Microsoft and G42 to Add 200 MW of Data Center Capacity in $15 Billion UAE Investment Push

Microsoft and Abu Dhabi’s G42 announced plans on Wednesday to expand data center capacity in the United Arab Emirates by 200 megawatts, marking a major milestone in the U.S. tech giant’s $15 billion investment drive across the Gulf region.

The new capacity will be delivered through Khazna Data Centers, a G42 subsidiary, and is expected to begin operations before the end of next year, the companies said in a joint statement. The project forms part of a sweeping effort to transform the UAE into a global hub for artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Microsoft said its total investment in the UAE will reach $7.3 billion between 2023 and the end of 2025, with another $7.9 billion planned for 2026 through 2029. The expansion underscores the deepening ties between the company and G42, following Microsoft’s $1.5 billion investment last year for a minority stake in the Abu Dhabi-based AI and cloud firm.

G42, backed by Mubadala, Silver Lake, and billionaire Ray Dalio’s family office, has emerged as one of the Middle East’s leading AI players. The UAE government has been channeling billions into the sector to boost economic diversification and technological self-reliance.

The companies also confirmed that the Trump administration has approved exports of Nvidia’s advanced chips for data centers in the Gulf country — a key step in enabling large-scale AI model training and cloud services.

“The expansion strengthens Microsoft Azure’s secure, scalable, and sovereign cloud infrastructure in the UAE,” the firms said.