The United Arab Emirates is emerging as a global frontrunner in artificial intelligence adoption, offering a model that other nations can emulate to build advanced digital capabilities, according to Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft. Speaking at the AI Tour event in Dubai, Smith highlighted the UAE’s exceptional progress, noting that 59.4% of the country’s population already uses artificial intelligence—a global record.
“There is literally one country leading the world, with nearly 60% of its population actively using AI. That country is the United Arab Emirates,” Smith said. He added that despite a world marked by tensions, conflicts, and uncertainty, the UAE stands out as “a beacon of hope,” where ambition and innovation are consistently translated into reality.
Smith emphasised that while AI adoption is accelerating worldwide, it remains uneven. “Some regions show usage rates between 25% and nearly 60%, while others remain under 10%, and in some cases below 5%,” he explained. These disparities, he said, should prompt global reflection on whether technologies such as AI will help close existing gaps or further widen them—much like electricity, which emerged 150 years ago yet still remains inaccessible to 700 million people, most of whom are in Africa.
He stressed that the effective use of AI relies on several foundational requirements: electricity, internet connectivity, and digital skills. “Out of 8.1 billion people today, only 1.2 billion use AI at the pace of its development,” Smith noted. “Without electricity, that number drops to 7.4 billion; without internet access, to 5.5 billion; and without digital skills, just 4.3 billion people are actually positioned to benefit.”
Microsoft’s $15.2 Billion Investment in the UAE
Smith announced that Microsoft has embarked on one of its largest long-term investments in the region. The company will invest $15.2 billion in the UAE between 2023 and 2029, with $7.3 billion expected to be deployed by the end of December 2025.
The investment includes:
$1.5 billion in G42, the UAE-based AI and cloud computing company
Over $5 billion dedicated to building advanced AI infrastructure in the country
Additional funding to grow local talent and support the company’s partner ecosystem
Smith emphasised that these investments are guided by a clear strategy built on three pillars: technology, talent, and trust.
On the technology front, he highlighted the rapid global expansion of data centres by the world’s leading tech companies, including Microsoft—an effort that ensures AI will reach more people faster and more equitably than electricity ever did.
A Vision Rooted in Talent and Skills
Smith praised the UAE’s forward-looking approach to technological development, referencing its landmark decision in 2017 to appoint the world’s first Minister of Artificial Intelligence. He noted that one of the ministry’s earliest priorities was to equip government employees with the necessary digital skills—an approach he described as exemplary for the rest of the world.
Microsoft, he affirmed, remains committed to developing talent in the region through programmes that aim to train one million people by the end of 2027.
Strengthening the AI Ecosystem Through Partnership
During a panel discussion featuring Smith, Peng Xiao, CEO of G42, and Samer Abu Ltaif, Microsoft’s President for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the leaders discussed the next phase of the companies’ strategic partnership. They underscored how Microsoft’s $15.2 billion investment will reinforce the UAE’s AI infrastructure, cultivate national expertise, and fuel economic growth across diverse sectors.
Smith concluded by emphasising that the UAE’s rise as a global leader in artificial intelligence is not the product of chance, but of vision, investment, and long-term commitment.
The UAE, he noted, continues to set a benchmark for how nations can harness emerging technologies to create opportunity, drive innovation, and shape a more optimistic future.
