Abu Dhabi – The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) in Abu Dhabi, has partnered with NVIDIA to establish the first joint artificial intelligence and robotics research center in the Middle East.
The multidisciplinary lab aims to accelerate the development of advanced AI models and robotic systems, powered by NVIDIA’s GPUs. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, stated:
“Under this agreement, we will leverage NVIDIA’s latest chips, including the new Thor processor, to advance our research in humanoid robots, quadrupeds, and robotic arms. This chip enables the development of next-generation intelligent robotic systems.”
She added that discussions to create the lab began about a year ago, and the initiative is part of the UAE’s broader strategy to position itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence.
The collaboration builds on TII’s longstanding partnership with NVIDIA, which has already supported major UAE projects. Notably, during former U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf in May, a multi-billion-dollar agreement was signed to build one of the world’s largest data centers in Abu Dhabi using NVIDIA’s advanced chips.
According to Aaraj, the new joint center will host teams from both sides, with plans to expand staffing in the coming years.
