As a global investor, ADIA has always recognised that its long-term success is closely tied to the strength of its external partnerships. Even as the organisation has continued to develop its internal capabilities in recent years, it has also worked to deepen and broaden its relationships with external counterparties in mutually beneficial ways.
In 2025, ADIA took this a step further by introducing a more systematic and structured approach to managing these relationships—a natural evolution that reflects the increasing scale and complexity of the global investment landscape.
At the heart of this shift is a centralised framework that combines decades of institutional memory with modern analytical tools. By bringing together information and feedback from across the organisation, ADIA has gained a clearer understanding of the connections and interactions that shape its partnerships globally.
This enhanced visibility enables ADIA’s teams to move beyond day-to-day transactions and engage in deeper discussions with counterparties. It also supports more structured reviews alongside regular desk-level interactions, helping ADIA focus counterparties on its key priorities while identifying new opportunities to work together.
The approach is overseen by a dedicated Counterparty Forum, which includes senior representation from across ADIA and focuses on four core areas: strengthening oversight, supporting relationship development, aligning strategy with a changing regulatory landscape, and improving process efficiency. Together, this framework helps ADIA to engage with counterparties in a more coordinated and consistent way.
By taking a more structured and holistic approach to counterparty management, ADIA is continuing to optimise how it works with external institutions, ensuring that these relationships continue to develop as an important pillar of the organisation’s long-term growth.
1,350 Employees from 61 Countries
In 2025, ADIA Lab continued to foster the development of Abu Dhabi’s scientific community through a series of education and outreach programmes.
A key milestone during the year was the launch of ADIA Lab’s first summer internship programme, aimed at developing emerging research talent in the UAE. Over eight weeks, 15 undergraduate and graduate students worked closely with leading scientists and gained practical experience in advanced research methods. The programme concluded with students presenting their own research projects, giving them valuable exposure to the demands and standards of professional scientific work.
Established as an independent data and computational sciences research institution supported by ADIA, the Lab also expanded its international educational activities in 2025 by hosting two summer schools. These two-week programmes focused on timely topics: “Explainable AI” in Granada, Spain, and “Sustainable AI” in Shanghai, China. In total, these events brought more than 100 participants together for intensive academic study, along with opportunities for cultural exchange and professional networking.
To support scientific exchange throughout the year, ADIA Lab hosted seven specialised seminars in Abu Dhabi. These events showcased leading researchers in artificial intelligence, climate science, health sciences and computational research to the local community. By sharing new ideas and encouraging discussion across disciplines, the seminars helped researchers in Abu Dhabi build connections and explore new areas of collaboration.
As in previous years, a key highlight of 2025 was the ADIA Lab Symposium. This flagship three-day event attracted record attendance, with more than 800 participants joining in person and 600 attending online from around the world. Featuring 41 distinguished speakers, including four Nobel Laureates, the Symposium examined how AI can support advances in climate science, health sciences, and the digital economy.
ADIA Lab also continued to broaden its international research network. Through a competitive grant programme, ADIA Lab attracted high-quality proposals and appointed new Fellows from leading institutions including Harvard University, NYU Abu Dhabi, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. By linking local talent with world-class researchers, ADIA Lab is helping to build a strong foundation for long-term, data-driven innovation.
