The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that it will invest more than $1 billion in capacity-building and infrastructure using artificial intelligence (AI), and the deployment of AI-based services across Africa, with the aim of helping countries achieve their development goals.
This was announced by Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, Permanent Secretary at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 22 November 2025, during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
He said that the program, called the “AI for Development Initiative,” will focus on sectors including education, healthcare and climate change.
“We see artificial intelligence (AI) as a field that will not only be limited to the future, but as the foundation of the future of humanity.”
He added that his country continues to work with partners around the world to further promote innovations aimed at increasing productivity and economic growth, but above all, respecting the appropriate use of AI, for the benefit of all.
The UAE has been one of the continent’s biggest investors for years, with trade between the two countries expected to reach $107 billion by 2024, a 28% increase over 2023. Between 2020 and 2024, the UAE invested $118 billion.
Not only that, Abu Dhabi is also working on building one of the world’s largest data centers, using technology provided by the United States.
Although the UAE is not among the 20 largest economies in the world that make up the G20, it was invited to the summit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who hosted it for the first time on the African continent.
