mimik UAE AI has been launched through a joint venture to accelerate sovereign, real-time intelligence across the Emirates. The initiative focuses on device-first AI and secure edge deployments.
mimik signed an MOU with Next71 Ltd and ASK Holding LLC during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week to establish a local entity and scale Continuum AI across priority sectors. The move targets sovereign control and resilience.
The programme aligns with directives from UAE leadership and the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council, placing data sovereignty, skills, and a citizen-first approach at the centre of the roadmap.
Category and Region
Category: Government & Tech
Region: Middle East & Arabia
mimik UAE AI: What You Need to Know
- mimik UAE AI is a joint venture to deliver device-first, sovereign AI and edge intelligence across critical UAE sectors with real-time, contextual decision making.
Recommended tools for secure, sovereign AI at the edge
- Tenable Vulnerability Management, strengthen asset visibility and risk posture across distributed environments.
- Bitdefender Security for advanced endpoint protection in edge and IIoT fleets.
- 1Password Business to secure credentials and secrets for agentic systems.
- Tresorit Encrypted Cloud for compliant data exchange and sovereign collaboration.
mimik UAE AI
The creation of mimik UAE AI marks a strategic shift in how intelligence is built and deployed in the country. Announced during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week, the joint venture combines mimik’s device-first Continuum AI with the ecosystem reach of Next71 and ASK Holding. mimik UAE AI intends to embed intelligence in devices, vehicles, and infrastructure to enable real-time, context-aware decision-making at the edge.
By moving beyond a cloud dominant model, mimik UAE AI supports the UAE’s ambition to lead sovereign technology. The approach processes data close to its source and shares it securely in line with national privacy and resilience priorities.
Strategic partnership anchored in Abu Dhabi
The joint venture was unveiled at an Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week AI showcase, signalling intent to scale practical, sovereign AI. Sara Dhafer Alahbabi of Next71 described a focus on a smart, sustainable economy with intelligence available everywhere. ASK Holding said the collaboration is about real-world sovereign intelligence deployed on roads, in ports, in factories, and across small businesses. mimik UAE AI will prioritise local autonomy and flexibility, keeping sensitive data within national boundaries where required.
From cloud-first to citizen-first intelligence
The partners outlined a shift from cloud-first to citizen-first architecture. The design is private by default, resilient, and responsive in real time. mimik UAE AI brings distributed intelligence to the edge so devices become active participants rather than passive endpoints. The strategy aims to translate data into new industries, skills, and safer communities, designed in Abu Dhabi for the Emirates. Related regional deployments, such as a robotic fulfilment centre in Kuwait and an Arabic AI customer experience platform, underscore this trajectory.
Device-first Continuum AI and the agentic economy
mimik defines Device-first Continuum AI as local and offline-first with seamless connectivity. Robots, sensors, and machines gain contextual intelligence and collaborate as networked agents. The company positions this as foundational for an agentic economy where billions of intelligent agents and Knowledge-as-a-Service reshape value creation. mimik UAE AI offers a stack designed for autonomy, sovereignty, sustainability, and energy efficiency across operations.
Founder and CEO Fay Arjomandi said the platform is built to provide operational freedom and control while enabling growth. In practical terms, mimik UAE AI supports edge processing, reduces latency, and delivers adaptive systems that learn and respond in near real time.
Building sovereign digital capabilities in the UAE
Strengthening sovereign digital capabilities UAE wide sits at the centre of the initiative. mimik UAE AI supports the AIATC mandate to accelerate national innovation and safeguard data. It aims to cultivate advanced talent, fuel innovation, and reinforce data sovereignty by keeping critical intelligence close to where it is created and used. The theme of sovereign digital capabilities UAE continues to shape policy and investment across the region.
With intelligence distributed across devices, vehicles, and infrastructure, the aim is to position Abu Dhabi as a hub for physical AI. In this model, mimik UAE AI helps industries adapt dynamically, improving safety, efficiency, and citizen services. For context on telecom and infrastructure momentum, see Africa’s 5G evolution toward next generation connectivity.
