Microsoft plans to invest more than $10 billion in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, covering cloud-computing and artificial-intelligence infrastructure, a company executive said on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
Infrastructure and operations expansion
Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president, said the investments reflected the company’s continued efforts to build infrastructure and expand its operations in the region, adding that it would continue to carry out its previous investment plans while increasing spending on them.
Digital resilience and connectivity
Microsoft is working to support preparedness and protect critical data in the Gulf countries under a digital-resilience initiative, alongside plans to invest more than $400 million in subsea and terrestrial connectivity networks in the Middle East by 2030.
The investments focus on providing multiple, high-capacity connectivity routes, allowing data traffic to be rerouted if one route is disrupted and helping maintain the flow of digital services.
Partnerships with artificial-intelligence companies
The company also plans to strengthen its partnership with Abu Dhabi-based G42, after investing $1.5 billion for a minority stake in 2024. It is also working with Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN and Qatar’s AI firm, without plans to make capital investments in either company, Smith said.
The plan comes as Gulf countries expand spending on artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure as part of efforts to diversify their economies and strengthen their position as hubs for cloud-computing services and advanced technologies.
