Microsoft plans to invest more than $10 billion in Persian Gulf countries by 2030 — Dawn

Microsoft plans to invest more than $10 billion in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait by 2030. The funds are to be directed, among other things, toward cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence technologies.

Dawn reports, citing Reuters, on the company’s plans. According to Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, the investments include further infrastructure development and the expansion of the company’s operations in the region.

Digital resilience

One of the areas of Microsoft’s strategy in the Persian Gulf countries is digital resilience amid the war related to Iran. The company has helped local partners assess digital resilience and is working with countries in the region on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

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Smith said that Microsoft is not abandoning investments planned before the conflict began, but is increasing them. He did not provide a breakdown of the funds by country or specific projects, citing, among other things, security considerations.

Connectivity and AI partnerships

Separately, Microsoft plans to invest more than $400 million in submarine and terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure in the Middle East by 2030.

The company is also strengthening cooperation with national companies in the field of AI. In 2024, Microsoft invested $1.5 billion in a minority stake in Abu Dhabi-based G42 and obtained a seat on its board of directors, currently held by Smith. Microsoft is also working with Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai in priority areas defined for them, but does not plan capital investments in these companies.