Microsoft has announced $15.2 billion in investments, mainly in the field of Artificial Intelligence, in the United Arab Emirates until 2029, confirming that it has received permission to import advanced microchips into the Gulf countries.
The US tech giant has invested $7.3 billion in the country by 2023 as part of an initiative backed by the US and UAE governments, its chairman Brad Smith said in a letter published on the sidelines of a visit to Abu Dhabi.
That amount includes the $1.5 billion investment in Artificial Intelligence company G42, which is run by national security adviser and brother of the president of the Emirates Tahnoon bin Zayed.
From early 2026 to the end of 2029, we will spend an additional "more than $7.9 billion" to continue developing IT and cloud infrastructure in the country, bringing the total portfolio to $15.2 billion, Smith added.
The Gulf state, which is among the world's most important oil exporters, has made Artificial Intelligence one of the pillars of its economic diversification strategy, with an ambition to become a global leader by 2031.
