Key Points
• The UAE commits $1.5 trillion to AI and digital transformation.
• Sheikh Tahnoon leads the UAE AI and Advanced Technology Council.
• G42 and MGX anchor national AI and data infrastructure.
• Abu Dhabi targets becoming the world’s first AI-native government.
$1.5 trillion AI investment is reshaping the UAE’s technology vision under Sheikh Tahnoon’s leadership.
The newly formed AI and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC) marks a historic milestone in the nation’s transformation strategy. With this move, Abu Dhabi strengthens its position as the core of AI leadership in the Middle East.
The council, chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is designed to accelerate every element of UAE AI policy. From investment to infrastructure, every part of the national digital system is being upgraded. As I see it, the UAE is not preparing for the future; it is building it.
Sheikh Tahnoon’s AI Power Network
Sheikh Tahnoon leads an unmatched AI network through G42, MGX, Core42, and Presight. Together, these entities drive more than $150 billion in total AI and digital investments. MGX alone plans a $100 billion push into semiconductor development, a foundation for all future AI systems.
Khazna Data Centers, with over 1 gigawatt of power capacity, are fueling Stargate UAE, the nation’s massive AI compute infrastructure. This aligns perfectly with Abu Dhabi AI’s ambitions to host global training and development capabilities.
G42 and Data Centers Anchor UAE’s AI Power. The data center network is critical to national sovereignty in technology. With 27 hyperscale centers under construction, the UAE is building one of the world’s largest AI infrastructure ecosystems. Cloud partnerships with AWS, Oracle, Microsoft, and G42 are expanding regional AI computing power faster than anywhere else.
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Building the AI-Native Government
The AIATC’s mandate is clear: integrate AI in all government operations by 2027. This means every ministry, every process, and every decision will use AI systems. The UAE AI policy is focused on creating a transparent, efficient, and data-driven administration.
Abu Dhabi’s vision is to become the first AI-native government globally. The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) plays a vital role in training AI professionals to fill national and regional demand.
The UAE’s AI and digital economy already contribute $96 billion to its GDP, equal to 14% of total output. With the new $1.5 trillion AI investment, the country plans to multiply this figure by 2030. This will position the Emirates among the top three nations in global AI readiness and deployment.
Sovereign Funds Fuel the Transformation
Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds provide unmatched financial power to sustain AI projects. Together, ADIA, Mubadala, ADQ, and the Investment Corporation of Dubai control more than $2.5 trillion in assets. These funds back large-scale AI infrastructure, research, and partnerships.
Through G42 and MGX, the UAE can invest directly into next-generation semiconductor manufacturing, cloud expansion, and AI research hubs. Such integration between policy, funding, and execution is rare globally.
The UAE is moving beyond data collection toward full AI deployment. Data centers are the refineries of the digital age, and Abu Dhabi now owns some of the largest. By controlling infrastructure and investing in homegrown AI models like those from ai71, the nation ensures data sovereignty.
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The UAE has become a Global Investment Magnet
Top venture capital firms such as Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and Tiger Global are increasing their presence in the region. They see the UAE’s AI sector as a strategic hub for innovation and scale.
With its mix of capital strength and visionary leadership, the UAE attracts partnerships across technology, finance, and academia. The collaboration between G42 and OpenAI for regional compute and training infrastructure highlights the Emirates’ global reach.
Abu Dhabi Leads AI Investment for the Next Decade
The UAE is not adapting to the AI revolution. It is engineering it. With $1.5 trillion directed toward AI and digital infrastructure, the country is turning ambition into a measurable global advantage.
From my standpoint, the combination of Sheikh Tahnoon’s strategic leadership, G42’s operational excellence, and national-scale policy makes the UAE a true powerhouse in artificial intelligence. The message is clear: data is the new oil, and the Emirates now own the refinery.