The United Arab Emirates has launched a new AI for Agriculture ecosystem to support farmers facing climate volatility. The initiative strengthens food security and positions the UAE as a global hub for applied AI in agriculture.
Unveiled in Abu Dhabi, the program builds on a $200 million partnership with the Gates Foundation announced during COP28. Furthermore, it reflects the UAE’s strategy to move beyond pledges toward technology-led solutions with measurable impact. As climate change increases droughts, floods, and temperature extremes, agriculture faces growing challenges, particularly in developing countries.
The launch took place in the presence of Mariam Almheiri, head of the UAE Presidential Court’s International Affairs Office, and Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. They toured a showcase demonstrating how Abu Dhabi combines AI infrastructure, research, and international partnerships to support farmers in climate-exposed regions.
At the core of the initiative is an integrated ecosystem of four programs designed to link scientific research, AI model development, and digital advisory tools directly to farmers and governments. Consequently, data and research translate into practical, real-world applications at scale.
Abu Dhabi has established the CGIAR AI Hub, leveraging over 50 years of agricultural research. By applying advanced machine learning to this dataset, the hub improves crop modeling, yield prediction, and climate-resilient practices. Moreover, it targets regions where data scarcity has historically hindered innovation.
Another key element is the Institute for Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence at MBZUAI. The institute offers training, research collaboration, and digital advisory services tailored to smallholder farmers. Therefore, AI solutions become both technically advanced and locally accessible.
The ecosystem also includes AgriLLM, an open-source AI model trained on agricultural and climate datasets. It supports advisory services, policymaking, and research, addressing crop disease management, soil health, and climate risk forecasting.
Furthermore, AIM for Scale, a joint UAE-Gates initiative at NYU Abu Dhabi, expands AI-powered weather forecasting and climate advisory services. For instance, AI-enabled monsoon forecasting in India reached 38 million farmers in 2025, improving decisions on planting, irrigation, and harvesting.
Almheiri emphasized that AI for Agriculture connects national research and global expertise to deliver tools directly to farmers. Bill Gates highlighted the urgency, noting that smallholder farmers often lack the tools to cope with climate shocks.
Through coordination among MBZUAI, NYU Abu Dhabi, ai71, CGIAR, the World Bank, and the Gates Foundation, the UAE aims to scale AI solutions globally. Consequently, the initiative strengthens climate adaptation, improves food security, and moves AI for Agriculture from experimentation to real-world impact.
