In September 2024, MGX partnered with BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), and Microsoft to launch the Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership (GAIIP).

This initiative aims to scale AI infrastructure globally, focusing on expanding data centers and the power infrastructure required to support AI advancements.

GAIIP has outlined an ambitious investment potential of up to $100 billion, with an initial goal of securing $30 billion in private equity capital from investors, asset owners, and corporations. The fund is designed to address the rapidly increasing demand for AI compute power, reinforcing the UAE’s commitment to establishing itself as a key player in AI infrastructure development

In April 2024, Microsoft invested $1.5 billion in G42, a leading AI and cloud computing conglomerate that specializes in developing and deploying large-scale AI solutions across sectors.

By acquiring a minority stake in the Abu Dhabi-based company, Microsoft is looking to accelerate AI development and expand digital infrastructure in key global markets. As part of the deal, G42 will leverage Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, and Microsoft’s Vice Chair, Brad Smith, will join G42’s board, strengthening their strategic partnership. While this collaboration aligns with the UAE’s vision to become a global AI hub, it also reflects the deep-rooted trust and shared commitment between the UAE and the U.S. to advance AI innovations that drive economic growth for both nations.

In September 2024, MGX partnered with BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), and Microsoft to launch the Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership (GAIIP).

This initiative aims to scale AI infrastructure globally, focusing on expanding data centers and the power infrastructure required to support AI advancements.

GAIIP has outlined an ambitious investment potential of up to $100 billion, with an initial goal of securing $30 billion in private equity capital from investors, asset owners, and corporations. The fund is designed to address the rapidly increasing demand for AI compute power, reinforcing the UAE’s commitment to establishing itself as a key player in AI infrastructure development

In October 2024, MGX participated in OpenAI's $6.6 billion funding round, which valued the company at $157 billion.

This investment cemented MGX’s position as a key financier in the global AI ecosystem, aligning it with Microsoft, Nvidia, and SoftBank. By backing OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, MGX is actively contributing to the expansion of cutting-edge AI research, advanced computational infrastructure, and the development of next-generation AI applications that will drive innovation across industries.

In December 2024, MGX participated in xAI's $6 billion Series C funding round, joining Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z), BlackRock, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Sequoia Capital, and sovereign wealth funds such as the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).

Strategic partners NVIDIA and AMD also backed the round to accelerate xAI’s infrastructure scaling. Similar to its investment in OpenAI in October of the same year, MGX’s backing of xAI reinforces its commitment to its constant search for and support of groundbreaking AI advancements.

In just seven years, the UAE has surged from 19th place in 2017 to 5th in 2024, marking one of the fastest climbs in Stanford University’s AI vibrancy rankings. This leap reflects the UAE’s strategic investments, policy leadership, and commitment to AI innovation on the global stage.

The Global Vibrancy Tool 2024, developed by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered AI, ranks nations based on 42 AI-specific indicators, offering a data-driven assessment of global AI leadership. The tool tracks the evolution of national AI ecosystems, identifying key strengths and gaps across research, investment, talent, and infrastructure.

Named after the UAE’s highest peak, Jais is a 13-billion-parameter open-source Arabic-English LLM. It was developed by G42’s subsidiary Inception in collaboration with Cerebras Systems and Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)—the world’s first AI-focused graduate research university.

Jais represents a major leap for AI in the Arabic-speaking world. Homegrown in Abu Dhabi, it empowers over 400 million Arabic speakers to leverage the capabilities of generative AI. Designed to accelerate innovation, Jais reinforces Abu Dhabi’s leadership in AI, cultural preservation, and global collaboration, positioning the UAE as the hub for cutting-edge AI development in the region.

While Jais is designed as a specialized Arabic-English model, Falcon is a multilingual, open-source LLM series developed by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) under Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC).

Supported by G42, which provides the advanced AI infrastructure required for large-scale training and deployment, Falcon is built for broader scalability and diverse language applications.

Unlike Jais, which operates exclusively in Arabic, Falcon is designed with a global perspective and excels across multiple languages. Notably, through its three iterations, Falcon has achieved top rankings on Hugging Face's Open LLM Leaderboard, surpassing some of the world’s most advanced AI models. This versatility makes Falcon suitable for a wide range of AI applications, from enterprise solutions to research and development. By offering both large and small-scale models, Falcon reinforces Abu Dhabi’s leadership in AI research and global competitiveness, positioning the UAE as a hub for cutting-edge AI development in the region and beyond.

In May 2025, during President Trump’s historic visit to the UAE, the governments of the United States and the United Arab Emirates announced the launch of the US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership – a strategic framework to deepen cooperation on critical technologies and ensure shared protection standards.

At its core is Stargate UAE, a 1-gigawatt compute cluster that will be built by G42 and operated in partnership with OpenAI and Oracle. Additional partners in Stargate UAE include NVIDIA, SoftBank Group Corp. and Cisco. Overall, Stargate UAE will anchor the broader 5-gigawatt UAE–US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi.

Once complete, Stargate UAE will deliver best-in-class compute infrastructure and expand US AI capabilities to serve the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, an $8 trillion economic region. The initiative will also include UAE investment in US-based Stargate infrastructure.

The story begins in 2007, when Mubadala Investment Company acquired a minority stake in AMD) supporting the chipmaker during a critical turnaround. This investment stabilized AMD and set the stage for the launch of GlobalFoundries in 2009 as a joint venture between AMD and Mubadala. That same year, Mubadala acquired a majority stake in GlobalFoundries, reviving the US semiconductor manufacturing industry.

