Abu Dhabi [UAE], December 3 (ANI/WAM): The United Arab Emirates is celebrating its 54th Eid Al Etihad while advancing on a trajectory toward a prosperous future, marked by a range of domestic and international achievements highlighted during 2025, the Year of Community, under its leadership.
The UAE expanded its international profile, strengthened its regional and global economic influence, and continued notable humanitarian contributions. Domestically, several high-quality achievements added momentum to the country’s sustainable development agenda.
Environmental and biodiversity efforts were prominent. The UAE announced a pioneering marine exploration voyage to survey seabed geology in its waters and launched a geospatial data platform for agriculture and water resources. Sharjah’s Environment and Protected Areas Authority secured official inclusion of the Khor Kalba Mangrove Centre in the Wetlands Link International network. The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative inaugurated the “Al Miyah Challenge” to accelerate innovative water solutions, beginning with an agriculture-focused competition.
The Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi launched the “Abu Dhabi Coral Garden,” the largest project of its kind in the Middle East to protect marine habitats and boost biodiversity. Sharjah opened SANA, its first solar power plant, spanning 850,000 square meters with 60 megawatts capacity. Abu Dhabi increased the share of its nature reserves to 20% of the emirate’s area.
A major clean-energy milestone saw ground broken on a combined 5.2 GW solar PV plant with a 19 GWh battery energy storage system in Abu Dhabi — billed as the world’s largest integrated solar-and-storage project designed to supply 1 GW of clean, 24/7 baseload power. UAE firms, including Masdar, continued expanding solar, wind, and hydrogen projects abroad in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Spain, Indonesia, across Africa, Yemen, and Egypt, extending clean electricity access to millions.
The UAE also accelerated its AI-driven digital transformation and built an advanced digital ecosystem. Reported AI tool usage reached 97% — among the highest globally — and the number of programmers in the country exceeded 450,000. Abu Dhabi saw the launch of a comprehensive UAE–US AI campus with a capacity of 5 gigawatts, the largest outside the United States.
International AI cooperation advanced with the UAE–France Framework for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence, including plans for a 1 GW AI Campus in France and new data centers and supercomputing infrastructure. UAE-based MGX, in partnership with BlackRock and Microsoft, announced Nvidia and xAI joining an “AI Infrastructure Partnership,” targeting next-generation data centres and advanced energy solutions with potential investments up to USD 100 billion. The UAE Cabinet approved support for Google Cloud’s first Global Cyber Security Centre of Excellence in Abu Dhabi, an initiative expected to support over 20,300 specialised cybersecurity jobs and strengthen the national cybersecurity ecosystem.
At the G20 Summit, the UAE launched the AI for Development initiative, committing US$1 billion to support AI projects in African countries.
Legislative and regulatory updates included new visit visa categories for AI specialists, entertainment, events, and cruise tourism, and the launch of the country’s first smart legislative system powered by AI. The UAE approved the National Artificial Intelligence System to serve as an advisory member of the Cabinet beginning January 2026; it will also advise the Ministerial Development Council and federal entity and government company boards.
2025 featured a surge in forward-looking national policies and initiatives, including a new phase of the National Strategy to Attract and Retain Talent 2031, the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the National Geospatial Information Policy, the second phase of the Zero Bureaucracy Programme, the Proactive Government Performance System, the National Policy for Economic Clusters, the Unified UAE Numbers platform, the National Agenda for Family Growth 2031, and the Emirati National Identity Strategy. (ANI/WAM)
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