The UAE announced a $1 billion "AI for development initiative" on Saturday, unveiling a plan to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure and AI-enabled services across Africa, at the G20 leaders' summit in Johannesburg.
The initiative was announced during a speech delivered at the G20 by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who led the UAE delegation on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed.
It will provide access to AI computing power, technical expertise and global partnerships, while supporting African countries in delivering projects in education, agriculture, health care, digital identity and climate adaptation, said Minister of State Saeed Al Hajeri.
The UAE ranks second globally in artificial intelligence capability, according to a 2025 study by TRG Datacenters, a Texas company focused on national AI supercomputing power, AI company activity and government AI readiness – placing it behind the United States. The Emirates has more than 188,000 AI chips and a total power capacity of 6.4K megawatts, the company says.
It is now seeking to put artificial intelligence “at the service of development, by developing digital infrastructure, enhancing government services and improving productivity” in Africa.
“This is AI deployed at scale to meet national development priorities – not experimental work, but practical delivery,” said Mr Al Hajeri. “Our goal now is to ensure these capabilities benefit partners across the Global South, and that no country is left behind in the AI age.”
This week, the US authorised the export of Nvidia's AI chips to UAE artificial intelligence company G42 and Saudi tech start-up Humain.
The approval was seen as a significant step for the UAE and Saudi Arabia's broader diversification efforts.
The announcement falls under bilateral deals the US has made with the two Gulf countries. In March, the UAE pledged to spend $1.4 trillion in the US as part of a broader technology investment framework. In May, the UAE announced plans to launch a 5 gigawatt UAE-US AI Campus during US President Donald Trump's visit to the country.
The UAE has developed start-ups, partnerships and attracted investments from major tech companies, including Microsoft, Nvidia and OpenAI.
Mr Al Hajeri's remarks were made during the G20 meeting. Although not a formal G20 member, the UAE participates as an invited guest.
Commitment to Africa
Mr Al Hajeri said his country's commitment to Africa extends beyond technology.
“We are delivering large-scale clean energy projects across the continent. The UAE is preparing to co-host the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, in partnership with the Republic of Senegal,” he said.
The UAE is also a major aid donor in Africa, providing $1.05 billion in total assistance in 2023 and last year, according to the UAE Aid dashboard. In Sudan alone, the Emirates has delivered $784 million in aid since the outbreak of the civil war in 2023, according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Abu Dhabi is one of the biggest investors in the continent. “The UAE is now the fourth-largest investor in Africa, with bilateral trade in 2024 having reached approximately $107 billion,” said Mr Al Hajeri.
“UAE investments in Africa amounted to approximately $118.6 billion between 2020 and 2024,” he added.
Four%20scenarios%20for%20Ukraine%20war
%3Cp%3E1.%20Protracted%20but%20less%20intense%20war%20(60%25%20likelihood)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E2.%20Negotiated%20end%20to%20the%20conflict%20(30%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E3.%20Russia%20seizes%20more%20territory%20(20%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.%20Ukraine%20pushes%20Russia%20back%20(10%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EForecast%20by%20Economist%20Intelligence%20Unit%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
