Dubai Reveals a AED2 Billion Data Centre for Hyperscale Operations, Amplifying AI Infrastructure Advancement
In the heart of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai recently hosted Dubai AI Week 2025, a five-day event showcasing the city's vision to lead the world in artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and sustainability. Organised by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence, the event attracted over 180 speakers and participants from more than 100 countries.
The week-long extravaganza, held from 21-25 April, served as a platform to strengthen Dubai's position as a global tech hub and bolster digital advancements across the region. H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation, unveiled a significant development during the event – a AED 2 billion hyperscale data center.
This state-of-the-art data center project, being developed by du in collaboration with Microsoft, is a critical infrastructural investment that significantly complements the Dubai Universal Blueprint’s goals. The blueprint, launched in 2024, is a strategic government plan aimed at establishing Dubai as a global leader in AI adoption, governance, legislation, and economic impact.
The data center will provide the massive computing power and data handling capacity required to support AI applications at scale, including advanced generative AI and AI-enabled government services. This infrastructure enables Dubai to host and process vast amounts of data securely and efficiently, powering AI supercomputing clusters and national AI licensing programs like the ChatGPT-4 deployment across the UAE.
The Dubai Universal Blueprint integrates AI across all sectors to future-proof government services, attract top international talent and companies, and build a robust AI governance framework with leadership embedded at multiple government levels. Key pillars of the blueprint include training government employees and supporting AI startups to enhance public service efficiency, establishing incubators and innovation hubs to nurture AI and Web3 startups, and deploying AI to transform governance from reactive to predictive.
The data center project aligns perfectly with these objectives, serving as the backbone infrastructure for AI operating systems and services. Microsoft will be the primary tenant of the data center, using it to expand its regional cloud footprint and support next-gen digital services. The data center will be built in phases to accommodate surging demand for cloud services, AI capabilities, and sovereign data solutions.
This synergy between visionary AI policy and cutting-edge data infrastructure positions Dubai to realise its ambitions in becoming a world-leading center for AI-driven innovation and governance. The data center is a significant step in advancing Dubai's digital and AI infrastructure, further boosting its digital capabilities across the region and supporting future economies by bolstering digital advancements.
The event took place across venues including the Museum of the Future and AREA 2071, providing a fitting backdrop for Dubai's vision to lead in AI innovation and sustainability. Dubai AI Week 2025 was indeed a testament to the city's commitment to embracing technology and shaping the future of AI governance.
- Dubai aims to lead the world in artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and sustainability, demonstrated by the city's hosting of Dubai AI Week 2025.
- During the event, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum unveiled a AED 2 billion hyperscale data center, a critical infrastructure investment for Digital Advancements.
- The data center, developed by du in collaboration with Microsoft, will provide the necessary computing power for AI applications, including advanced generative AI and AI-enabled government services.
- The data center aligns with the Dubai Universal Blueprint, a strategic government plan aimed at establishing Dubai as a global leader in AI adoption, governance, legislation, and economic impact.
- The data center will support Microsoft's regional cloud footprint expansion and next-gen digital services, also serving as the backbone for AI operating systems and services.
- The Dubai Universal Blueprint aims to integrate AI across all sectors, future-proofing government services, attracting top international talent and companies, and building a robust AI governance framework.
- The announcement of the data center project and the hosting of Dubai AI Week 2025 underscore Dubai's commitment to AI innovation, sustainability, and policy development, positioning the city as a world-leading center for AI-driven transformation.
