02-11-2026
By Michelle Waweru | Channel: tech
| Tags: Artificial Intelligence
MENA
Tech
Venture Capital & Private Equity
Context Labs secures investment from 22/x to expand AI in MENA
AI data infrastructure company Context Labs has received a strategic investment from 22/x, the Abu Dhabi-based AI-native investment and incubation platform. The two companies also signed a long-term agreement to establish Context Labs’ regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi and accelerate expansion in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The agreement outlined the deployment of Context Labs’ AI Data Infrastructure in the region, including the Context Labs AI Distillery™ for sovereign AI. The collaboration will also focus on developing and deploying industry applications for priority sectors such as energy, utilities and critical infrastructure, while integrating the technology into existing regional assets and ecosystems.
Context Labs targets sovereign AI infrastructure in MENA
Context Labs develops AI Data Infrastructure designed to provide enterprises with a trusted data foundation for artificial intelligence. Its Context Engine supports secure sovereign AI by processing fragmented operational, engineering, and enterprise data, verifying information cryptographically atdata lineage and provenance
The platform uses industry-specific ontologies to provide context across sectors including energy, chemicals, mining, commodities trading, logistics, utilities, pharmaceuticals and financial services. Its applications support operational and compliance requirements, while the AI Distillery™ enables organisations to run frontier and open-weight AI models and semantic context agents within their own data centres using verified data.
22/x supports regional AI expansion and deployment
In energy and critical infrastructure, the platform provides a foundation for connecting operational performance, emissions intelligence and AI-enabled decision-making. It also enables operators to verify energy-related data, respond to regulatory and market requirements, and support operational resilience.
22/x will work with Context Labs to expand its infrastructure and applications across MENA. The partnership will target organisations investing in enterprise AI, providing a verified data foundation to support trusted AI deployment and measurable returns on investment.
The collaboration will draw on 22/x’s experience in deep-tech and applied AI for critical infrastructure, as well as its relationships with sovereign-aligned computing, data and distribution partners across the region.
Context Labs and 22/x outline partnership objectives
Dan Harple, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Context Labs: “AI is only as good as the data underneath it, and enterprises have to be able to verify that data before AI can be trusted to act on it. Our cross-industry ontologies, built on a single AI Data Infrastructure, let us move with the region’s national champions across every sector they lead. With 22/x, we are bringing them the infrastructure to own their IP, own their AI, and prove the integrity of their data to partners, regulators and markets worldwide.”
Yousif Al Nowais, Chairman and Managing Director of 22/x: “Through Arab Development, we have predominantly served the oil and gas industry, bringing global expertise and technology into the UAE and building lasting local partnerships and industrial capability. As automation, robotics and artificial intelligence reshape these industries and the wider economy, we recognized the need for a dedicated, future-focused vehicle to support the new digital economy. We established 22/x to build on that foundation, helping local industries adopt these technologies, modernize their operations and develop the capabilities to compete in an increasingly digital world.”
Mohammed Yousif Al Nowais, Director and Board Member of 22/x: “Our partnership with Context Labs brings an essential foundation to that ambition: trusted data that enables businesses to apply AI with confidence while retaining control over their information. For us, this transition must also create opportunities for Emiratis to develop specialist skills, contribute to deployment and lead the industries of the future. Our ambition is not simply to bring technology to the UAE, but to build the knowledge, capability and long-term value that remain here.”
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