Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 4 June 2026

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the foundations of economic competition. What was once a race for natural resources, trade routes and industrial capacity is increasingly becoming a race for computing power, data infrastructure and the ability to develop and deploy AI at scale.

The shift has turned data centres, advanced computing capacity and digital infrastructure into strategic economic assets. Governments and major technology companies are pouring billions into the infrastructure required to support next-generation AI systems, with industry forecasts suggesting the technology could add trillions of dollars to global economic output in the years ahead.

The UAE is positioning itself at the centre of that transformation through sustained investment in digital infrastructure, computing capabilities and emerging technologies.

Wael Rashid, Business Development Manager and Official Spokesperson at Evest, said:

“For decades, economic strength was closely tied to natural resources and logistics networks. Today, computing capacity has become part of that equation. Countries that build strong digital infrastructure early will be better placed to capture the economic opportunities created by artificial intelligence.”

Competition is no longer limited to AI applications and software. Increasingly, it revolves around ownership of the infrastructure that powers those technologies, helping explain the rapid growth in investment flowing into data centres, cloud computing networks and high-performance computing facilities.

The UAE’s approach combines long-term investment in digital infrastructure with partnerships involving leading global technology companies, alongside efforts to develop the talent needed to support the next phase of growth in artificial intelligence.

That strategy dates back to 2017, when the UAE launched its “National Artificial Intelligence Strategy”, becoming one of the first countries to establish a dedicated national framework for AI development. Since then, the country has continued investing in digital infrastructure, research initiatives and collaboration between the public and private sectors.

According to Rashid, the economic value of artificial intelligence extends far beyond the applications themselves.

“The real value lies in the ability to develop, operate and scale these technologies,” he said. “Data centres and computing infrastructure are becoming increasingly important components of the global economy, much as strategic resources were in previous phases of economic growth.”

The trend is accelerating as the UAE and many of the world’s largest economies expand investment in digital infrastructure and computing capacity, reflecting the growing role of data, AI and advanced technologies in shaping the next stage of global economic development.

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