Presight and MBZUAI Join Forces to Propel AI Startups Across the UAE

Editorial Team

Last updated 21-04-2025

3 min

Presight partners with MBZUAI to boost AI startups and entrepreneurship in the UAE.

The collaboration offers startups technical support, while providing students with training and job opportunities.

MBZUAI experts will deliver technical consulting and organise networking events to foster innovation.

This initiative aims to strengthen Abu Dhabi's reputation as a global hub for AI innovation.

It aligns with the UAE's National AI Strategy for 2031, advancing the country's AI sector ambitions.

In a promising boost for Abu Dhabi's tech scene, Presight, one of the region’s leading firms in big data analytics and artificial intelligence, has just announced a memorandum of understanding with Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). The partnership aims to accelerate the growth of AI startups and nurture entrepreneurship throughout the UAE, aligning closely with the country’s National AI Strategy for 2031.

As part of the collaboration, Presight and MBZUAI will focus heavily on attracting promising startups, providing them with substantial technical and academic support. What's really exciting is the way this venture integrates university students directly into practical tech scenarios. Students will be able to find invaluable training and employment opportunities within the new startups supported by Presight, gaining first-hand experience in one of today’s most dynamic fields.

On top of this, experts and professors from MBZUAI will contribute their deep knowledge, offering technical consulting to these emerging companies. The partners will also arrange workshops and knowledge-building events—which Arageek regulars know are perfect networking opportunities—to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship even more vigorously.

According to Presight CEO, Thomas Pramotedham, this partnership isn’t just another joint venture: “This ties together two of Abu Dhabi's most respected AI institutions, creating a powerful engine of innovation, talent development, and entrepreneurship growth. With our real-world AI applications joining MBZUAI’s cutting-edge academic expertise, there's tremendous potential for startup growth—including a robust boost towards realising the UAE's broader ambitions in the artificial intelligence sector.”

Adding further weight to this milestone, Sultan Al Hajji, Senior Adviser to the university president, said: “This collaboration with Presight strengthens the country's entire ecosystem of AI startups, reinforcing our ambitions to build an integrated network of businesses capable of transforming industries. Thanks to the university's well-established network, skilled experts, and incubation facilities—combined with Presight's effectiveness in commercial acceleration—these startups will enjoy access to exceptional talent and technical guidance. For university students and researchers, this translates into brilliant opportunities for hands-on involvement in leading enterprise projects.”

Worth mentioning, Presight previously teamed up with Microsoft as part of its startup accelerator programme, leveraging cloud infrastructure and enhanced market access to further broaden support for young tech pioneers.

All told, this joint initiative significantly contributes towards Abu Dhabi’s continuing rise as an international hub for AI innovation, demonstrating a clear commitment to achieving the UAE’s forward-thinking vision for AI by 2031. It’s initiatives like this, after all, that help to keep the Emirati capital firmly on the glabal technology map.

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