In a significant move bridging government strategy and startup ambition, Abu Dhabi-based agentic AI company AIREV has appointed H.E. Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade, as its new Chairman. The appointment directly aligns the sovereign AI platform with the UAE’s national agenda to become a global exporter of AI and software technology.
Quick Facts
- Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi appointed Chairman.
- Backed by G42’s tech holding company Core42.
- Platform serves over four million users worldwide.
- Currently pursuing a Series A2 funding round.
A Strategic Play for Sovereign AI
The appointment of Dr. Al Zeyoudi places AIREV at the center of the UAE’s economic diversification strategy. The minister has been a key figure in driving the country’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) program, which often includes clauses on digital cooperation and AI technology exports.
This move comes as the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade hit $1.03 trillion (AED 3.8 trillion) in 2025, a 27% year-on-year increase. This figure represents a 95% completion of the “We the UAE 2031” target of AED 4 trillion in non-oil trade, achieved nearly six years ahead of schedule, underscoring the nation’s rapid economic shift. By installing the foreign trade minister as its chairman, AIREV signals its intent to be a major player in this next phase of growth.
OnDemand’s Tech and Traction
AIREV’s core product is OnDemand, a no-code and low-code platform for building and deploying autonomous AI agents. The platform has gained significant traction, now serving more than four million users globally with over 300 specialized agents available in more than 50 languages.
A key feature for its target market is its deployment flexibility. OnDemand can operate in cloud, hybrid, on-premise, or completely air-gapped environments. This gives governments and highly regulated industries full control over their data, models, and infrastructure, a critical requirement for sovereign AI applications.
Forging Global Partnerships
To fuel its global ambitions, AIREV has secured several strategic partnerships with major international tech firms. The company is working with US chipmaker Intel to optimize its OnDemand platform for Intel processors and integrate autonomous AI agents into next-generation AI PCs.
It has also partnered with US chip firm Tenstorrent to co-develop an agentic AI stack for enterprise and sovereign use cases, which includes establishing a dedicated Agentic AI Development Node in the UAE. On the distribution front, a deal with Redington is set to support AIREV’s expansion into Europe and provide channel reach across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
Funding and Future Growth
Founded in 2023, AIREV’s backing traces to a mid-2024 seed investment from Core42, the sovereign AI and cloud arm of Abu Dhabi’s G42. The startup later secured a limited Series A round with participation from Irish firm VentureWave Capital and Gurgaon-based Titian Capital.
AIREV is now pursuing a Series A2 funding round. The high-profile appointment of Dr. Al Zeyoudi as Chairman could provide significant momentum for a larger fundraise to support its expansion plans.
About AIREV
Founded in 2023 by Muhammed Khalid, Dr Youssef Youssef, and Kayaan Unwalla, AIREV is an Abu Dhabi-based agentic AI company behind the sovereign AI operating system, OnDemand. Backed by Core42, a G42 company, AIREV provides a no-code and low-code platform for building and managing autonomous AI agents for enterprise and government use. Its portfolio also includes the edtech platform School Hack.
Source: Middle East AI News
