PRESS RELEASE

MALAYSIA, UAE AND RWANDA SEEK TO BOOST AI ADOPTION, HELP BRIDGE GAP BETWEEN AI LEADERS WORLDWIDE

DUBAI, April 24, 2025 – Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Rwanda have agreed to strengthen coordination to help boost the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Global South.

Within the framework of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) global network, the countries will work together to promote ethics and governance in AI to help societies and economies in the said region to harness its potential.

This comes following the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday between Dubai Future Foundation as the legal entity hosting the UAE C4IR, Rwanda C4IR and MyDigital Corporation, an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Digital. The strategic partnership was announced at the on-going Dubai AI Week.

Minister of Digital Gobind Singh Deo said Malaysia is proud to join forces with the UAE and Rwanda in this visionary initiative to bridge global AI expertise and accelerate digital transformation for a more inclusive and sustainable future.

“This partnership involving Malaysia, UAE, and Rwanda reflects our collective goal for a future that is driven by responsible AI innovation,” said Gobind.

“We hope that the C4IR Network AI Fellowship Program, resulting from this collaboration, will serve as a vital bridge, connecting AI leaders and experts across continents. By sharing knowledge, exchanging talents, and co-creating solutions, we aim to address the critical challenges and harness the immense potential of AI for the benefit of not only our nations, but the wider global community.”

Following the signing of the MoU, the countries agreed to expand the scope of the C4IR AI Fellowship Programme, which was initially signed by the UAE and Rwanda at the 2024 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos. The knowledge exchange platform was created to connect leaders, innovators, and experts in the AI space.

Now, with the addition of Malaysia, the expanded partnership will promote further international cooperation to support sustainable development through AI. The initiative will enable talent exchange, joint initiatives, and coordinated development of responsible AI governance frameworks led by Global South nations.

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Issued by:

Office of the Minister

Ministry of Digital, Malaysia