Microsoft Announces Record $15.2B AI Investment in UAE
The commitment covers AI infrastructure, a G42 partnership, export-licensed GPUs, and Abu Dhabi R&D within a roadmap that has been planned up to 2029 .
US tech giant, Microsoft, is set to invest $15.2 billion in the United Arab Emirates by 2029, a deal described as Microsoft’s largest MENA investment to date.
The deal spans advanced AI infrastructure, datacentre expansion, AI research, and nationwide skills programmes. More than $7.3 billion has already been deployed since 2023, including a $1.5 billion equity stake in G42, announced in April 2024, and over $4.6 billion in cloud infrastructure, with the remainder directed to local operations and AI talent development.
From 2026 to 2029, Microsoft plans to allocate $5.5 billion to expand AI and cloud infrastructure and $2.4 billion for local operations and goods. The company secured US export licences this year, enabling the acquisition of 60,400 A100 chips and Nvidia’s GB300 GPUs for datacentres, with approvals issued in September under updated safeguards.
Microsoft has also established a Global Engineering Development Centre and the AI for Good Lab in Abu Dhabi, while creating the Responsible AI Future Foundation with G42 and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to advance ethical AI standards across the Global South. An Intergovernmental Assurance Agreement between Microsoft and G42 - developed with both US and UAE governments - sets binding standards for cybersecurity, export controls, and responsible AI practices.
