Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (SUAD) and Saal.ai, a made-in-UAE AI and big data product company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on research, innovation, and knowledge transfer in artificial intelligence (AI), sovereign AI, and Agentic AI.
The MoU was signed by Guillaume Housse, Head of Public Affairs and Sponsorship, Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs, on behalf of Prof Nathalie Martial-Braz, Chancellor of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, and Vikraman Poduval, CEO of Saal.ai.
As part of the MoU, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi will bring its academic and research expertise together with Saal.ai’s capabilities in enterprise AI platforms, sovereign AI infrastructure, and Agentic AI technologies to help accelerate the development of localised AI capabilities.
The collaboration aligns with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi’s Year of AI, reinforcing the University’s continued focus on interdisciplinary research, emerging technologies, and future-ready talent development.
Through the Sorbonne Centre for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI) and specialised academic programmes such as the Bachelor’s in Mathematics, Specialisation in Data Science for Artificial Intelligence, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi continues to strengthen its contribution to AI education, research, and innovation in the UAE.
Dr. Xavier Fresquet, Head of Sorbonne CentRE for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, said: “Partnerships between academia and industry are becoming essential as AI technologies, including sovereign and agentic AI systems, rapidly expand across nearly all sectors of industry and society.
“At SCAI, we want our students not only to understand these technologies, but also to actively use them and engage with the AI-driven environments transforming professional practices worldwide.”
He added that this collaboration reflects a shared commitment to advancing AI research, talent development, and innovation ecosystems aligned with the UAE’s strategic vision.
Poduval said, “This collaboration represents the next level of accelerating true sovereign AI capabilities in the UAE with self-reliance and full autonomy. By bringing together academic excellence and AI innovation, we are not only accelerating Agentic AI development but also ensuring that Emirati talent is at the centre of this transformation.”
