Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith and Microsoft Middle East and Africa President Naim Yazbeck announced a new framework reinforcing Microsoft’s long-term commitment to the Middle East, focused on technology, digital resilience and people.
Unveiled at a round table on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and attended by senior government representatives from Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the framework includes plans to invest more than $10 billion in capital and operating expenses across the region between now and 2030.
Across the Middle East, governments are pursuing one of the world’s most ambitious AI transformations. Realising this ambition will require digital resilience as a cornerstone, strengthening continuity and recovery, protecting critical data and services, and building trust through stronger cybersecurity.
“Microsoft’s economic ties to the Middle East run deep, and our commitment to the region has always been, and will remain, steadfast. As AI reshapes economies around the world, the Middle East has an important opportunity to lead. Our responsibility is not only to invest in the technology that enables that progress, but to help provide the digital resilience, security and continuity it depends on. This new framework reflects that responsibility and our determination to help the region translate AI ambition into enduring economic and societal benefit,” said Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft.
Naim Yazbeck, President, Microsoft Middle East and Africa, added: “Microsoft has been part of the Middle East’s transformation for more than 35 years, and we’re committed to being here for decades to come. Countries across the region aren’t waiting for the future of AI to be written elsewhere – they’re helping shape it themselves, and our role is to be a long-term partner in that journey. These tangible initiatives expand our commitment as innovation accelerates and national visions advance, strengthening digital resilience, maintaining business continuity and creating lasting opportunity across the region.”
This commitment reflects Microsoft’s belief that every country should be able to benefit from the world’s leading AI and cloud technologies while maintaining confidence in the security, resilience and sovereignty of its digital infrastructure. From now until 2030, Microsoft will pursue the following initiatives with its partners in the region:
Technology
- Expanding cloud and AI infrastructure across the region. Microsoft plans to invest more than $10 billion in capital and operating expenses across the Middle East between now and 2030, expanding capacity and delivering long-term infrastructure commitments across Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- Deepening partnerships with national AI champions. Microsoft is expanding strategic partnerships with governments and national AI champion organisations – including HUMAIN, G42, QAI and the Government of Kuwait – alongside digital-government initiatives such as TAMM in the UAE, SDAIA’s ALLaM in Saudi Arabia, TASMU in Qatar, and Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption across the Government of Kuwait.
Digital resilience
- Creating a Middle East Digital Resilience initiative. Building on lessons from recent regional disruption, Microsoft will make digital resilience a cornerstone of its Middle East strategy – helping organisations strengthen continuity and recovery through resilience assessments, reference architectures, readiness guidance and enablement programmes.
- Investing in subsea and terrestrial connectivity. Microsoft plans to invest more than $400 million in subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030, building on existing investments including the SeaMeWe-6 subsea cable system, which has landings in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- Strengthening data protection, privacy and business continuity. Microsoft will expand data-protection, sovereignty and business-continuity commitments, making them available to eligible governments and customers across the region, backed by Microsoft Sovereign Public Cloud, Sovereign Private Cloud and Project Digital Shield.
- Expanding cybersecurity cooperation. Microsoft is deepening partnerships with national cybersecurity authorities across Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, supported by a network of dedicated Microsoft cybersecurity champions in each country.
- Advancing responsible AI through governance and inclusion. Microsoft will expand collaboration with the Responsible AI Future Foundation (RAIFF), co-founded with G42 and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), to support responsible AI practices and evaluation tools across the region.
People
- Investing in talent for the AI economy. Building on its existing commitment to help skill more than 4.2 million people across Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE by 2030, Microsoft will continue investing in AI skills, workforce readiness and public-sector capability building – including through Saudi Arabia’s AI Global Leadership Programme, AI Skills 4 Women programmes in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and the Women’s Datacentre Academy in Saudi Arabia.
- Helping education communities prepare learners for the AI era. Microsoft is working with governments, educators, institutions, and partners across the Middle East to develop responsible AI principles across primary, secondary, and tertiary education. This includes supporting AI literacy, helping educators integrate AI into teaching and learning, and sharing practical guidance for responsible AI use in educational settings
- Empowering workers in the AI economy. We will partner with governments, employers, workers, education providers, and other stakeholders to help people adapt to changing workplace demands. Our focus is on practical skills development, workforce readiness, and leadership development that helps countries build competitive economies and create new opportunities for workers in an AI-enabled future.
As a long-term technology partner to governments, businesses, educators and communities, Microsoft brings together global-scale cloud and AI infrastructure, trusted security and resilience capabilities, and deep local partnerships to help countries advance their national visions. The company will continue working alongside the region to turn AI ambition into lasting economic growth, stronger public services and new opportunities for people.
Discussion about this post