• Barometer draws on insights from 52 UAE organizations
  • 81% of healthcare organizations are already defining AI use cases, but 42% still lack a dedicated AI budget
  • startAD is launching practical tools to help organizations move from experimentation to implementation

Abu Dhabi, UAE: startAD, the Abu Dhabi-based startup accelerator powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), has launched the AI Adoption Barometer, developed through its AI for Good initiative with support from Google.org. Drawing on insights from 52 UAE-based organizations, the Barometer is the first practitioner-informed snapshot of how organizations across healthcare and social impact sectors are adopting artificial intelligence in practice.

While enthusiasm for AI continues to grow, many organizations are seeking practical guidance on how to translate it into effective adoption. Key priorities include identifying meaningful use cases, establishing governance frameworks, allocating resources effectively, and implementing solutions responsibly. Equally important is defining clear metrics to measure performance and impact, and ensuring successful use cases can be systematically scaled from individual projects into broader organizational adoption.

In healthcare, 81% of organizations surveyed have defined AI use cases and 58% are already piloting or deploying solutions. Yet 42% report having no dedicated AI budget, a gap that reveals the distance between momentum and readiness. In the social impact sector, the challenge is more foundational, with many institutions still working to define use cases and build the internal capacity needed for responsible adoption.

To help close that gap, startAD has also launched two implementation playbooks. The AI Use Case Discovery Playbook helps organizations turn a vague idea into a testable AI use case, with no technical background required. The Evaluate and Pilot AI Solutions Playbook guides teams through assessing, selecting, and running a responsible pilot within their existing operations. Both are available through the new startAD AI Resource Hub, alongside the AI Adoption Barometer, which organizations can download and use as a benchmarking reference and decision-support tool.

Ashwin Joshi, Director of startAD, said: “AI for Good was created to help mission-driven organizations move from interest in AI to practical adoption. One of the clearest needs that emerged from our work was for practical, step-by-step implementable, accessible guidance –  tools that meet organizations where they are and help them move forward responsibly and realistically."”

Anthony Nakache, Managing Director, Google MENA: “While AI may seem complex, we are convinced that healthcare organizations can embrace it. This project challenges the assumption that meaningful AI requires massive financial resources or specialized technical proficiency. Being part of Google’s regional AI Opportunity Initiative, Google.org’s support to startAD is designed to improve healthcare accessibility for disadvantaged communities across the UAE.”

To date, the AI for Good program has engaged five organizations through 13 AI readiness workshops, delivered a 43% overall increase in AI readiness, and mobilized close to 200 university students and solution builders across the UAE, KSA, and the wider MENA region.

The AI Adoption Barometer and playbooks are available to download now at startad.ae/ai-for-good-resource-hub/

About startAD

startAD is an Abu Dhabi-based accelerator, steering local and global startups to scale in the UAE and beyond. Powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi, startAD is a new model for innovation that creates customized and impact-driven programs in partnership with stakeholders including governments, corporations, investors, and innovation entities, furthering UAE’s transition into a knowledge-based economy. startAD’s unique sprint accelerator model enables corporations to further innovation by partnering with startups disrupting their core businesses, while equipping startups with the training and opportunity to pilot their solutions with industry leaders.

startAD offers unparalleled business advancement opportunities to local and global tech startups, SMEs, researchers, investors, and youth through an extensive range of programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and a strong global network. Driving innovation in construction, retail, finance, and other priority industries in the UAE, startAD alumni startups have raised USD 270 million in investment, generated USD 220 million in revenue, secured over 80 global pilot projects with corporations, and created over 2500 jobs worldwide.

About Tamkeen

Tamkeen is a company that partners with leading local and international institutions to deliver projects that enrich the social, cultural and educational landscape of the UAE.

About NYU Abu Dhabi 

nyuad.nyu.edu NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 31 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest globally ranked university in the UAE. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 31 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest globally ranked university in the UAE. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.