Gitex 2024: UAE eyes global data centre leadership by leveraging energy excess capacity, says AI Minister

UAE is one of the few countries with an excess energy pool, said Omar Sultan Al Olama

Dubai: Supported by a $100 billion investment fund for AI infrastructure, involving partners like BlackRock, MGX, Microsoft, and Global Infrastructure Partners, the UAE’s is eyeing global data centre leadership by leveraging its energy excess capacity.

According to Omar Sultan Al Olama, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, the UAE is one of the few countries with an excess energy pool. “For instance, Dubai produces around 16 gigawatts of energy but uses only about 14 gigawatts, leaving a surplus of 2 gigawatts,” he added.

“We’re already investing in more energy infrastructure, and we’re also taking nuclear power seriously. The Barakah nuclear power plant is operational, and we’re planning to expand it for AI applications,” Al Olama said on Monday, the opening day of Gitex 2024. He added, “We are focusing on becoming a hub for data centres and believe we can play a significant role in that.” Data centres are one of the most energy-intensive building types, consuming up to 50 times the energy per floor space as a typical commercial office building.

Scaling AI

Commenting on whether the immense computing power of AI means that only tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Amazon can “handle it”, Olama said, “The economics of AI can be challenging. You could spend millions to build a model up front, but you would only need to invest more in a newer model without generating revenue. Governments often have other priorities, so they can’t justify the expense of building large language models.”

He added, “For some countries, it makes sense to invest in AI, but for many others, they’ll need to collaborate in blocks like the EU or join initiatives like the UAE’s.”

Al Olama also said that the UAE has a natural advantage due to the speed of its regulatory process. He explained, “We can change regulations quickly because we don’t have other countries' legacy systems. The American approach is more liberal, while the European approach is more conservative. I believe the UAE will find a middle ground.”

Training talent

One essential requirement for a robust AI infrastructure is hiring and training talent. According to the Minister, “We have a target of training a million people in effective, prompt engineering within two years. We want quality coders and developers. The goal is to attract top talent and ensure they contribute significantly to the UAE’s economy.”

He added, “While attracting high-net-worth individuals is beneficial, we must also focus on building local talent. We aim to make it easy for global talent to move here and create opportunities.”