UAE commits $1 billion to African AI infrastructure
Abu Dhabi Fund Agency to lead continental AI Development Initiative
#UAE #Africa - The United Arab Emirates announced a $1 billion AI for Development Initiative to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure and AI-enabled services across Africa at the Group of 20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg. The initiative will be led by Abu Dhabi government entity the Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX), part of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, in cooperation with the UAE Foreign Aid Agency. UAE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri said the AI for Development Initiative will bring AI technology to education, healthcare and climate adaptation whilst helping countries meet national development priorities. His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, attended the summit at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
SO WHAT? - The initiative addresses surging demand for AI infrastructure and data centre capacity across Africa, where industry association the Africa Data Centres Association estimates the continent will require an additional 1,200 megawatts in data centre capacity by 2030 to meet demand for digital services. Major technology companies are accelerating African investments, with Amazon Web Services recently committing $1.7 billion by 2029, Microsoft investing $296 million in South Africa’s AI infrastructure by 2027, and Google launching four new subsea cable connectivity hubs to strengthen digital corridors. Africa’s youth population, expected to double to over 830 million by 2050, represents both major opportunity and urgent imperative for AI adoption. Combined with the UAE’s current investments in Africa’s ICT sectors, the $1 billion programme positioning Abu Dhabi as a strategic partner in building computational infrastructure.
Here are some key facts about the initiative:
The UAE has announced a $1 billion AI for Development Initiative at the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure and AI-enabled services across Africa. The initiative aims to bring AI technology to education, healthcare and climate adaptation whilst helping countries meet national development priorities.
UAE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri announced the initiative, stating the UAE considers AI not just as a future industry but a cornerstone of humanity’s future, with the country actively accelerating innovation to enhance productivity and drive advancements in the global economy.
His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, attended the G20 summit in Johannesburg on behalf of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the UAE participating at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hosting the first G20 leaders’ summit in Africa. The UAE delegation included several other ministers and high ranking officials.
UAE bilateral trade with Africa reached approximately $107 billion in 2024, representing a 28% increase from the previous year, whilst total UAE investments in Africa exceeded $118 billion between 2020 and 2024, establishing the Emirates as one of the biggest investors on the continent.
Abu Dhabi is investing heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure domestically. A new joint US-UAE regional AI compute cluster was announced in May, which is being built in Abu Dhabi targeting 5 Gigawatt (GW) capacity, positioning the UAE as both a regional AI hub and technology exporter.
The AI for Development Initiative aims to develop digital infrastructure, improve government services and enhance productivity across African nations, with the UAE committing to developing responsible and inclusive AI for the benefit of everyone through acceleration of innovation and technology deployment.
The 2025 G20 summit, held for the first time in Africa, addressed key global issues including inclusive economic growth, supporting a just transition in the energy sector, and accelerating progress towards achieving sustainable development goals at the global level.
ZOOM OUT - The UAE already has digital infrastructure agreements with a number of African countries, as part of wider trade and economic partnerships, including Egypt and Kenya. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi-based AI big data analytics company Presight (part of G42 Group) has signed a number of government agreements on digital infrastructure and smart services including agreements with Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Uganda.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]