Security, trust and responsible AI at the edge
Decentralised intelligence raises the need for stringent security controls. Organisations adopting agentic systems should address threats such as adversarial prompts, model manipulation, and data leakage. Guidance on prompt injection risks in AI systems and Zero Trust architecture can inform secure edge deployments. For frameworks and measurements, see emerging AI cyber security benchmarks. These controls are essential as mimik UAE AI scales across heterogeneous devices and sectors.
Implications for the Emirates and industry
Advantages: The model reduces latency, improves privacy, and enables mission critical decisions to occur locally. mimik UAE AI can benefit logistics, transport, manufacturing, utilities, and smart city operations by turning devices into intelligent actors. The approach aligns with economic diversification and skills growth as Abu Dhabi amplifies its role in physical AI and the agentic economy.
Disadvantages and challenges: Distributed systems add orchestration and lifecycle complexity alongside broader attack surfaces. Achieving consistent governance across varied devices requires investment in standards, testing, and talent. Organisations adopting mimik UAE AI need strong controls for model integrity, data lineage, and secure over the air updates, a lesson echoed in our coverage of major AI security flaws.
Scale secure edge operations with these partner solutions
- Auvik Network Management, automate monitoring and visibility for distributed sites.
- Plesk Server Platform for streamlined app hosting across edge and cloud.
- EasyDMARC to harden email security and prevent spoofing in critical workflows.
- IDrive Cloud Backup to protect distributed data with encryption and versioning.
Conclusion
Announced during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week AI, the joint venture between mimik, Next71, and ASK Holding marks a notable step for sovereign AI in the UAE. mimik UAE AI centres intelligence where data is created.
By turning devices and infrastructure into cooperative agents, mimik UAE AI seeks to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability across sectors. The initiative aligns with directives from UAE leadership and the AIATC.
As agentic architectures gain traction, investment in edge-native capabilities places Abu Dhabi at the forefront of physical AI and knowledge driven growth, with mimik UAE AI emerging as a cornerstone platform.
Questions Worth Answering
What is mimik UAE AI?
It is a joint venture that deploys device-first, sovereign AI across the UAE, enabling real-time edge intelligence for industries and public services.
Who are the partners behind the venture?
mimik has partnered with Next71 Ltd and ASK Holding LLC, announcing the plan at Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week to scale practical, sovereign AI through mimik UAE AI.
How does it differ from cloud-only AI?
mimik UAE AI pushes intelligence to the edge and processes data locally for lower latency, improved privacy, and resilient, real-time decision making.
Which sectors could benefit first?
Transport, logistics, ports, manufacturing, and SMBs are early candidates as mimik UAE AI turns devices into active, context aware tools.
How does this support national priorities?
mimik UAE AI aligns with UAE leadership and the AIATC by strengthening data sovereignty, nurturing talent, and accelerating sustainable innovation.
What safeguards are needed?
Adopt strong governance, Zero Trust, robust patching, and defences against prompt injection to secure agentic systems that use mimik UAE AI.
What is Device-first Continuum AI?
It is a local and offline-first approach that connects seamlessly, enabling devices and agents to collaborate and act in context in real time.
About mimik
mimik is a global pioneer in device-first Continuum AI and agentic software for edge-native deployments. The company promotes local, contextual intelligence across distributed environments.
Its platform enables processing across devices, vehicles, and infrastructure, reducing latency and improving privacy for real-time operations. mimik UAE AI extends this capability to the Emirates.
With the launch of mimik UAE AI, the firm supports Abu Dhabi’s vision to lead in sovereign technology and the agentic economy with secure, scalable edge intelligence.
About Fay Arjomandi
Fay Arjomandi is the Founder and CEO of mimik. She champions device-first Continuum AI that brings intelligence closer to where data is created and consumed.
During the UAE announcement she emphasised sovereignty, sustainability, and operational control as core strengths of the mimik UAE AI platform.
Her leadership focuses on practical, scalable edge intelligence that supports organisational growth while maintaining autonomy and resilience across critical systems.
Explore more top picks, build AI faster with Blackbox AI, train teams via Trainual, and modernise voice with CloudTalk.

