ADQ and the Gates Foundation have announced a four-year partnership worth $40 million aimed at promoting the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and education technology (EdTech) to enhance foundational learning outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. The announcement, made during Abu Dhabi Finance Week amid a visit by Bill Gates to the UAE, sees ADQ committing up to $20 million to this initiative.
The initiative is particularly targeting early literacy and numeracy, addressing a pressing issue: nine in ten children in sub-Saharan Africa are unable to read or perform basic math by the age of ten. This challenge is compounded by projections that the region will host one-third of the world’s youth by 2050. The funding will support the AI-for-Education program and is expected to facilitate the launch of a new EdTech and AI Fund next year, aimed at scaling proven educational solutions at a national level.
This partnership seeks to bridge significant funding and evidence gaps in the EdTech sector, where over 93% of products in low- and middle-income countries lack proven learning impact. Notably, sub-Saharan Africa attracts a mere 2% of global EdTech venture capital, highlighting a critical disparity in investment. The initiative aligns with commitments made at the 2025 African Union Summit to eliminate learning poverty by 2035.
ADQ, a sovereign investor focused on critical infrastructure and global supply chains, views this partnership as a vital step in accelerating the adoption of AI and EdTech. As education systems evolve, digital learning platforms and AI-enabled solutions are becoming essential to national infrastructure, paralleling traditional sectors like transport and energy. By investing in this emerging educational infrastructure, ADQ aims to complement its investments in physical and digital assets.
With Africa projected to be home to one in every three of the world’s young people by 2050, the partnership seeks to allocate resources toward solutions that are relevant to local needs, empower teachers, and bolster student support. Strengthening early-grade literacy and numeracy will be crucial for enhancing overall educational outcomes and fostering economic growth across the region.
The four-year partnership will deploy a combined $40 million, with ADQ contributing up to $20 million to confront persistent education challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative will feature two flagship programs: the AI-for-Education, which develops practical AI-enabled learning models and provides guidance to governments in the Global South, and the forthcoming EdTech and AI Fund, set to scale proven solutions across the region.
This fund will be the first dedicated vehicle for the national-level expansion of interventions that have demonstrated efficacy in improving foundational learning. While the potential of generative AI offers unique opportunities to enhance educational approaches, a lack of evidence on effective strategies persists. In addition, the sector faces substantial underfunding, with just 4% of children in the region regularly using EdTech resources.
Earlier this year, the Gates Foundation announced a $240 million expansion of its Global Education Program, a four-year effort to assist 15 million children in sub-Saharan Africa and India in learning more efficiently through cost-effective and evidence-based solutions in partnership with governments. Building on that momentum, the UAE is leveraging its strengths in innovation and technology deployment to speed up the integration of AI in education.
“As part of the UAE’s commitment to advancing AI and technology-enabled solutions, this partnership underscores ADQ’s dedication to delivering meaningful impact for current and future generations across global markets,” said His Excellency Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ADQ. He added that while traditional investments focused on physical assets, the systems supporting learning and data are now critical components of national development.
Bill Gates echoed this sentiment, stating, “AI has enormous potential to transform learning and expand opportunity. This partnership brings together the expertise needed to apply these tools responsibly and scale approaches already showing results.” He commended the UAE’s leadership in innovation and expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential to help children develop foundational skills essential for their futures.
The increasing momentum for educational reform across Africa, as seen in the commitments made at the 2025 African Union Summit, presents a unique opportunity for significant progress. The convergence of technological advances, growing local expertise, and enhanced collaboration is laying a robust foundation for change. This partnership aims to accelerate learning gains, fostering a more prosperous and inclusive future for the continent’s youth.
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