Microsoft Pledges $7.9 Billion to Expand UAE AI and Cloud Infrastructure

Microsoft has committed an additional $7.9 billion to invest in the United Arab Emirates between 2026 and 2029, bringing its total pledged investment in the country since 2023 to $15.2 billion. The bulk of this new funding, approximately $5.5 billion, will be directed toward expanding artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure, including plans to nearly quadruple local data center computing capacity. This major expansion follows a critical U.S. government approval that allowed Microsoft to export advanced Nvidia AI chips to the Gulf nation, which had previously been restricted. The investment aims to strengthen the UAE's position as a global tech hub while supporting local talent development through plans to train 1 million people in technical skills.