Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor ADQ and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have unveiled a four-year, $40 million partnership aimed at accelerating the ethical deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and education technology (EdTech) to improve foundational learning outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa, according to multiple announcements from the organisations.
The initiative, announced on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Finance Week during a visit by Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates to the United Arab Emirates, will draw funding from both partners, with ADQ committing up to $20 million alongside a matching contribution from the Gates Foundation.
Officials said the collaboration will focus on expanding the responsible use of AI and EdTech tools to tackle persistent gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy across the region, where an estimated nine in 10 children are unable to read or perform basic mathematics by age 10.
The partnership will support two flagship programmes: AI-for-Education, a global initiative launched in 2022 that develops practical AI-enabled learning models and offers guidance to governments in the Global South; and a new EdTech and AI Fund, a multi-investor vehicle jointly anchored by ADQ and the Gates Foundation expected to launch in 2026 to scale proven solutions at the national level.
In public comments, ADQ Managing Director and Group CEO Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi said the partnership reflects an expanded view of infrastructure that includes digital learning and intelligent technologies as essential components of national development. Gates Foundation representatives stated that responsibly scaled AI can transform learning outcomes when applied with rigorous evidence and ethical safeguards.
The effort aligns with broader international commitments, including pledges made at the 2025 African Union Summit to reduce learning poverty by 2035, as stakeholders seek to combine technology, expertise and investment to support education systems across the continent.
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