The United Arab Emirates has launched an AI-powered agricultural ecosystem, partnering with global institutions to help farmers adapt to climate change and food security challenges.

The United Arab Emirates has unveiled a groundbreaking AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development, bringing together Abu Dhabi institutions, the Gates Foundation, CGIAR, and international partners. The initiative combines advanced research, large language models, and digital advisory tools to support smallholder farmers, improve climate resilience, and strengthen food security worldwide. Key programs include the CGIAR AI hub, the Institute for Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (IAAI), AgriLLM, and the Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale).

The announcement took place in the presence of Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Head of the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court; Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation; and Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR. After the announcement, Her Excellency and Bill Gates attended the UAE–Gates Partnership Showcase, an immersive presentation that highlighted the ecosystem’s core pillars and illustrated how Abu Dhabi’s research expertise, technological capabilities, and leadership in AI are being leveraged to support vulnerable agricultural communities worldwide.

UAE launches AI-driven ecosystem to transform global agriculture and support climate-resilient farming

Abu Dhabi’s AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development aims to provide AI solutions for climate-vulnerable agricultural regions and to address evolving weather challenges.

The project builds on the USD 200 million UAE–Gates Foundation partnership announced at COP28, uniting four landmark initiatives: CGIAR AI Hub, IAAI, AgriLLM, and AIM for Scale.

The AI for Agriculture Ecosystem includes a network of well-established institutions, including Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), NYU Abu Dhabi, ai7, and other partners. This network will advance AI research to deliver practical solutions for farmers, governments, and development actors, thereby increasing efficiency, sustainability, and access to digital advisory services.

The four initiatives are:

CGIAR AI Hub: Hosted in Abu Dhabi with AI71 as a core technology partner, the hub aims to transform agriculture through digital innovation and establish Abu Dhabi as a global centre for AI in agriculture. Leveraging over 50 years of CGIAR data and expertise across 13 research centres, the hub supports projects such as AI-Water, which improves transboundary water management, and AI Genebank, which accelerates crop improvement by screening 700,000 plant samples for climate-resilient traits.

Institute of Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (IAAI): Based at MBZUAI, the IAAI provides digital advisory tools, training, and technical assistance to governments and NGOs, helping over 43 million smallholder farmers adapt to extreme weather and climate challenges.

AgriLLM: An open-source large language model developed by ai71, trained on agricultural data, research papers, and real farming Q&A. It delivers region-specific, role-based guidance for climate adaptation and food production, with four AI agents currently being tested. The full model will be released as a public good.

AIM for Scale: A UAE-Gates Foundation initiative based at NYU Abu Dhabi, delivering AI-powered weather forecasts and digital advisory services to smallholder farmers. COP30 highlighted the ambition to reach 100 million farmers by 2030, building on achievements like India’s 2025 deployment of AI-driven monsoon forecasts to 38 million farmers. Training programs with MBZUAI and the University of Chicago are expanding globally to support officials in climate-smart agriculture.

Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Head of the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, said: “The UAE is harnessing artificial intelligence for global good, to help protect the farmers and communities most exposed to climate volatility. By connecting our national research and AI capabilities with leading global partners, we are turning science into real tools that reach people on the ground. Through our partnership with the Gates Foundation, we are advancing Agri-AI solutions that support millions of smallholder farmers facing unpredictable weather, helping secure a more stable and hopeful future for communities worldwide.”

Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, added: “Around the world, smallholder farmers are facing the harshest impacts of climate change with the fewest tools to adapt. The AI for Agriculture Ecosystem helps change that by putting practical, data-driven solutions directly in farmers’ hands. I’m grateful for the UAE’s leadership: this initiative helps strengthen food security and support farmers in a warming world.”

Source - https://www.openaccessgovernment.org