France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached a framework agreement on Thursday to establish a 1-gigawatt artificial intelligence (AI) data centre, representing an investment of between $30 billion and $50 billion, according to the French presidency.
The deal was finalized during a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The two leaders met ahead of an AI summit scheduled for February 10-11 in Paris, which will bring together representatives from about 100 countries to explore AI’s potential and discuss strategic initiatives.
The summit aims to bolster France and Europe’s position in AI, as they seek to compete with the U.S. and China, both leaders in the development of energy-intensive AI technologies.
In a joint statement, Macron and Sheikh Mohamed expressed a shared commitment to forming a strategic partnership in AI. The partnership will encompass investments in both nations’ AI ecosystems, the acquisition of advanced chips, development of data centres, talent cultivation, and the creation of virtual data embassies to support sovereign AI and cloud infrastructures in France and the UAE.
The first announcements on investments under this partnership will be made later this year at the “Choose France” summit. Meanwhile, the French government has identified 35 potential locations for AI data centres across the country.