Abu Dhabi TII, NVIDIA Launch Middle East’s First AI and Robotics NVAITC Lab

The Technology and Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of the Abu Dhabi Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has partnered with NVIDIA, a global leader in accelerated computing and AI, to establish the Middle East’s first joint artificial intelligence and robotics laboratory . This groundbreaking collaboration will establish a hub, the first of its kind in the region, to develop next-generation AI models, robotics platforms and humanoid technologies to accelerate innovation across industries.

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The establishment of the ” TII-NVAITC (NVIDIA AI Technology Center) Joint AI and Robotics Research Institute ” was announced at a signing ceremony held at TII headquarters in Abu Dhabi, bringing together executives from both organizations. The agreement was signed by Dr. Najwa Aaraji, CEO of TII, and Mark Domenech, Regional Director, META Region, Enterprise Division, NVIDIA. The ceremony, attended by Shahab Abu Shahab, Secretary General of ATRC; Abdulaziz Al Dosari, Executive Director, Support Services, ATRC; John Josephakis, Vice President, Global Sales and Business Development, HPC/Supercomputing, NVIDIA; and Simon Shi, Global Head, AI Technology Center, NVIDIA, marked a landmark moment in the UAE’s AI and robotics journey.

This collaboration places Abu Dhabi at the forefront of applied AI, aligning with the Emirate’s long-term strategy to advance technological sovereignty and shape the future of intelligent and autonomous systems. This, as also illustrated by the recently announced US–UAE AI Acceleration Partnership, underscores the UAE’s growing leadership role in the global AI and robotics sectors and positions the country as a key contributor to the global robotics ecosystem at a time when AI capabilities are rapidly evolving.

“This collaboration with NVIDIA marks a major step toward building AI-enhanced robotics systems that can reason, adapt, and act in complex environments,” said Dr. Najwa Aaraji, CEO of TII . “By combining our advanced robotics platform with powerful AI models and computing, we are accelerating the convergence of perception, control, and language, laying the foundation for a new era of intelligent machines.”

The TII-NVAITC Joint Laboratory will integrate NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform and expertise with TII’s interdisciplinary research in AI, robotics, autonomous systems, and high-performance computing. This is the first NVAITC laboratory to be established in the Middle East, marking a major milestone for the region. The two organizations will work together to accelerate the development of intelligent systems with real-world applications. Specifically, they will advance the field of physical AI through embodied AI models, cutting-edge robotics and humanoid stacks, and hardware designed for real-time robotic systems. Research will extend to the scaling of robot learning and control, as well as the development and integration of large-scale language models, including TII’s Falcon family of AI models, the first and largest in the Middle East.

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“The establishment of the TII-NVAITC Joint Institute for AI and Robotics marks a new chapter in our global NVAITC network. By collaborating with TII in Abu Dhabi, we are expanding the reach of these centers into robotics for the first time in the Middle East, helping researchers and innovators accelerate innovations that will shape the future of intelligent systems,” said Carlo Ruiz, vice president of Enterprise Solutions and Operations EMEA at NVIDIA .

The new lab is part of TII’s broader strategy to advance applied AI and robotics that deliver real-world results. At its core is a strong commitment to open innovation and global knowledge exchange, with TII and NVIDIA collaborating on research, open source initiatives, and cross-network knowledge sharing through the global NVAITC community. The lab will also build on TII’s existing modular robotics platforms and proven components, such as robotic arms and delivery robot dogs, prioritizing technical excellence and practical application in its research.