NVIDIA, TII Launch Middle East's First AI Center

NVIDIA, a prominent technology company, has joined forces with the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in the United Arab Emirates to establish the first AI technology center in the Middle East. This joint research laboratory will concentrate on developing next-generation AI models and robotics platforms. The collaboration aims to integrate TII's multidisciplinary research capabilities with NVIDIA's computational power, which is driving the global AI trend.

The center will be the first of its kind for NVIDIA in the Middle East, combining TII's research prowess with NVIDIA's advanced AI models. Under the agreement, TII will have access to specific edge graphics processing units (GPUs) to advance its research in areas such as robotics. Currently, TII is focused on developing humanoid robots, quadruped robots, and mechanical arms.

Najeeb Al-Ali, CEO of TII, stated, "This will be our first use of a new type of chip called Thor, which supports the development of advanced robotics systems." TII is the applied research arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council, an entity under the UAE government, and plays a crucial role in the country's participation in the global AI competition.

Al-Ali mentioned that TII and NVIDIA have been collaborating closely for some time, with the institution using NVIDIA chips to train its proprietary language models. He added that negotiations for the joint laboratory began approximately a year ago, and the center will house teams from both organizations, with plans to hire additional staff specifically for this project.

In May, during a visit to the Middle East by former U.S. President Donald Trump, the UAE signed a multi-billion-dollar agreement to build one of the world's largest data center hubs in Abu Dhabi, leveraging advanced U.S. technology, including NVIDIA's cutting-edge chips. However, concerns over the UAE's relationship with China have raised security issues, and the agreement has yet to be finalized.