Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Microsoft has plans to invest more than $10 billion in capital and operating expenses in the Middle East between now and 2030, a statement said.
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith and Microsoft Middle East and Africa President Naim Yazbeck stated this as they unveiled a new framework reinforcing Microsoft’s long-term commitment to the region at a round table on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting was attended by senior government representatives from the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The investment will be used to expand cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure and capacity across the region, including the UAE, with Microsoft outlining long-term infrastructure commitments across the four countries.
The framework, focused on technology, digital resilience and people, builds on more than 35 years of Microsoft’s presence in the Middle East.
As part of its technology plans, Microsoft said it will deepen partnerships with governments and national AI organisations, including its relationship with Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company G42.
The company also highlighted its work with TAMM, Abu Dhabi’s unified government services platform, as one of the digital-government initiatives forming part of its broader regional partnerships.
Microsoft also plans to invest more than $400 million in subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030. The investment will build on existing infrastructure, including the SeaMeWe-6 subsea cable system, which has landing points in the UAE as well as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The company said it will create a Middle East Digital Resilience initiative aimed at helping organisations improve continuity and recovery through resilience assessments, reference architectures, readiness guidance and other programmes.
Microsoft will also expand data protection, sovereignty, and business-continuity commitments for eligible governments and customers across the region, supported by its Sovereign Public Cloud, Sovereign Private Cloud and Project Digital Shield.
Cybersecurity cooperation is another part of the framework, with Microsoft saying it will deepen partnerships with national cybersecurity authorities in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Dedicated Microsoft cybersecurity specialists will support the initiative in each country.
The company will also expand its collaboration with the Responsible AI Future Foundation, or RAIFF, which was co-founded with G42 and Abu Dhabi-based Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. The partnership will support responsible AI practices and evaluation tools across the Middle East.
Microsoft said the framework reflects its view that countries should be able to benefit from AI and cloud technologies while maintaining the security, resilience, and sovereignty of their digital infrastructure.
“As AI reshapes economies around the world, the Middle East has an important opportunity to lead,” Smith said, adding that Microsoft’s role extended beyond investment in technology to supporting the digital resilience, security and continuity needed for that transformation.
On workforce development, Microsoft said it is building on an existing commitment to help skill more than 4.2 million people across the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia by 2030.
The company will continue investing in AI skills, workforce readiness and public-sector capability building. It will also work with governments, educational institutions and other partners to support AI literacy, help teachers integrate AI into education and develop guidance for the responsible use of AI in schools and universities.
Yazbeck said Microsoft had been part of the Middle East’s transformation for more than 35 years and intended to remain a long-term partner as countries in the region develop their AI capabilities.
