UAE
Microsoft commits fresh $7.9Bn investment in UAE by 2030
Microsoft has announced a $7.9Bn investment in the UAE between 2026 and 2029, bringing its total commitment under its national AI initiative to $15.2Bn since 2023. Around $5.5Bn will fund the expansion of AI and cloud infrastructure, with the remaining $2.4Bn covering operating costs and goods sold. The company has already deployed the equivalent of 21,500 Nvidia A100-class GPUs in the UAE and has secured export licenses for a further 60,400 units. Microsoft’s partnership with G42 and the Abu Dhabi government includes plans for sovereign cloud capabilities and global data centre development, while a new $544Mn facility is also underway in Dubai with du. The company already operates a UAE cloud region launched in 2019 and continues to expand its infrastructure across the Gulf, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait…Read more
UAE becomes the first in the GCC to receive Nvidia chips under new US approval
The US has granted Microsoft permission to export Nvidia’s latest AI chips to the UAE for the first time, enabling the company to expand its multibillion-dollar investment in the Gulf. Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company became the first to receive a license under Trump administration after meeting stringent cybersecurity and security requirements set by the Department of Commerce. The approval removes a key bottleneck for a major AI data c entre campus in Abu Dhabi, where Microsoft-backed G42 is a core partner, and comes despite recent reported remarks from President Trump that the most advanced Nvidia Blackwell chips should remain reserved for US customers. Microsoft plans to increase its UAE investment from $7.3Bn over the past three years to an additional $7.9Bn from 2026-2029, including $5.5Bn for AI and cloud infrastructure. Smith noted that UAE’s pivotal role in spreading AI technology across the ‘’global south’’ and warned that uneven global access to compute could deepen economic inequality. The latest permits allow Microsoft to quadruple its computing capacity in the UAE, with further export licenses likely to be requested within the next year…Read more
Qatar
Meeza signs 6MW hosting deal with unnamed hyperscaler
Qatar-based data centre operator Meeza has signed a new agreement to provide 6MW of capacity to an undisclosed global hyperscaler, in a deal valued at over $205Mn. The first phase, currently underway, will support cloud, AI, and big data workloads, with future phases set to expand total capacity to 44MW. Meeza operates five data centres in Qatar, including facilities at the Qatar Science and Technology Park, and has been scaling rapidly since completing an IPO in 2023 and securing QAR 800Million in financing earlier this year. The company has previously signed hosting deals with major hyperscalers, and Microsoft is known to be among its customers…Read more
Bahrain
Beyon commissions the first white space data centre in Bahrain
Beyon has completed and commissioned the new Batelco by Beyon white space data centre in Manama, Bahrain – the first facility of its kind in the Kingdom. Announced at the Gateway Gulf Investor Forum 2025, the 6,000 sq.m data centre is part of Beyon’s 140,000 sq.m Data Oasis development and is built to international standards with redundant power and cooling systems. Designed for scalability, it will support AI, cloud providers, hyperscalers, government entities, and large enterprises. The facility is also directly connected to Beyon’s Solar Park, allowing a significant share of its power to come from renewable sources. Beyon says the site is the largest and most power-dense data centre in Bahrain, reinforcing the company’s role in expanding digital infrastructure and supporting Bahrain’s vision for a smart, sustainable future…Read more
Middle East
$4 Trillion a year needed for data centres and energy ADNOC CEO says
Global investment of around $4 Trillion per year will be needed in energy systems, grids, and data centres to sustain future economic growth according to ADNOC CEO and UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Al Jaber. Speaking at ADIPEC, he warned that existing infrastructure is lagging far behind demand, noting that gas currently supplies over a quarter of the power for data centres and that shortages in gas turbines are driving electricity prices higher. Al Jaber highlighted surging electricity needs through 2040 as data centre power demand quadruples, 1.5 billion people move cities, and more that 2 billion air conditioners come online. To illustrate the scale, the required annual investment is more than seven times the UAEs 2024 GDP. He added that renewables are likely to more than double by 2040, LNG demand will increase significantly, and oil consumption is expected to remain above 100 million barrels per day beyond 2040. The UAE already leads the Gulf with its number of data centres, as regional investment accelerates, including major deals by UAE investor MGX through its participation in the $30Bn Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership…Read more