Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has entered into a multi-year collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The partnership aims to strengthen artificial intelligence research, build technical skills, and support startup development across the UAE and the wider region.
The agreement strengthens MBZUAI’s work to link academic research with practical industry use. It also aligns with the UAE National Strategy for Higher Education 2030. A central element of the strategy, the Expanded Professional Experience initiative, focuses on giving students greater exposure to real-world settings through applied learning and project-based work. This collaboration directly supports that goal.
As part of the agreement, MBZUAI and AWS will establish a Strategic Research Program focused on shared priority areas in AI. Both organisations will manage the programme jointly. AWS will provide cloud infrastructure, technical mentoring, and guidance on relevant AWS programmes to support MBZUAI’s research. AWS will also make a registry of public datasets available through its platform. MBZUAI will contribute faculty expertise, research talent, and laboratory resources. Together, the partners will work to move research concepts into practical and scalable solutions.
Timothy Baldwin, Provost and Professor of Natural Language Processing, MBZUAI, said: “This collaboration brings together academic depth and industrial scale. By combining MBZUAI’s scientific expertise with AWS’s mentorship, infrastructure, and guidance on relevant AWS programs that will support MBZUAI’s research, we are building a bridge between research and real-world impact and unlocking transformational opportunities for our faculty, researchers and students. Together we are growing an innovation ecosystem that is human-centered, inclusive, and ready to shape the future.”
The partnership also supports the launch of the GenAI Academy, a new programme that will run hackathons for MBZUAI undergraduate students. These activities will focus on solving challenges related to government services, entrepreneurship, and social impact. In addition, AWS will provide access to instructor-led AWS Classroom Training and self-paced digital learning through AWS Skill Builder. These resources will help MBZUAI staff and students build skills in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
Chris Erasmus, General Manager, UAE, Rest of Middle East and North Africa at AWS, commented: “At AWS, we’re proud to collaborate with MBZUAI in empowering the next generation of innovators in the UAE. Blending our cloud technologies and expertise with MBZUAI’s visionary academic and research capabilities, we’re establishing a foundation of technical excellence to support the students and researchers of today and tomorrow. Through our shared commitment, we look forward to advancing technology and creating lasting impact in the region.”
The collaboration will also support MBZUAI’s Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center, launched in October 2023. Startups linked to the centre that join the AWS Activate programme may qualify for benefits such as AWS promotional credits, technical assistance, and business mentoring.
Through this agreement, MBZUAI continues to strengthen its role in applied AI at a national level. By working with industry partners and embedding practical experience into education and research, the university supports the UAE’s long-term aims for digital development and innovation-driven growth.