As countries accelerate efforts to tackle climate change, energy transition, and the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence, universities are taking on a broader role of connecting disciplines, enabling collaboration, and translating research into solutions with real-world impact. The International Conference onAI and Materials for Sustainability (AIMS 2025), organised by IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi (IITD-AD) from 15 to 17 December, illustrated this evolving role with depth and clarity.
Conceived and led by IITD-AD, AIMS 2025 aligned closely with the UAE National AI Strategy 2031 and the country’s Net Zero by 2050 goal, reflecting Abu Dhabi’s ambition to advance high-value sectors, including energy, materials, manufacturing, and chemical processes, through sustainable solutions. By locating the conference in Abu Dhabi, AIMS 2025 highlighted the Emirate’s growing prominence as a global hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development.
Beginning with a pre-conference workshop on 14 December at the IITD-AD campus in Khalifa City, AIMS 2025 unfolded over three days with more than 400 delegates and over 100 speakers from more than 20 countries participating in 24 technical sessions, 4 specialised workshops, over 200 research presentations, and 14 awards recognising excellence in scientific work. Showcasing remarkable breadth for a campus in only its second year, the conference drew on IIT Delhi’s six-decade legacy, leveraging its academic strengths, global networks, and culture of innovation to position IITD-AD as a leading centre for global research collaboration.
The conference addressed key themes in sustainability research, including AI-enabled materials discovery, data-driven modelling for energy and chemical systems, carbon capture and utilisation, circular resource strategies, and AI in experimental science. Each session emphasised methodological rigor, reproducibility, and potential for real-world application.
AIMS 2025 was framed within both a historical and regional context. Prof. Mohammad Ali Haider, Vice Provost for Research and External Engagement at IITD-AD, emphasised the continuum of human inquiry, “Artificial intelligence and advanced materials are not solely products of the modern era. Their foundations stretch across centuries; from Āryabhaṭa’s mathematical innovations, through Al-Khwārizmi’s algorithms, to Jābir ibn Ḥayyān’s experimental approaches in chemistry and materials science. Recognising this shared intellectual heritage highlights how knowledge has flowed across regions, connecting past wisdom with today’s technological and sustainability challenges.”
This historical context finds true resonance in Abu Dhabi, where tradition, heritage and forward-looking ambition intersect. Just minutes from the conference venue, Masdar City exemplifies sustainable urban innovation, while the UAE’s carbon capture facility at Al Reyadah, in a hard-to-abate sector demonstrates the translation of knowledge into practical, high-impact solutions.
Distinguished researchers from leading international institutions enriched the conference discussions, bringing perspectives that bridged fundamental science and applied sustainability research. Awards for outstanding oral and poster presentations by the reputed journals of the American Chemical Society reinforced alignment with global standards of academic excellence and scholarly rigor.
The conference also showcased the UAE’s growing research ecosystem, with leading faculty from Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Higher Colleges of Technology(HCT), Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), and representatives from International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) contributing regional insights on decarbonisation, AI systems, and sustainability policy. These interactions highlighted the integration of IITD-AD within Abu Dhabi’s scientific landscape and its role in connecting global expertise with local challenges.
AIMS 2025 paid particular attention to early-career researchers and students. Doctoral candidates, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduates engaged directly with senior scientists, receiving feedback on methodology, presentation, and career development. Workshops on data-driven materials design, AI-enabled experimental workflows, scientific communication and Lab-to-Industry pathways complemented the technical programme, reinforcing IITD-AD’s commitment to cultivating research capability alongside innovation and enterpreneurship. Senior leaders from international scientific organisations interacted with IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi’s undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students, offering insight into the realities of global research careers.
Importantly, AIMS was the culmination of a year-long series of engagements led by IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi, including the Quantum Technology Workshop, Carbon Capture and Beyond Symposium, AI, Security and Silicon Research Symposium, Energy and AI Summer Bootcamps for high-school students and IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi Ignite 2025 startup event inviting deep-tech startups from UAE-India landscape. Immediately following AIMS, the Workshop on Photonics, Genomics and AI for Health centered Abu Dhabi in launching new Indo-Norwegian collaborations in healthcare technologies, further extending the campus’s influence across disciplines.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Shantanu Roy, Executive Director at IITD-AD stated, “AIMS 2025 signals not only the growth of IITD-AD as a research institution but also Abu Dhabi’s evolution as a regional hub for scientific collaboration and sustainable innovation.” As IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi campus completes its second year of establishment, AIMS 2025 stands as a defining moment: a conference where emerging scholars met global leaders, where ideas were rigorously discussed and shared, and where the campus’s role in shaping a knowledge-driven, sustainable future in the UAE was made unmistakably clear.
This page was produced by The National in partnership with IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi.
Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
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Infiniti QX80 specs
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Some of Darwish’s last words
“They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope.” – Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated,” said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE’s National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
“What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live.”
This is then injected into the body.
“The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose,” she said.
“You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen.”
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever,” she said.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate’s increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Pharaoh’s curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened. He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia. Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”. Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
How to turn your property into a holiday home
Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive – https://www.agda.ae/en
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1′, Mane 23′, 66′, Salah 45′ 1, 83′
Huddersfield 0
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
TCL INFO
Teams: Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
