Prime Highlights:
- The UAE launches its first AI Centre of Excellence in Abu Dhabi, aiming to build homegrown AI technology and support local talent.
- The centre will drive innovation in AI, focusing on applied research, workforce training, and developing solutions in sectors like healthcare, energy, and education.
Key Facts:
- The initiative is a partnership between Lakeba Group, University of Wollongong in Dubai, DoxAI, and AqlanX, operating under UOWD’s leadership.
- The AI Centre will be AqlanX’s R&D headquarters, supporting the UAE’s National AI Strategy 2031 and fostering AI development aligned with national goals.
Background
The United Arab Emirates has launched the Gulf’s first AI Centre of Excellence in Abu Dhabi to strengthen its position as a global leader in AI and digital technology. The centre is a partnership between Lakeba Group, the University of Wollongong in Dubai, DoxAI, and AqlanX. It aims to build the country’s own AI technology and support local talent.
Operating under the University of Wollongong’s leadership, the centre will promote applied research, workforce training, and collaboration between academia, business, and government. The initiative supports the NextGen FDI program led by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade, which seeks to attract global companies and build local expertise in advanced technologies.
Dr. Al Zeyoudi said the new centre will help create a strong digital ecosystem that prepares the UAE for the future. “The AI Centre of Excellence will act as a hub for developing future generations of AI talent and driving the nation’s digital economy,” he said.
The centre will focus on research and development in Arabic language models, automation tools for energy, healthcare, and education sectors, and building homegrown AI solutions aligned with national goals. It will also be AqlanX’s official R&D headquarters, supporting the UAE’s National AI Strategy 2031
Partners will combine their expertise, UOWD providing academic leadership, Lakeba offering venture-building experience, DoxAI delivering automation tools, and AqlanX leading commercialization.
Leaders from both nations described the launch as a milestone in UAE-Australia cooperation, marking the country’s shift from a technology consumer to a global technology contributor focused on innovation, inclusion, and sustainability.
