UAE President Sheikh Mohamed meets OpenAI CEO Sam Altman; awarded honorary doctorate for AI leadership

In a key meeting reflecting the UAE’s rising global AI ambitions, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in Abu Dhabi . The conversation focused on accelerating AI research and innovation partnerships, reinforcing the UAE’s commitment to becoming a global AI leader.

Sheikh Mohamed and Sam Altman talk AI in Abu Dhabi

On Saturday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi, the UAE state news agency WAM reported. The meeting underscored the UAE’s strategic direction in artificial intelligence, with both sides discussing ways to strengthen collaboration between OpenAI and UAE-based institutions.

Central to the discussion was advancing cooperation in AI research and its real-world applications—particularly within the UAE’s public and private sectors. This aligns with the country’s broader mission of building a robust, integrated AI ecosystem.

Altman acknowledged the UAE’s proactive vision in AI and commended its international partnerships and policy initiatives that are helping shape the global AI landscape.

UAE honours Sam Altman for AI leadership

In recognition of his contributions to the field, Sam Altman was awarded the first-ever honorary doctorate by the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence ( MBZUAI ). The award highlights his influential role in advancing AI and fostering innovation at the intersection of research, technology, and business. MBZUAI, based in Abu Dhabi, is the world’s first graduate-level research university dedicated to artificial intelligence. The honorary doctorate reinforces the university’s vision to cultivate global talent and thought leadership in AI.
UAE’s AI Strategy: Building a knowledge-based economy

The UAE has been investing billions to position itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence. Its long-term strategy focuses on building an innovation-driven, knowledge-based economy where AI plays a foundational role.

Key elements of this vision include:

• Supporting homegrown AI development through infrastructure and research.
  
• Fostering cross-sectoral innovation between government and private enterprises.
  
• Establishing international partnerships to ensure access to advanced technologies.
  
  

These efforts aim to secure the UAE’s leadership in AI on the global stage, while also enabling long-term economic diversification beyond oil exports.

Expanding AI infrastructure and language innovation

The UAE’s AI strategy is not only limited to research and talent. It is also building one of the world’s largest AI data centers, which will serve as a critical infrastructure asset for AI development and deployment across sectors.

Additionally, the UAE is pioneering efforts to modernize and preserve the Arabic language using AI. This includes:

• Developing comprehensive digital dictionaries.
  
• Creating AI-powered readability and linguistic analysis tools.
  
• Building Arabic language models tailored for regional needs.
  
  

These initiatives aim to expand Arabic’s digital footprint while safeguarding its cultural and linguistic heritage in the AI era.

Strengthening global ties and expanding AI footprint

The UAE has been actively leveraging its close ties with the United States to advance its AI capabilities. In May, the two countries signed a landmark agreement to establish one of the largest AI campuses outside the US, aimed at fostering joint research and training.

This announcement came during former US President Donald Trump ’s visit to Abu Dhabi, highlighting the strong diplomatic and tech ties between the UAE and the United States.