Artificial intelligence and talent empowerment drive Microsoft’s expansion in the UAE
Abu Dhabi, November 29 / WAM / Microsoft, the international company, continues to consolidate its presence in the UAE, by launching and implementing a group of strategic projects and investments that enhance the country’s position as a global center for artificial intelligence and digital transformation, and support its journey towards building a diversified and sustainable knowledge economy.
This step comes within the framework of Microsoft’s major investment plan extending between 2023 and 2029, with a total value of $15.2 billion, representing one of the company’s largest investment commitments in the region, and focusing on three main axes including technology, trust, and talent development, with the aim of accelerating digital innovation, enhancing cloud infrastructure, and empowering national competencies with advanced skills in the fields of artificial intelligence.
Amr Kamel, General Manager of Microsoft in the UAE, said that the company’s investments in the country embody a long-term commitment to supporting its vision for digital transformation and leadership in artificial intelligence, explaining that the plan includes investing $1.5 billion in G42, and more than $10 billion in developing advanced cloud data centers, in addition to more than $3 billion to enhance local operations and build strategic partnerships.
He pointed out in statements to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, that one of the pivotal initiatives within this plan is cooperation with Khazna Data Centers, a subsidiary of the G42 Group, to add a new capacity of 200 megawatts by 2026, which will contribute to enhancing the sovereign “Azure” cloud services within the country, and enabling government and private agencies to manage their digital operations with greater efficiency and security, thus supporting the UAE’s position as a regional center for technical solutions and artificial intelligence.
He explained that these investments will reflect positively on the sectors of the national economy, by empowering innovators, supporting emerging companies, and stimulating local industries to adopt next-generation technologies, stressing that Microsoft is working to build a comprehensive digital system that contributes to enhancing productivity, raising business efficiency, and achieving sustainable growth.
He added that the company gives human capital development a top priority within its strategy in the country, as it launched the “Microsoft Elevate UAE” initiative, which aims to qualify more than 250,000 students and academics, in addition to 55,000 government employees, with the artificial intelligence skills required in the future, as part of its commitment to train one million people in the country by 2027.
He stated that Microsoft also supports scientific research and development in the field of artificial intelligence through the “Artificial Intelligence for Good” laboratory and the Global Engineering Development Center in Abu Dhabi, which contribute to developing national talent and supporting research on language models for languages that are less represented globally, which enhances the UAE’s presence as a knowledge innovation center in the region.
Kamel stressed that the next phase will witness additional expansion of Microsoft’s infrastructure in the country, through the establishment of new data centers and the expansion of partnerships with the public and private sectors to support digital transformation needs in the areas of government, education, energy, and financial services, noting that these projects will support the UAE’s efforts to build a competitive digital economy and enhance its position among the economies most prepared for the future.
He pointed out that the company is working in cooperation with the Mohammed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence and the G42 Group, through the Responsible AI Future Foundation, to develop ethical and sustainable innovation models that ensure that technological progress is based on the principles of transparency, trust, and long-term sustainability, thus establishing the country’s position as a global leader in adopting safe and responsible artificial intelligence.
The General Manager of Microsoft UAE stressed that the company’s investments in the country are not just a technical expansion, but rather a strategic partnership to support the UAE’s vision of building an integrated digital economy that relies on knowledge and innovation, and aims to empower people through technology, indicating that Microsoft continues to support the country’s ambitions to be a global model for digital transformation and sustainable artificial intelligence.
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