Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) this week commenced celebrations marking its fifth anniversary under the theme “Pioneering Tomorrow: AI, Science and Humanity.” The milestone marks the five-year period from 2020 to 2025, since the world’s first AI university welcomed its first cohort of students in 2020.
His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of MBZUAI’s Board of Trustees, said: “Over the past five years, MBZUAI has evolved from an ambitious vision into a cornerstone of the UAE’s identity as a global AI leader. Our journey has been about more than academic excellence; it is about building the intellectual infrastructure required to power a knowledge-driven economy. By attracting and cultivating world-class talent and pioneering research that addresses real-world challenges, MBZUAI is ensuring that Abu Dhabi and the UAE are primary architects of an AI-enabled future. As we look ahead, our commitment remains clear: to harness the transformative power of AI to serve humanity, drive sustainable growth, and solidify Abu Dhabi’s position at the heart of the world’s AI map.”
Professor Eric Xing, MBZUAI President and University Professor, said: “MBZUAI was established as part of the UAE’s long-term vision to position artificial intelligence as foundational infrastructure for a knowledge-driven economy. In five years, we have achieved leading global research rankings and helped extend the frontier of AI through initiatives such as the Institute of Foundation Models. As we enter our next phase, we are scaling MBZUAI into a comprehensive research university across disciplines including life sciences, natural sciences, advanced computing, fundamental sciences, etc. In doing so, we aim to shape how AI advances science, strengthens economies, and generates positive impact on climate, energy, public health, education, industry, and society at large.”
The University is currently ranked 10th globally in CSRankings across its core specializations, including artificial intelligence, computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, robotics, and computational biology. Further reinforcing its international standing, MBZUAI was recently recognized among the top 50 organizations advancing the global artificial intelligence frontier at NeurIPS 2025. This reputation for excellence is underpinned by a world-class academic community of 116 faculty members, nearly half of whom joined from the world’s top 100 AI institutions, and a student body of 653 researchers representing 59 nationalities.
A defining milestone in MBZUAI’s five-year journey has been its transition from a graduate-level institution into a comprehensive university, marked by the 2025 launch of its first undergraduate program. To support this evolution, MBZUAI has expanded to eight academic departments, creating a robust multidisciplinary ecosystem. Alongside its founding pillars of Machine Learning, Computer Vision, and Natural Language Processing, the University has established departments in Robotics and Computer Science, as well as newly launched disciplines including Human-Computer Interaction, Statistics and Data Science, and Computational Biology. This expansion enables a holistic approach to AI education, bridging foundational theory with real-world applications across healthcare, engineering, and the social sciences.
The impact of this academic rigor is reflected in MBZUAI’s 318 alumni, who are now driving AI adoption across the global economy. While 44% of graduates have entered research careers, 29% have joined data and technology sectors, with others leading innovation across healthcare, defense, security, logistics, government, and energy.
Expanding its research footprint, the University established the Institute of Foundation Models (IFM), with laboratories spanning Abu Dhabi, Silicon Valley, and Paris. IFM has pioneered world-leading systems including K2-Think, among the world’s fastest reasoning systems, and Jais 2, a leading open-weight Arabic large language model.
Complementing these research achievements, the MBZUAI Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) serves as a critical bridge between academic excellence and commercial impact. As Abu Dhabi continues to emerge as a global innovation hub, underscored by the UAE’s fifth place ranking in the Stanford Global AI Power Rankings 2025, IEC supports founders through targeted workshops, mentorship, and access to funding. In 2025, the center supported 88 undergraduate and 17 postgraduate students, with 30 startup ideas pitched following more than 150 hours of mentorship and coaching.
