Why IBM and the UAE Are Partnering on Environmental AI Models
Public-private collaboration is moving from talking point to delivery. At GITEX Global 2025, IBM and the UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) agreed to co-develop AI systems that push forward conservation, fisheries management, quarantine inspections and ESG reporting.
Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change & Environment, attended the signing. Amal Abdulrahim, Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services and Chief AI and Innovation Officer at MoCCAE, signed for the ministry, with Shukri Eid, IBM General Manager for the Gulf, Levant and Pakistan, representing IBM.
Priority one: automated CITES certificate verification
The first deliverable is an AI-driven system that verifies CITES and Phytosanitary certificates. The goal: reduce manual entry, validate documents faster and raise data quality for wildlife trade compliance.
CITES sets the global standard for protecting endangered species in cross-border trade. Faster, more accurate checks help the UAE meet international obligations and protect native species-while supporting the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme. "Our goal is not just to adopt technology, but to use AI as a strategic tool to proactively address environmental challenges, enhance food and water security and achieve our Net Zero 2050 targets," says Amal Abdulrahim.
Real-time fisheries monitoring
The partnership also targets better visibility into fish stocks. Through mobile apps and cameras at landing sites and local markets, the system will track catch volumes and patterns to prevent overexploitation.
For policy teams and researchers, this means fresher datasets, stronger stock assessments and quicker interventions when thresholds are breached.
Smarter quarantine and biosecurity
IBM will prototype an AI-enabled quarantine system to inspect agricultural and veterinary consignments. Expect faster import approvals and earlier detection of biological risks in wildlife trade and related supply chains.
Operationally, this points to document intelligence (OCR + NER), anomaly detection and risk scoring-backed by audit trails and human-in-the-loop review.
ESG reporting that's timely and transparent
The agreement includes a study for a national digital ESG platform. The intent is clear: enable real-time reporting that supports current and future climate policies and strengthens accountability.
For agencies and enterprises, common taxonomies and APIs will matter. Think automated data pipelines, standardized metrics and dashboards that withstand scrutiny.
Capability building inside government
Beyond prototypes, IBM will help upskill MoCCAE teams in advanced technology and digital methods. This supports ongoing digital transformation and fits with long-term national agendas such as UAE Centennial 2071 and "We the UAE 2031."
Training that sticks usually pairs hands-on labs with immediate on-the-job application. Expect modules on data engineering, MLOps, model governance and responsible AI.
Governance, scope and what's next
The relationship is subject to definitive agreements. Timelines and investment figures were not disclosed, but the parties aim to create repeatable models that can scale across the region.
IBM continues to expand its hybrid cloud and AI footprint in the Gulf. "These scalable solutions will meet the UAE's objectives and can serve as a model for the region and the world," says Shukri Eid.
What practitioners should prepare for
- Data flows: customs manifests, e-permits, IoT camera feeds, mobile app submissions, lab results.
- Core models: OCR + NER for documents, entity matching, anomaly detection, image/video analytics, geospatial analysis.
- Integration points: national single-window systems, customs APIs, port and market operations, permit registries.
- Governance: human-in-the-loop, bias checks, audit logs, role-based access, data retention and redaction.
- Metrics to track: processing time per certificate, false positive/negative rates, stock status accuracy, inspection throughput.
- Security: sovereign hosting options, encryption in transit/at rest, secrets management, incident response playbooks.
If you're upskilling teams for AI projects in government or environmental programs, explore practical courses at Complete AI Training - Courses by Job.
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