Abu Dhabi has partnered with NVIDIA to launch the Middle East’s first joint research lab dedicated to artificial intelligence and robotics.

Based at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the TII-NVAITC Joint Lab for AI and Robotics will accelerate research into humanoid systems, embodied AI models and autonomous platforms with applications across multiple industries.

The agreement was made official by Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, and Marc Domenech, regional director for NVIDIA Enterprise in the META region, in the presence of senior officials from the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) and NVIDIA executives Simon See and John Josephakis.

“This collaboration with NVIDIA marks a major step toward building AI-enhanced robotic systems capable of reasoning, adapting, and acting in complex environments,” Aaraj said. “We are accelerating the convergence of perception, control, and language as part of efforts to advance intelligent robotics”.

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The partnership gives TII access to NVIDIA’s edge GPU chips and advanced computing platforms, integrated with TII’s own research in AI, robotics and high-performance computing. The institute will also build on its Falcon family of large language models — the largest developed in the Middle East — to support robotics applications.

NVIDIA executive Carlo Ruiz said the initiative extends the global NVAITC network into robotics for the first time in the region. “By working with TII in Abu Dhabi, we are helping researchers and innovators accelerate breakthroughs that will shape the future of intelligent systems,” he said.

UAE’s AI Ambitions

The launch of the joint lab reinforces the UAE’s national AI strategy, announced in 2017, which aims to embed artificial intelligence across sectors such as healthcare, education and logistics. The UAE wants AI to contribute up to 20 percent of non-oil GDP by 2031, with the domestic market projected to grow from Dh12.7 billion in 2023 to over Dh170 billion by 2030 — a compound annual growth rate of 44 percent.

Supporting this vision, the government has introduced Chief AI Officers across ministries, established AI-focused academic institutions, and run international exchange programs. In June, 50 Emirati AI leaders toured the US to meet with Google, Meta, OpenAI and Microsoft.

The TII-NVIDIA lab adds to a growing list of partnerships designed to strengthen the UAE’s role in AI and robotics, both regionally and globally.