration platform hosted by Abu Dhabi in collaboration with artificial intelligence company ai71 as a core technology partner.

This center aims to revolutionize the agricultural sector by leading digital transformation and innovation, and seeks to consolidate Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading global center in the field of international agricultural artificial intelligence, relying on five decades of agricultural data and expertise possessed by 13 global research centers and their partner networks.

The Institute of Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (IAAI): Based on the Mohammed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence campus in Abu Dhabi, it is a pioneering new addition to the field of agriculture by providing digital advisory tools, training programs, and technical support teams to governments and non-governmental organizations. It will also devote its efforts to improving the lives and livelihoods of more than 43 million smallholder farmers.

The new AgriLLM model: It is an open source language model developed by ai71 in Abu Dhabi to provide smart solutions in the agricultural sector worldwide. It was trained using in-depth agricultural data that includes 150,000 agricultural documents, 50,000 research papers, and 120,000 realistic questions and answers related to agricultural issues.

The model has the ability to understand multiple languages. Tests have shown its ability to provide guidance tailored to region and agricultural specialty. It helps in the areas of climate adaptation, resource management, and food production. The complete AI-powered model will be released to the public for free, whether to use, modify or build upon it.

The Agricultural Innovation Scaling Mechanism (AIM for Scale) initiative: a jointly funded platform between the UAE and the Gates Foundation, based at New York University Abu Dhabi, that leads global efforts to provide artificial intelligence-powered weather forecasts and digital consulting services that help farmers.

At the Conference of the Parties (COP30), the initiative and its partners announced a common goal of reaching 100 million farmers by 2030.

Through this initiative, the Government of India succeeded in providing seasonal forecasts supported by artificial intelligence via SMS to 38 million farmers in 2025.

Based on this progress, the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence – in cooperation with the University of Chicago – launched a program to train meteorological service cadres in Abu Dhabi. The training included cadres from Bangladesh, Chile, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria, with plans to expand the program’s services to an additional 25 countries by 2027.

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