Over the next decade, Mubadala invested over $22.4 billion into GlobalFoundries, expanding its footprint across the US, Singapore, and Germany. In 2021, GlobalFoundries went public on Nasdaq, raising $2.6 billion while Mubadala retained a significant stake. 

Most recently, in February 2024, GlobalFoundries secured $1.5 billion in CHIPS and Science Act funding to expand its New York facility and modernize its Vermont plant, reinforcing its vital role in US semiconductor manufacturing. GlobalFoundries is currently the world's third-largest semiconductor manufacturer.

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G42 is a leading AI and cloud computing conglomerate that specializes in developing and deploying large-scale AI solutions across sectors. However, its role in advancing regional Large Language Models (LLMs) sets it apart.

Through its subsidiary Inception, G42 developed Jais, the world’s most advanced Arabic-English LLM, reaching over 400 million Arabic speakers. It also powers Falcon, a globally competitive open-source LLM series by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), providing the essential AI infrastructure for its development.

In September 2024, the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made his first official visit by a UAE president to the United States since the nation's founding in 1971.

A significant outcome of the UAE President’s visit was the endorsement of the "Common Principles for Cooperation on AI" by UAE National Security Advisor HH Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. This framework aims to strengthen collaboration in AI and related technologies, emphasizing the development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems.

At the helm of MGX’s vision is its Chairman, HH Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan—Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Advisor. A cerebral strategist, he is the driving force behind the UAE’s ascent into the inner circle of the AI world.

Sheikh Tahnoun was recognized by TIME magazine in 2024 as one of the world’s 100 most influential figures in AI. This accolade reflects his ability to rapidly position MGX as a key backer of nearly every major AI investment deal worldwide.

Cerebras Systems is a pioneering AI chipmaker renowned for developing the world’s largest AI-specific processors, notably the Wafer-Scale Engine (WSE). This innovative chip architecture significantly enhances performance for training massive AI models, setting Cerebras apart in the rapidly evolving AI hardware landscape. Competing with industry giants like NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel, as well as emerging companies like Groq, Cerebras distinguishes itself with its unique wafer-scale design tailored exclusively for AI workloads.

The partnership between G42 and Cerebras Systems led to the development of the Condor Galaxy supercomputer—a powerful network designed to accelerate large-scale AI model training with exceptional speed and efficiency. Based in Santa Clara, California, it has been instrumental in training the Jais Arabic-English language model and the Falcon series of multilingual models.

Looking ahead, the UAE is rapidly expanding its data center capacity to meet surging AI demands. By 2029, Khazna aims to nearly double its installed capacity from 429 megawatts in 2024 to 850 megawatts. In October 2024, it announced a 100-megawatt AI-optimized data center in Ajman, set to go live in 2026.

With G42, Khazna, and Microsoft collaborating on multiple AI data centers, the UAE is cementing its position as a regional powerhouse for cloud computing and AI infrastructure.

An AI Acceleration Partnership, a regional AI Campus and the Launch of Stargate UAE

The governments of the United Arab Emirates and the United States have agreed to establish the "US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership", a strategic framework to deepen cooperation on critical technologies and ensure their protection under a shared set of commitments.

As part of the initiative, G42 will build Stargate UAE, a 1-gigawatt compute cluster, operated in partnership with OpenAI and Oracle. The project will serve as the foundation for the larger 5GW UAE–US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi, with additional collaboration from Cisco, SoftBank Group, and NVIDIA. This partnership will also include UAE investment into US-based Stargate infrastructure.

Stargate UAE will provide cutting-edge compute infrastructure and enhance American AI capabilities to address the growing demand across the $8 trillion economies of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

Global Tech Alliance Launches Stargate UAE

In January 2025, Abu Dhabi's MGX invested in the Stargate Project, a US-based AI initiative led by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. This strategic investment positions the UAE as a key player in advancing American AI capabilities and underscores the deepening tech collaboration between the two nations.

During President Trump’s state visit to Abu Dhabi earlier this month, the UAE and U.S. unveiled a landmark agreement to deepen cooperation in Artificial Intelligence and advanced technologies. The first mover under this “U.S.-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership” is Stargate UAE. This industry collaboration between G42, OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco and SoftBank Group expands global AI infrastructure and access, in coordination with the U.S. Government.

This new initiative will build compute capacity to deliver safe, secure and broadly beneficial AI in the UAE, U.S. and around the world. It includes dual investments:

• ⁠A 1GW Stargate UAE AI datacenter in Abu Dhabi, with 200MW planned in 2026; and
• ⁠UAE investment into digital infrastructure in the U.S.
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Importantly, this new partnership sets a global benchmark for securing advanced U.S. technology. Through the implementation of a “Regulated Technology Environment,” approved UAE organizations acquiring regulated U.S. technologies will adhere to extensive physical and cybersecurity protocols. These involve regular audits, third-party validations, and active oversight by both nations’ governments. The direct involvement of leading U.S. companies further ensures that advanced AI chips and technologies are fully protected from diversion or unauthorized access.  

This is nothing new. Reinforcing our shared commitment to technological security and integrity, this initiative is just the latest in a broad spectrum of Emirati-American partnerships, grounded in decades of mutual trust. The UAE has purchased and operates some of the U.S.’s most sophisticated defense systems and cooperates closely with the U.S. on a civilian nuclear energy program with strict safeguards.