Dubai — UAE-based telecom operator du has unveiled two major sovereign AI initiatives at GITEX Global 2025 — the AI Park and the National Hybrid AI Platform — marking a pivotal step toward establishing the UAE as a global hub for secure and sovereign artificial intelligence innovation.
Building the UAE’s Sovereign AI Future
The newly announced AI Park, currently in its master planning phase, will be developed over five years in Dubai. It will house several liquid-cooled hyperscale data centers with an eventual capacity of up to 1 gigawatt, purpose-built to handle AI-level workloads in full compliance with national data sovereignty and security standards.
Beyond infrastructure, the AI Park will host AI research labs, startup incubators, and a sovereign hybrid AI production and compute cluster, enabling innovators, enterprises, and government entities to prototype, scale, and deploy AI applications securely within the UAE.
“With du’s AI Park, we are not only delivering world-class digital infrastructure but also building the foundation for a thriving AI innovation ecosystem,” said Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of du. “This underscores du’s role in advancing the UAE’s economic diversification and technological leadership.”
National Hybrid AI Platform: A Unified AI Environment
Complementing the park, du’s ICT arm du Tech launched the National Hybrid AI Platform, offering enterprises and government agencies an integrated environment to develop AI applications across any cloud of their choice and deploy them within du’s sovereign infrastructure.
The platform combines du Tech’s National Hypercloud, 5G and fibre networks, hyperscaler partnerships, and system integrator ecosystems into a unified AI ecosystem. It allows organizations to deploy, manage, and scale AI workloads securely, without the need for heavy upfront infrastructure investments.
Strategic Vision: AI as a National Asset
Al Hassawi noted that the two initiatives — the AI Park and the National Hybrid AI Platform — will work together to provide GPU-as-a-Service, leveraging du’s local and international cable networks to form a sovereign, cost-effective, and high-performance AI hub.
The dual launch reinforces du’s alignment with the UAE’s national goal of becoming a world-leading AI-first nation, supporting both public and private sector AI adoption under a trusted, compliant digital framework.
Government Endorsement and National Readiness
Speaking at GITEX 2025, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla Bin Touq emphasized that AI must become a core pillar of national spending, comparable to defence and cybersecurity. He highlighted that the UAE has spent the past decade investing in data centers and energy infrastructure, ranking second globally after the U.S. in AI infrastructure and talent development.
A Central Theme at GITEX Global 2025
AI dominated this year’s GITEX, reflecting the region’s accelerating investment in sovereign computing capabilities. At du’s exhibition stand — themed “AI’s not just the future. With us, it shapes your next step.” — the company showcased how its latest platforms are redefining enterprise AI deployment, governance, and scalability.
