Nvidia, Abu Dhabi Unveil First AI Robotics Lab

Nvidia NVDA is deepening its ties with the Middle East. Over the weekend, the chip giant and Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute unveiled a new joint lab that will focus on building next-generation AI models and robotics platforms the first Nvidia AI Technology Center in the region.

The partnership brings Nvidia's powerful computing systems together with TII's research in AI, robotics, and high-performance computing. This collaboration with NVIDIA marks a major step toward building AI-enhanced robotic systems capable of reasoning, adapting, and acting in complex environments, said TII CEO Najwa Aaraj.

The lab will explore humanoid robotics, embodied AI, and large-scale language models, including TII's Falcon family the Middle East's largest homegrown models. Aaraj also revealed that researchers will start working with Nvidia's new Thor chip, designed specifically for advanced robotic systems.

The move highlights Abu Dhabi's ambition to be a major player in the global AI race. It also comes on the heels of the UAE's broader tech push, including talks over a multibillion-dollar data center deal with U.S. firms that would rely on Nvidia's most advanced chips.

For investors, this shows how Nvidia is widening its global reach and tapping into new markets where AI demand is accelerating fast.