France, UAE deal to build 1 Gigawatt AI data centre
Bilateral AI framework agreed to include €30-€50 billion in investment
#France #datainfrastructure – France and the United Arab Emirates have signed a landmark agreement to develop 1 Gigawatt of AI data centre capacity in France, and form the core of a new AI campus with a total investment of € 30 billion to € 50 billion. The deal was part of a UAE-France Framework for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence, which was signed following a meeting between President Emmanuel Macron and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The partnership is expected to fund AI research, acquire cutting-edge chips, develop Virtual Data Embassies for sovereign cloud infrastructure, and support AI talent in both nations. An official announcement on the first investments is expected at the Choose France Summit later this year.
SO WHAT? – The UAE-France Framework for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence supports France’s ambition to become a key AI hub in Europe while strengthening UAE’s role as a global AI player. With AI infrastructure increasingly seen as a strategic asset, this investment enhances both nations’ technological sovereignty. The 1GW AI data centre deal is one of the largest bilateral data centre deals agreed by the UAE with a trade partner.
Here are some more key details of the UAE-France framework:
France and the UAE have signed a landmark agreement to jointly invest between €30 billion and €50 billion in AI and related initiatives, focusing on a new ‘AI campus’ in France.
The UAE-France Framework for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence was signed on behalf of the UAE by His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and member of the Abu Dhabi Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council, and on behalf of France by His Excellency Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and His Excellency Éric Lombard, Minister for the Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty.
The signing followed a meeting between President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Excellency President Emmanuel Macron of France in the Élysée Palace. The agreement was signed during the week of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris.
Included in the framework agreement is a 1 Gigawatt AI data centre project.
The initiative also includes investments in AI research, advanced semiconductor chips, and sovereign AI cloud infrastructure. Virtual Data Embassies to enable sovereign AI and cloud infrastructure in both countries
France has already identified 35 sites to host AI data centres as part of its broader strategy to expand AI infrastructure.
The first official investment announcements will be made at the Choose France Summit later this year.
The UAE and France have maintained a Comprehensive Strategic Energy Partnership since 2022, expanding their collaboration to AI and digital infrastructure.
The partnership aligns with both countries’ broader commitment to AI ethics, global development, and digital transformation.
ZOOM OUT – AI infrastructure has become a geopolitical asset, with countries racing to secure access to computing power and semiconductor technology. The UAE already has biateral digital infrastructure memorandums with more than 12 foreign governments, which could see the UAE build out up to 10 Gigawatts (GW)* of data centre capacity. In addition to the new France agreement to build a 1GW AI data centre, the UAE has plans to develop similarly sized data centres in Egypt, Indonesia and Kenya, while its agreement with India is to create 2GW of capacity.
Updated 1050 hrs GST 07-Feb-25
Read more about UAE bilateral digital infrastructure investment:
G42 to deploy 2GW data centre and supercomputer in India (Middle East AI News)
UAE could invest billions of dollars in overseas data centres (Middle East AI News)