UAE Unveils AI-Powered Strategy to Become a Global Advanced Technology Hub.
Abu Dhabi: The UAE has unveiled a major initiative aimed at strengthening its digital infrastructure at both the domestic and international levels. Under the project, the country plans to increase its international connectivity capacity to more than 500 terabits per second by 2030, representing nearly 25 times its current capacity.
The initiative will also introduce diversified connectivity routes to enhance network efficiency and reliability, while improving latency performance and overall digital connectivity.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice-President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Office, witnessed the launch of the strategic project by e&. The initiative is designed to expand and enhance the group’s digital infrastructure capabilities across the UAE and international markets.
The initiative is designed to enhance the UAE’s preparedness for the AI-driven economy while further strengthening its standing in the global digital ecosystem.
The plans were outlined during a meeting between Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and e&, an investment of the Emirates Investment Authority (EIA). As Chairman of the EIA, Sheikh Mansour reviewed the group’s upcoming plans and projects aimed at expanding digital infrastructure to meet the accelerating demands of artificial intelligence and the digital economy.
A major component of the project is the expansion of international connectivity capacity from the current 20 terabits per second to more than 500 terabits per second by 2030. The initiative will also establish multiple connectivity routes to enhance network efficiency and reliability while providing faster and more consistent connections.
During the meeting, Sheikh Mansour highlighted investment in digital infrastructure as an essential foundation for the economy of the future. Such investment, he noted, will help drive innovation, enable advanced technologies and enhance the UAE’s competitiveness on the global stage.
He also highlighted the importance of coordinating national efforts and expanding the contribution of national institutions to advancing the UAE’s strategic ambitions in artificial intelligence and the wider digital economy.
Building advanced digital capabilities
Writing on X, Sheikh Mansour described the development as another important chapter in e&’s evolution as the organisation marks five decades of achievements and sets out its vision for the years ahead.
He highlighted e&’s long-standing contribution to the UAE’s development and the expansion of the country’s digital capabilities, while pointing to its continued ambition to respond to global technological shifts and support the UAE’s growing role in the future of technology and artificial intelligence.
Sheikh Mansour said the UAE remains committed to developing sophisticated digital infrastructure as part of its long-term vision. Building strong technological capabilities, he explained, is essential to supporting future economic expansion, encouraging innovation and strengthening the country’s competitiveness internationally.
He highlighted artificial intelligence as a central element of the UAE’s next stage of development. Expanding the country’s digital capabilities will provide the foundation needed to deploy AI more widely, helping both government entities and private-sector organisations advance, innovate and operate with greater efficiency.
Sheikh Mansour said the UAE is seeking to do more than simply adapt to rapid technological change. The country aims to play an active role in advancing new technologies and influencing how they develop in the years ahead.
He added that large-scale investments in digital infrastructure will improve the UAE’s preparedness for emerging technologies while reinforcing its position as an international centre for advanced technology and artificial intelligence.
AI-driven vision for the next phase
Sheikh Mansour also attended the launch of e&’s 50th-anniversary celebrations, where the group presented its future vision of establishing itself as a leading AI-powered and AI-enabling telecommunications company.
The group also announced that it would continue its journey under the historic “Etisalat” identity, a name that has built strong recognition and trust among customers and communities over the past five decades.
The digital infrastructure project marks the first major commitment under e&’s new strategy, which seeks to reshape and advance the telecommunications industry through artificial intelligence. The strategy is centred on four key areas: telecommunications, AI and business solutions, infrastructure, and financial technology.
Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of e&, said the initiative reflects the group’s view that the UAE’s ambitions extend beyond simply adopting artificial intelligence. The country also seeks to contribute to AI governance and use the technology as a platform for innovation.
Achieving that ambition, he said, will require digital infrastructure on an unprecedented scale, alongside maintaining full ownership and control of these critical technological capabilities.
International connectivity capacity to exceed 500Tbps
Al Zaabi said the planned increase in international connectivity capacity from 20 terabits per second to more than 500 terabits per second is a significant strategic move aimed at addressing the rapidly rising global demand for data transmission and processing, particularly as artificial intelligence continues to expand.
The enhanced capacity is expected to make the UAE’s digital infrastructure more resilient and dependable while supporting the growing requirements of AI clusters operating in the country and international cloud service providers. The expanded network will also benefit e&’s customers and operations across the markets in which the group operates.
According to Al Zaabi, the project will use multiple connectivity routes and advanced network designs to achieve low-latency performance. This will strengthen the UAE’s integration with the global digital economy by providing faster, more stable and reliable connections while safeguarding the country’s digital sovereignty.
He said the investment builds on the approach e& has followed throughout its five-decade history, during which the group has continuously expanded and strengthened infrastructure in response to technological developments.
As e& enters its next 50 years, Al Zaabi said the group will continue focusing on building robust digital infrastructure capable of supporting the UAE’s technological ambitions while maintaining high levels of network resilience and stability across its international markets.
Global network serving over 250 million subscribers
With operations spanning 38 countries and a subscriber base of more than 250 million worldwide, e& has an extensive international footprint. As a result, the impact of the infrastructure expansion is expected to extend beyond the UAE, further connecting the country’s digital networks with the wider global ecosystem.
The initiative also aligns with the UAE’s goal of strengthening its position as an international centre for advanced technology and artificial intelligence. By expanding its digital capabilities, the country aims to enhance its global competitiveness and provide government entities and private-sector organisations with the infrastructure required to deploy AI solutions on a much larger scale.
