Industrial AI isn’t just about robots on factory floors—it’s about transforming the backbone of energy and manufacturing. And now, Cognite, one of the sector’s major players, is planting deeper roots in the Middle East.
The company announced it will establish a new entity in Abu Dhabi, a move designed to meet growing demand for digitalization across the region’s largest energy and manufacturing companies. For Cognite, it’s more than an expansion—it’s a strategic bet on the UAE’s global AI ambitions.
Why Abu Dhabi, Why Now
The UAE government has been explicit about wanting to lead the world in AI. For industrial players in oil, gas, and heavy manufacturing, that ambition is colliding with a pressing need: modernizing decades-old systems to become more efficient, sustainable, and data-driven.
Cognite’s presence in Abu Dhabi will serve as a hub for expertise, technology, and customer support, accelerating adoption of its industrial AI stack across the Gulf.
Board member Bernard Looney of XRG, an Abu Dhabi-based energy investment firm, framed it bluntly: “Cognite’s AI solutions are the pre-requisite foundation for the application of any form of AI, helping drive improved safety, emissions, and performance. I am delighted with Cognite’s new presence in the UAE—a country at the very forefront of global AI leadership.”
What’s Under the Hood
At the core of Cognite’s expansion is its agentic AI approach—AI “agents” that automate time-consuming industrial tasks and surface insights operators can act on in real time.
- Cognite Data Fusion® serves as the trusted data layer, organizing messy industrial data and making it AI-ready.
- Cognite Atlas AI™, a low-code workbench, gives organizations hands-on access to AI agents, making them extensible within existing workflows.
This one-two punch of foundation plus low-code accessibility is designed to help industries scale AI without reinventing their tech stack—or taking on risky deployments.
CEO’s View
Cognite CEO Girish Rishi tied the move directly to regional demand: “The UAE is leading the world in ambition and action around industrial AI. Cognite is establishing a presence in the UAE to anchor our access and response to industrial customers, so we can co-innovate with our incredible talent on the ground.”
The Bigger Picture
Cognite isn’t alone in racing to serve the region. Global tech and AI vendors—from Microsoft to Palantir—have also expanded in the Gulf, chasing the UAE’s aggressive national AI strategy and its deep-pocketed industrial base. But Cognite’s specialization in industrial data and agentic AI may give it a sharper edge in sectors where safety, emissions, and uptime are mission-critical.
What’s Next
Cognite plans to highlight its expansion and showcase real-world case studies at its upcoming Impact 2025 Industrial AI and Data Conference. Expect more announcements on how agentic AI is being applied at scale.
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