Abu Dhabi convenes global officials to master artificial intelligence in service of farmers and food security

A five-day training programme hosted by the Presidential Court brings together meteorological experts from 15 nations to harness AI forecasting tools for agricultural resilience across the developing world.

Beneath the certainty of scientific collaboration lies a larger purpose: equipping the world’s smallholder farmers with the knowledge they need to adapt to an uncertain climate. This week in Abu Dhabi, government officials from 15 countries are learning to translate artificial intelligence into actionable wisdom, turning algorithmic predictions into practical guidance that can reshape agricultural futures across Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond.

The “AI Weather Forecasting for Agriculture Training Programme”, running from November 9 to 13, 2026, represents a convergence of institutional expertise and humanitarian ambition. Convened by the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and jointly organised by Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and the University of Chicago, with support from the Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale and the National Center for Meteorology, the initiative brings together representatives from national meteorological services and agricultural ministries to build lasting capacity.

The programme operates along two complementary streams. Participants learn to run AI weather forecasting models and evaluate their performance against established systems and local observations. Simultaneously, they develop the capacity to translate those forecasts into agricultural advice, helping farmers navigate crop management and prepare for extreme weather events. Each national team departs with a roadmap for integrating these innovations into their own institutions, identifying the technical requirements, governance structures and implementation pathways their countries will need.

Dr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, Chairman of the World Meteorological Organisation and the National Center for Meteorology, emphasised the transformative potential. “Artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities to deliver more accurate, timely, and actionable information, particularly for sectors such as agriculture that are highly sensitive to weather and climate conditions.” The training, he noted, reflects a commitment to advancing scientific collaboration and supporting the development of innovative weather services that strengthen agricultural resilience and food security.

This year’s cohort represents an expansion of an initiative that began in 2025 with five nations. Representatives from Bangladesh, Chile, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria, who participated in that inaugural programme, now bring their experience alongside officials from the UAE, Bolivia, Colombia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal and Sierra Leone. The ambition extends further still: the programme aims to build capacity across 30 countries by 2028.

The initiative sits within the broader Abu Dhabi AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development, which launched in December 2025. Built on a US$200 million partnership between the UAE and the Gates Foundation announced at COP28, this ecosystem brings Emirati institutions and international partners together to scale solutions that address one of agriculture’s defining challenges: ensuring that accurate forecasts reach the hands of those who can act upon them. The collective goal is audacious: delivering AI-powered weather information to 100 million smallholder farmers by 2030.

Katie Kowal, Director of AI for Weather at the University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute, captured the essence of the endeavour: “AI can give low to middle-income countries weather forecasts that meet the same gold standard as forecasts in countries with advanced economies.” Yet forecasting alone is insufficient. The real work lies in translating data into decisions that farmers can make with confidence and effect.

Practical support underpins the ambition. NVIDIA has donated 14 Dell Pro Max GB10 Workstations to participating institutions, ensuring that countries possess the computing resources needed to continue testing and development long after the training concludes. This tangible commitment to institutional capacity recognises that genuine transformation requires not merely knowledge transfer but the infrastructure through which that knowledge can flourish.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

The initiative positions Abu Dhabi and the broader UAE as a nexus for innovation in global food security and climate adaptation. By hosting this convening and building institutional partnerships with leading universities and organisations, the Emirates reinforces its role as a centre for addressing the world’s most pressing challenges through scientific collaboration and technological advancement. The programme demonstrates the UAE’s commitment to translating research into real-world impact across developing economies.

For Abu Dhabi specifically, the endeavour aligns with the emirate’s strategic vision of leveraging its scientific institutions and international partnerships to create solutions that benefit the global community. The participation of MBZUAI and the National Center for Meteorology reflects the depth of expertise cultivated within the UAE’s research ecosystem, showcasing capabilities that extend far beyond the Emirates themselves.