SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan, 7th May, 2026 (WAM) - On the sidelines of the 59th Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Meeting, the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court today signed a USD $1.5 million technical cooperation partnership with the ADB to scale agricultural innovations for farmers across eight countries in Asia and the Pacific. The agreement is further strengthened by the support of the Japan's Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR).

The partnership with the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, aims to support agricultural innovation in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand and the Maldives, working alongside government counterparts to translate evidence-based solutions - including AI-powered weather forecasting, digital advisory services, and tools that improve livestock productivity into national programs that reach farmers at scale. This work has developed with support from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific since 2024 and has since scaled to the partnership.

The new partnership will be operationalized by the ADB and the Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale), an initiative supported by the UAE and Gates Foundation that works with governments, multilateral development banks, and other partners to scale evidence-based agricultural innovations to improve the livelihoods of millions of farmers.

Khalfan Al Matrooshi, Advisor at the International Affairs Office, UAE Presidential Court, said: "International cooperation continues to play a key role in strengthening global food security. Through Abu Dhabi's AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development, the UAE is convening the partners, expertise, and financing to make that possible.

Today's partnership with the Asian Development Bank and the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific, delivered through AIM for Scale, is a testament to what international cooperation can deliver when global partners come together with shared purpose."

Earlier this year, the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court allocated USD 5 million in AIM for Scale grants to Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs and the Rwanda-based NGO C4Impact, to support governments in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and elsewhere in Africa scale agricultural innovations in partnership with leading development banks and other partners.

Together with today's signing, Abu Dhabi's AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development has already reached governments across Africa and Asia less than six months after its launch.

The signing builds on the UAE's broader commitment to global agricultural development, including the USD 200 million UAE-Gates Foundation partnership announced at COP28 and the UAE's membership of the CGIAR System Council as the first donor from the SWANA region.

Qingfeng Zhang, Senior Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office at the Asian Development Bank, said: "Digital technologies, innovative financing, and improved fertilizer efficiency are critical to addressing the impact of recent shocks that have made millions more people go hungry, many of them in Asia and the Pacific.

Collaborative agreements such as this one act as a catalyst towards integrated agricultural approaches - strengthening input systems, boosting productivity, and accelerating the transition towards more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems."

Shigeo Shimizu, Executive Director representing Japan at the ADB Board of Directors, added: "Through the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific, Japan has been actively supporting initiatives that advance innovation, resilience, and digital transformation across the region. Our support for this initiative since 2024 reflects Japan's strong and sustained commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture and strengthening food systems through innovation and partnership."

Paul Winters, Executive Director of AIM for Scale, said: "We look forward to collaborating with the ADB to ensure that millions of farmers across Asia and the Pacific have access to evidence-backed innovations that can meaningfully strengthen their livelihoods. We are grateful to the UAE and JFPR for enabling this important work."