The United Arab Emirates has announced a billion-dollar investment to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure and AI-enabled services across Africa, marking one of the largest commitments to digital development on the continent.
The plan was revealed at the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who led the UAE delegation as a guest.
The investment will support AI deployment in education, agriculture, health care, digital identity systems, and climate adaptation, with the goal of helping African governments meet national development priorities.
UAE Minister of State Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri said the “AI for Development Initiative” is designed to make advanced technology more accessible across the continent. “We consider AI not just a future industry but a cornerstone of humanity’s future,” he said, stressing the UAE’s focus on responsible and inclusive innovation.
The announcement reinforces the UAE’s growing economic footprint in Africa. The country is now the fourth-largest investor on the continent, with over 118 billion dollars committed between 2020 and 2024.
Bilateral trade reached 107 billion dollars in 2024, a 28 percent increase from the previous year, driven largely by deals in renewable energy, logistics, and critical minerals.
Abu Dhabi is also investing heavily in AI capability at home, including plans to build one of the world’s largest data-center hubs using U.S. technology. Partnerships with African countries such as Egypt and Kenya have already advanced digital infrastructure projects.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa invited the UAE to this year’s G20 summit, the first hosted on African soil, where development financing and digital transformation topped the agenda.
