November 26, 2025 — Leads & Copy — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled the ‘AI for Development’ initiative, a $1 billion project aimed at bolstering artificial intelligence (AI) ventures across African nations.
The initiative seeks to foster economic and social progress on the continent by enhancing digital infrastructure, government services, and overall productivity.
His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, announced the initiative during a speech at the G20 summit. He emphasized the UAE’s dedication to promoting sustainable growth through international collaborations and innovative financing solutions that support emerging economies.
The Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX), the export financing division of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, will spearhead the initiative in collaboration with the UAE Foreign Aid Agency.
This alliance underscores the UAE’s commitment to enabling developing countries to leverage advanced technologies and AI for comprehensive development.
The initiative intends to address critical developmental challenges by integrating AI technologies into vital sectors, including education, agriculture, and infrastructure. The goal is to develop innovative solutions that stimulate growth and broaden opportunities for sustainable development.
The project is also in line with the UAE’s vision of establishing a knowledge-based economy and strengthening its position as a global center for AI technology development and application.
Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of ADFD and Chairman of the Exports Executive Committee of ADEX, emphasized the UAE’s belief in AI’s potential to drive equitable growth and sustainable development. He said that ADEX’s leadership in the initiative would combine technology, financing, and partnerships to support developing countries in overcoming developmental challenges and building long-term economic resilience.
Al Suwaidi further noted that integrating AI technologies into education, agriculture, and infrastructure would create new opportunities for inclusive development, empowering UAE enterprises to implement impactful development projects that strengthen economic and technological cooperation between the UAE and African countries.
The initiative, Al Suwaidi added, builds upon the humanitarian and developmental legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE. It also reflects the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support communities and improve lives through development projects and initiatives launched from the UAE.
Dr. Tareq Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of the UAE Foreign Aid Agency, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to supporting communities, enhancing capacities, and meeting needs, following the legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Dr. Al Ameri stated the UAE continues to implement impactful initiatives worldwide, including leveraging AI tools and solutions to drive development in African nations and that the AI for Development initiative reflects the UAE’s commitment to strengthening global solidarity and advancing cooperative development to build a better future and improve living standards worldwide.
Dr. Al Ameri also emphasized the necessity of transformative initiatives to meet diverse needs in African countries’ education, healthcare, and infrastructure, at a time when the UAE is reinforcing its position as a global center for AI, topping international indicators reflecting its technological and digital advancement.
The AI for Development initiative is dedicated to African countries and forms part of the UAE’s broader foreign assistance to the continent, which has totaled more than Dh152 billion since 1971.
Through this initiative, the UAE Foreign Aid Agency, in cooperation with ADEX, aims to strengthen the contribution of UAE donor entities to implement AI-driven development projects across Africa. This landmark initiative underscores the UAE’s global standing as a leading hub for cutting-edge technologies and smart systems, helping advance innovation, development, and modernization while providing creative solutions to drive inclusive and sustainable growth.
His Excellency Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of ADFD and Chairman of the Exports Executive Committee of ADEX.
Dr Tareq Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of the UAE Foreign Aid Agency.
Source: Abu Dhabi Fund for Development
Source: Abu Dhabi Fund for Development
