Abu dhabi: ADQ, an active sovereign investor focused on critical infrastructure and global supply chains, and the Gates Foundation have announced a landmark partnership to accelerate the responsible and impactful adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and education technology (EdTech) to improve learning outcomes for children across sub-Saharan Africa.
According to Emirates News Agency, the announcement was made on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Finance Week, during a visit by Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, to the UAE. As education systems evolve, digital learning platforms, data technologies, and AI-enabled solutions are increasingly seen as essential infrastructure, similar to transport, energy, and logistics networks that facilitate economic activity.
By supporting this emerging dimension of educational infrastructure, ADQ is complementing its investments in physical and digital assets with capabilities that will help shape and sustain future economies. By 2050, Africa will be home to one in every three of the world's young people. Yet today, nine in ten children in the region are unable to read or do basic math by age 10. This partnership will direct resources toward solutions that reflect local needs, empower teachers, and support students, helping education systems build the capacity required for sustained and scalable progress.
The four-year partnership will deploy a combined US$40 million, with ADQ contributing up to US$20 million, to tackle persistent education challenges across sub-Saharan Africa by expanding the ethical use of AI through two flagship programs. AI-for-Education, a global initiative launched in 2022, develops practical models of AI-enabled learning and provides expert guidance to governments in the Global South. The EdTech and AI Fund, a new multi-investor vehicle set to launch next year, will scale proven EdTech and AI solutions across sub-Saharan Africa.
Generative AI provides unique opportunities to enhance proven approaches such as structured pedagogy, but evidence on what works is scarce. The sector also faces underfunding and low reach. More than 93 percent of EdTech products in low and middle-income countries are not tested for proof-of-learning impact. Only two percent of global EdTech venture capital is attracted by sub-Saharan Africa, and just four percent of children in the region consistently use EdTech.
Earlier this year, the Gates Foundation announced a US$240 million expansion of its Global Education Program, a four-year effort to help 15 million children in sub-Saharan Africa and India learn more effectively by delivering cost-efficient and evidence-based solutions in partnership with governments. Building on this momentum, the UAE is applying its strengths in innovation and technical deployment to accelerate the integration and scaling of AI in education.
Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment and Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ADQ, emphasized the UAE's commitment to advancing AI and technology-enabled solutions. Bill Gates highlighted the potential of AI to transform learning and expand opportunity, commending the UAE's leadership in using innovation to expand opportunity and help children develop foundational skills.
With increasing momentum for education reform across Africa, reflected in commitments made at the 2025 African Union Summit to end learning poverty by 2035, the opportunity for meaningful progress has never been greater. Advances in technology, expanding local expertise, and increasing collaboration are creating a stronger foundation for change. By supporting efforts to apply AI and EdTech in ways that meet the needs of teachers and students, this partnership aims to contribute to a more prosperous and inclusive future for the continent's young people.