The University of Sharjah (UoS) has announced the rollout of a watsonx-integrated AI chatbot within the My FarmWell mobile app, aimed to advance sustainable agriculture across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This phase delivers localized, real-time support for farmers through enterprise-grade AI and builds on the launch of My FarmWell app earlier this year.
At the core of this milestone is Welly, an intelligent AI-powered chatbot now integrated with IBM’s watsonx. Welly provides multilingual (English and Arabic), real-time guidance on well monitoring and irrigation strategy. The University’s faculty and researchers had already developed the chatbot’s knowledge base, irrigation calculator, and educational tools, providing the foundation on which IBM watsonx is now scaling these solutions with advanced AI capabilities.
In collaboration with IBM, the chatbot upgrade is complemented by new features including a Wells Map for visual water tracking, an improved water consumption calculator, and expanded in-app guidance supported by partners such as Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), and Civil and Environmental Engineering department at Khalifa University (KU).
“This is a significant milestone in our collaboration with IBM through the IBM Impact Accelerator”, said UoS Chancellor His Excellency Prof. Essam El-Din Ajami. “It’s a powerful example of how AI and research can come together to support farmers, optimize water use, and advance climate resilience across the region”.
The advanced Welly conversational AI assistant seeks to transform how farmers access expert knowledge, advancing the region’s goals for water efficiency, food security, and climate resilience at scale.
“With watsonx, we’re delivering the power of enterprise-grade AI to the field through the IBM Impact Accelerator, providing natural language, tailored insights, and trusted data”, said Shukri Eid, General Manager, IBM Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan. “This upgrade to My FarmWell demonstrates how AI can be intuitive, scalable, and deeply local; helping farmers make informed decisions that improve outcomes and preserve resources. One well, one field, one decision at a time”.
“Our team at the University of Sharjah has been dedicated to creating farmer-focused tools such as Welly the chatbot, the water consumption calculator, and the in-app sustainability tips”, said Dr. Adewale Giwa, Principal Investigator of the My FarmWell project. “Integrating these innovations with IBM’s watsonx enables us to amplify their impact – ensuring that farmers receive actionable, accessible, and trusted support for sustainable farming”.
In addition, Dr. Maryam Rashed Al Shehhi, Assistant Professor at Khalifa University, emphasized that My FarmWell exemplifies how advanced technologies and academic collaboration can empower farmers with practical, water-smart solutions. She further noted that the initiative reflects the UAE’s commitment to fostering sustainable agriculture while addressing the pressing challenges of climate change and food security.
“This collaboration brings practical, water-smart tools directly to farmers and supports the UAE’s long-term goals for water security and sustainable food production,” said a member of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA).
Key features of the updated My FarmWell app include:
- Welly AI Chatbot powered by watsonx: A scalable, multilingual assistant delivering real-time, localized help for farmers to monitor wells, manage irrigation, using natural language in English and Arabic, for maximum accessibility.
- Wells Map: An interactive map that enables users to visualize and manage their agricultural wells, helping promote responsible water usage and long-term sustainability
- Water Consumption Calculator: A UoS innovation that provides detailed, farm-specific calculations to help farmers estimate and optimize water use across crops, operations, and livestock. It provides dynamic estimations for water consumption using live weather data such as wind speed and humidity for maximum accuracy.
- Refreshed Content and Guidance: App content has been updated based on partner feedback, including from ADAFSA, to ensure more accurate and actionable information.
