The UAE has unveiled a $500 million program to accelerate research and development into artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

The announcement was made by the Advanced Technology Research Council on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai.

The investment comprises a $200 million initiative aimed at providing access to cutting-edge technology for emerging and developing countries and the creation of the Falcon Foundation, a $300 million nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the development of open source generative AI models.

Faisal Al-Bannai, secretary general of the ATRC, said: “Our commitment is to empower every nation with the means to thrive in this technology-driven world.

“The ATRC stands ready to partner with countries worldwide, leveraging our expertise in technology to address their challenges and drive collective progress in the AI-driven era.”

The newly established ATRC Global Tech R&D Platform will serve as a conduit for countries to leverage UAE’s technological expertise in six sectors: aerospace and space, food and agriculture, healthcare, safety and security, sustainability, environment and energy, and transport.

“By committing to absorb resource and research costs, the funding will facilitate the development of sophisticated technology solutions, empowering these nations to keep pace with the latest advancements,” the ATRC said in a press release.

According to the ATRC’s Technology Innovation Institute, the Falcon Foundation will drive knowledge sharing and expedite the democratization of AI.

“By enabling open computing resources for the continued research and development of Falcon AI, the foundation will provide a robust ecosystem to ensure the adaptability of the models across a broad spectrum of applications and contexts,” it said.

CEO Ray Johnson said: “We’re committed to fostering transparency and collaboration in AI. Extending the UAE’s collaborative spirit into AI development, we set new standards for openness and we encourage all other entities who support open source from around the world to join us.”

Last year, the institute was among the first to open source its large language model, Falcon 40B, royalty free in an effort to establish transparent governance models and encourage knowledge exchange.