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Mubadala Investment Company and Together AI detailed their collaboration in a joint announcement released on Tuesday, under which the California firm will establish a local presence in Abu Dhabi to deliver inference and research capabilities closer to regional demand. The agreement will see the partners identify strategic initiatives supporting the development and deployment of AI applications throughout the UAE and broader region. This step advances Abu Dhabi’s goals of cultivating sovereign expertise along the full AI value chain while positioning the emirate as a global center for applied innovation.
The partnership builds directly on Mubadala’s $100 million participation in Together AI’s Series C financing round, which closed on July 1 alongside other global technology and financial investors. Together AI, founded in 2022 and based in San Francisco, operates an AI-native cloud platform focused on open-source models for generative applications. Its expansion into the UAE will help address surging requirements for efficient compute resources among local developers and enterprises.
A Meticulous Research assessment projected the UAE artificial intelligence market to expand from an estimated $9.80 billion in 2026 to $51.29 billion by 2036 at a compound annual growth rate of 18 percent, driven by national strategies and large-scale infrastructure builds. This trajectory aligns with projects such as the Stargate UAE cluster, part of a planned 5-gigawatt AI campus in Abu Dhabi that aims to deliver initial capacity during the current year. Mubadala’s involvement reflects its established approach of channeling patient capital into foundational technologies, semiconductors and data-center assets that underpin long-term economic diversification.
Ali Eid AlMheiri, executive director of diversified assets at Mubadala’s UAE Investments Platform, said in the announcement that the sovereign investor focuses on attracting leading technology companies, deepening local capabilities and fostering an environment where innovation translates from research into practical application. He noted that the collaboration with Together AI strengthens a vital segment of the AI ecosystem and expands access to necessary infrastructure. AlMheiri added that the new Abu Dhabi office will intensify Together AI’s ties to the UAE’s rapidly evolving technology landscape, generating sustained economic value for the emirate and the country.
Vipul Ved Prakash, founder and chief executive officer of Together AI, said in the statement, “The demand for open-source AI is outpacing the compute available to serve it. Developers want open models because they can own, shape and deploy them however they want, but that only works if the infrastructure underneath is fast, efficient, and actually there when you need it. We’re scaling that infrastructure globally, and Mubadala is exactly the kind of partner that helps us do it at speed.” The executive’s remarks underscored the supply-demand imbalance that the partnership seeks to mitigate through localized capabilities.
