UAE Puts AI, Investment and Global Trade in Focus at 81st UN General Assembly

The UAE has put artificial intelligence, investment and global trade among its economic priorities during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the inaugural UAE Investment Majlis, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Investment.

Held under the theme “Resilient Supply Chains and Smart Logistics,” the event brought together government officials, investors and business leaders to discuss opportunities across multimodal transport, infrastructure, digital trade, AI-enabled logistics, ports and logistics hubs. Discussions also covered the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and Pax Silica.

Separately, more than 60 government, business, technology and philanthropy leaders gathered at the UAE Mission to the United Nations for discussions focused on AI development in the Global South.

Held at the UAE Mission to the United Nations, the roundtable was co-hosted by Emirates Foundation and Badr Jafar, Special Envoy of the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy.

The meeting also marked the launch of “From Access to Agency: How Philanthropy Can Support AI Development in the Global South”, a white paper developed with Oliver Wyman.

The paper cited US$258.7 billion in global AI venture capital investment in 2025, representing 61% of total venture investment. Less than 1% of AI investment was directed toward social impact.

Participants included Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, as well as UAE government officials and representatives from Microsoft, G42, Mubadala and S&P Global.

Discussions covered the UAE’s computing capacity, research institutions and capital, and their potential role in supporting AI development across emerging markets.

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