Image: Abu Dhabi Media Office
Microsoft said it would invest $15.2bn in the UAE by 2029 to advance artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure, develop local digital talent, and deepen technology cooperation between the UAE and the US.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, was briefed by Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith on the company’s plans to expand AI infrastructure and training programmes in the UAE, Abu Dhabi Media Office reported on November 3.
“This is not money raised in the UAE. It’s money we’re spending in the UAE,” Smith said, adding that the investment aims to bring together “technology, talent, and trust.” He said Microsoft’s focus was on equipping local talent to develop and deploy AI that aligns with regional needs.
The investment builds on Microsoft’s partnership with Abu Dhabi-based AI firm G42 and underscores growing US-UAE technology ties. G42 CEO Peng Xiao said the collaboration would “advance the frontiers of AI across industries” and “establish a new standard for cross-border collaboration rooted in trust.”
The plan includes more than $7.3bn in spending between 2023 and the end of 2025, comprising a $1.5bn equity investment in G42, over $4.6bn in capital expenditure on AI and cloud data centres, and $1.2bn in local operating costs.
From 2026 through 2029, Microsoft expects to spend an additional $7.9bn, including $5.5bn in further data centre expansion.
The company has secured export licences to import advanced NVIDIA GPUs into the UAE, providing over 80,000 A100-class chips for AI workloads.
Microsoft to bridge skill gap with training
Microsoft said it would also train one million people in the UAE by 2027, including 120,000 government employees and 175,000 students, and has opened a Global Engineering Development Centre and an AI for Good Lab in Abu Dhabi.
The company and G42 co-founded the Responsible AI Future Foundation this year alongside the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to promote ethical AI practices. Both nations have also signed an Intergovernmental Assurance Agreement to ensure compliance with cybersecurity, data protection, and export controls.
Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, secretary general of the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council, said the move “reflects our shared commitment to harness AI for sustainable growth, economic diversification, and opportunity for future generations.”
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