After Rafale jets, UAE's MBZ inks $50B AI deal with France in landmark visit
Only a week after the delivery of the first batch of Rafale F4 fighter jets to Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates will invest billions of dollars in a new AI center in France.
DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates and France expanded bilateral ties beyond defense to artificial intelligence in a working visit by the Gulf state's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, to Paris this week, including a deal worth up to 50 billion euros ($51.9 billion) to establish a data center in the European country.
Sheikh Mohammed arrived in Paris on Thursday evening to attend a major artificial intelligence conference at which India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present. India is co-chairing the two-day AI Action Summit with France, part of Europe’s broader effort to reduce reliance on China-centric AI technology.
The UAE and France plan to establish a 1-gigawatt AI center in France, which will serve as the hub of a new AI campus and "represents investment of 30 to 50 billion euros," or about $31-52 billion, according to a statement from the French presidency.
The center will store data and help power the AI systems, the presidency said.
