The United Arab Emirates has announced a $1 billion investment plan to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure and services across Africa. Announced at the G20 summit, this initiative aims to accelerate digital development and boost productivity on the continent.
The allocated funds will be directed toward critical sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, digital identity systems, and climate change adaptation. The main goal of the project is to provide African countries with access to modern technologies and computing power. Currently, with investments in renewable energy and logistics, the UAE is considered Africa’s fourth-largest investor.
However, experts note that some details of the plan remain unclear. It has not yet been specified whether the funds will be provided as grants, loans, or direct investments, nor which countries and projects will be prioritized. Nevertheless, for Africa—which currently owns less than 1% of global data centers—this move creates new opportunities for technology companies and infrastructure developers.
