Microsoft will make investments $15.2 billion within the United Arab Emirates over the following 4 years, the corporate introduced Monday on the first annual Abu Dhabi International AI Summit. The funding will embody the first-ever shipments of essentially the most superior Nvidia GPUs to the UAE.

As a part of the deal, the U.S. has granted Microsoft a license to export Nvidia chips to the UAE, a transfer that positions the nation as each a proving floor for U.S. export-control diplomacy and a regional anchor of American AI affect.

The deal permits Microsoft to develop its foothold into the Center East, a key area within the international struggle for AI dominance. In Could, President Donald Trump struck a take care of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan to construct an AI information middle campus in Abu Dhabi. The venture was delayed as a result of U.S. export controls, which restricted the sale of highly effective Nvidia chips wanted to run superior AI programs.

Microsoft grew to become the primary firm to obtain a license from the U.S. Commerce Division to ship the chips to the UAE in September. The transfer comes as critics say the deal undermines the logic of the U.S.’s export restrictions to China by introducing potential back-channels by way of a Chinese language ally. 

In a press release, Microsoft stated it carried out substantial work to satisfy the sturdy cybersecurity and nationwide safety situations required by the licenses, which has enabled the agency to build up the equal of 21,500 Nvidia A100 GPUs within the UAE, based mostly on a mix of A100, H100, and H200 chips.  

Microsoft stated it’s utilizing the chips to supply entry to AI fashions from OpenAI, Anthropic, open-source suppliers, and itself. 

The $15.2 billion determine contains cash Microsoft started spending within the UAE beginning in 2023 as a part of a brand new AI initiative within the nation. Between 2023 and the tip of 2025, Microsoft could have spent simply over $7.3 billion within the UAE, together with a $1.5 billion fairness funding in G42, the UAE’s sovereign AI firm, and greater than $4.6 billion in capital in the direction of information facilities. 

As a part of the brand new deal, Microsoft pledges to spend $7.9 billion extra within the UAE from the beginning of 2026 to the tip of 2029, together with $5.5 billion in capital bills for ongoing and deliberate growth of AI and cloud infrastructure. Microsoft hinted at new steps it can share publicly in Abu Dhabi this week.

Microsoft’s work within the UAE goes past constructing information facilities. The corporate says it’s pairing large AI infrastructure with deep funding in native expertise, coaching, and governance. The agency is pledging to coach one million residents by 2027 and use Abu Dhabi as a regional hub for AI analysis and mannequin growth.  

The funding comes the identical day that Microsoft signed a $9.7 billion take care of Australia’s IREN for AI cloud capability.