The Abu Dhabi Council for Family Businesses, which is part of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has signed a partnership agreement with Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. This collaboration aims to create innovative solutions that will aid in the sustainability and growth of family businesses within the Abu Dhabi emirate by utilizing artificial intelligence in management, governance, and decision-making processes.
The agreement was finalized during the “Abu Dhabi Financial Week” 2025, with Khaled Abdul Kareem Al-Fahim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Council for Family Businesses, and Professor Timothy Baldwin, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, both present alongside several leaders and officials from each party.
Under this agreement, both parties will develop a feasibility study for creating a comprehensive artificial intelligence system tailored for the family business sector in Abu Dhabi. They will also explore joint opportunities for conducting applied research and developing advanced models for leadership succession planning and managing family wealth.
Khaled Al-Fahim stated, “This collaboration represents a significant advancement in empowering family businesses to leverage the rapid developments in artificial intelligence, enhancing their readiness to compete in the future economy. The agreement aligns with the council’s vision to support the sustainability of family enterprises and improve their institutional efficiency.”
Professor Timothy Baldwin, an expert in natural language processing at Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, remarked, “This partnership reflects our university’s commitment to supporting priority sectors within the UAE by applying artificial intelligence technologies.
The collaboration will further the readiness of family businesses for digital transformation, allowing them to adopt AI-based solutions to enhance their operational efficiency and support their sustainability, while reinforcing their competitiveness in future sectors. Additionally, it aims to develop AI-driven consulting tools to assist family businesses in improving their operational effectiveness, increasing governance standards, and enhancing their capacity for expansion and growth. The agreement also includes the organization of specialized workshops and training programs intended to transfer knowledge and empower the next generation of leaders within family businesses to understand and apply modern technologies in developing their enterprises.