Microsoft's Big Bet on UAE's AI Future

Microsoft is putting a lot of money into the United Arab Emirates. They plan to spend over $15 billion by 2029. This is big news because the UAE wants to be a leader in artificial intelligence. They are using their strong ties with the U. S. to get the latest technology, including advanced computer chips. Brad Smith, a top executive at Microsoft, talked about this. He said most of the money will go into building AI data centers in the UAE. These centers are important because they help power AI technologies. Smith was in Abu Dhabi for an energy conference when he shared this. Last year, Microsoft spent $1. 5 billion to become part of G42, a UAE-based AI company. This gave Microsoft a seat on G42's board. However, G42's past links to China have raised some eyebrows in Washington. There are concerns about China getting access to advanced U. S. technology through the UAE. G42 says they are working with U. S. partners and the Emirati government to follow all the rules. Smith believes G42 has made a lot of progress in this area. He also thinks G42 might get direct access to the most advanced U. S. chips in the future. Microsoft has already received approval from the U. S. government to bring advanced computer chips into the UAE. These chips are made by Nvidia and are used in data centers. The latest approval allows Microsoft to use these chips in their own data centers in the UAE. By the end of this year, Microsoft will have invested $7. 3 billion in the UAE. They plan to spend even more, around $7. 9 billion, between next year and 2029. This money will go into expanding AI and cloud infrastructure. The $15. 2 billion investment does not include a project called Stargate UAE. This is a huge data center hub planned for Abu Dhabi. It was announced during a visit by former U. S. President Donald Trump in 2017.