Microsoft To Grow Its Investment In The UAE To US$15.2 Billion By 2029
The spending covers more than $5.5 billion to expand AI and cloud infrastructure, plus nearly $2.4 billion to power local operations and services.
Global tech giant Microsoft plans to increase its total investment in the UAE to US$15.2 billion by 2029, reinforcing its long-term commitment to expanding artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure while bolstering the country’s digital economy, the company announced this week.
Between 2026 and 2029, the tech giant is set to inject more than $7.9 billion into the UAE—over $5.5 billion for the expansion of AI and cloud infrastructure, and nearly US$2.4 billion to sustain local operations and services. The company emphasized that the funds represent money spent in the UAE—not capital raised locally—reflecting its global approach of growing business while contributing to national economies.
By the end of 2024, Microsoft had invested more than $7.3 billion in the country. This includes a $1.5 billion equity investment in the Abu Dhabi-based AI and cloud computing firm G42, the UAE’s sovereign AI company, over $4.6 billion in capital expenditures for advanced AI and cloud datacenters, and more than $1.2 billion in local operating expenses and cost of goods sold. Plus, aligned with its focus on talent development, Microsoft had also pledged last November to skill one million people in the UAE by the end of 2027—a target it says it is on track to exceed.
At this year's GITEX Global in October, the company partnered with UAE government entities to launch a program aimed at upskilling 120,000 government employees across the federal government, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. Additionally, Microsoft is working with GEMS, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to train 175,000 students and 39,000 teachers, with further initiatives expected to be announced soon.
