Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and Nvidia have joined forces to create a new research facility in the United Arab Emirates, TII announced on Monday. The collaboration aims to accelerate work on advanced artificial intelligence systems and robotics.
According to TII, this marks the establishment of the very first Nvidia AI Technology Center in the Middle East. The initiative blends TII’s broad research expertise with Nvidia’s powerful AI tools and computing resources, which are driving global innovation in artificial intelligence.
Under the partnership, TII will gain access to specialized edge GPU chips to boost progress in robotics, said Najwa Aaraj, TII’s chief executive officer. The institute is currently pursuing projects involving humanoid machines, quadruped robots, and robotic arms.
“It will be a chip that we will newly use…It’s called the Thor chip, and it is a chip that enables advanced robotic systems development,” Aaraj explained in an interview.
TII serves as the applied research division of the Advanced Technology Research Council, an Abu Dhabi government body central to the UAE’s strategy of becoming a leader in AI.
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UAE’s Growing AI Ambitions
The United Arab Emirates, traditionally known as one of the world’s largest oil exporters, has been channeling significant financial resources into artificial intelligence.
The Gulf state views AI as a pillar of its economic future and has relied on its strong ties with Washington to gain access to top-tier technology.
During former U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf in May, the UAE inked a multibillion-dollar agreement to establish one of the world’s largest data centers in Abu Dhabi, featuring Nvidia’s most advanced chips.
However, that deal remains pending as concerns about the UAE’s close links to China continue to spark security debates, Reuters has previously reported.
Despite these challenges, TII and Nvidia have maintained a productive partnership. Aaraj noted that the institute has already been utilizing Nvidia chips to develop its own language models. She added that talks about forming the joint lab began roughly a year ago.
The new hub will accommodate researchers from both organizations, with dedicated hiring planned to expand the team working on the initiative.
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